Reviews

Many of us quickly form opinions about things we watch, read or listen to. Some people like to offer their views in the shape of reviews and these can be very useful when choosing to watch, listen or buy something. When producing a review it is important that you give your views and opinions, as well as telling the reader some information about the thing you are reviewing. Getting the right balance is essential – you want a good mix of opinion and information.

What is the effect of each of these and what does it tell us about the writer’s opinion? The film is about the transformation of cruel bully, Eva Jones, teen heartthrob Kristen Stewart, to an intimidated victim of a huge bullying hoax. And let’s be honest, with a storyline like that, it was never going to hit the box office. ‘High School Revenge’ however is one of the worst films ever made (and yes, that does include Bob the Builder’s Christmas Workout). Admittedly the film is not without its strengths – the scenery is realistic and the special effects are special – but these are not enough to carry what can only be described as the flop of the decade.

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Write a review of your most memorable book, film, music CD, game or music event of the year.

Gleeming over Glee… For those of you unfamiliar with Glee, it brings us a combination of all the teenage movies you love to hate. It’s ‘Bring It On’ meets ‘High School Musical’, or even ‘Pretty in Pink’ meets ‘Dream Girls’. Before we can even switch on our TVs we have formed an opinion, we want to loathe this prefabricated and utterly predictable teenage offering. But…we switch on the TV and see the gleeks gleeming at us with their oh-so uncool (that they become a fashion statement) wardrobes and their incredibly predictable jokes (that leave us rolling on the sofa) and within a blink of an eye, we’re hooked. Glee has captured something, something that so many of us long for. It captures the spirit of X-Factor (where thousands of young people long to catch a glimmer of fame and life on the bright side). It captures our sense of competition, our obsession with music (who doesn’t sing in the shower?) and has touched the ambition of every teenager who longs for a better life. ‘Glee’ captures this obsession but it also subtly manages to show us the reality of these dreams. The episodes follow a predictable pattern but also allow us to see another side to all teens. In the next series we will see the handsome star quarterback, Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith), who secretly loves to sing. We see him battle with his dreams of a different life but also his fear of rejection by the cool kids if he decides to join the glee club (which is small and made up of unpopular, unattractive misfits). It is these difficult emotional choices which are so real to the rest of us that have allowed Glee to blossom into the cult show that it is today. ‘Glee’ manages the balance between humour and reality so very well. It has a strong satirical pulse that doesn’t weaken the characters’ identities or dim the showmanship of a talented cast. Without giving too much away, the cast are predictable too, from the quiet Asian girl to the teacher who loves his work (but whose wife wants him to retrain as an accountant to earn more money). But it is their neediness, their vulnerability and their determination that makes us love them more. Glee is one of the best new series on TV today. It’s a heady mix of quirky, sweet, witty and utterly predictable good fun.

Review Writing Grade C You know what you are being asked to do in your writing You know exactly who you are writing for and have thought about what will interest that person or group I have used a light hearted tone throughout I have arranged my writing into paragraphs The order of my ideas follows the task and my review is long enough My ideas are clear and I have added detail I have varied the beginnings of some sentences My spelling is mostly accurate My punctuation is varied and mostly accurate Grade A I have appealed to and engaged my audience My format and structure are effective and accurate I have crafted my tone/language for the audience My paragraphs are varied in length and structure My writing has detail and is well developed, being of a suitable length for the task I effectively vary sentences throughout My spelling is correct My vocabulary is varied, effective and extended My punctuation is varied and effective My tone and overall explanation is very convincing