I will be reviewing movies and films that I watch. Here is my layout. For an example, I will give a review for the latest film I saw, I Can Do Bad All By Myself.
I start with a brief spoiler-free description of what the film is about. Generally, this is no more than a paragraph long. I do sometimes go into detail, mainly if there are any subplots, but I try not to spoil anything. Example:
I Can Do Bad All By Myself (aka Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself) is a film adaptation of Tyler Perry's play Dear God, Are All Men Dogs?: I Can Do Bad All By Myself. In this film, 16-year-old Jennifer (Hope Olaide Wilson), and her younger brothers diabetic Manny (Kwesi Boakye) and mute Byron (Frederick Siglar) break into the home of Madea (Tyler Perry) and her brother Joe (Tyler Perry) and try to steal their VCR. Madea catches them and sends them to their only alive and non-MIA relative, their aunt April (Taraji P. Henson). April works at a nightclub, but she is a selfish drug addict who wants nothing to do with the kids, as she mainly lives off of her married boyfriend Randy (Brian J. White). On top of it all, April is also forced to take in an Colombian immigrant named Sandino (Adam Rodriguez).
The next part will be my honest opinion of the film. I generally tend not to assign numbers, but if asked, I will. This includes how I felt and thought of the film, as well as anything that may have affected my opinion. Generally, I'm easy to please and I tend not to be biased nor do I base films off of anything else that the film may be based on such as previous films in the franchise or a television series. However, sometimes my opinion may be affected by lack of viewing of a previous film, and if I believe that to be the case, I will state it. I try my best not to spoil, no matter how obvious the ending may be or how paper-thin the plot of the film is, but will spoil privately upon request. Example:
I am not familiar with any of Tyler Perry's plays, and the only film of his I've seen is Madea Goes to Jail earlier this year. I would like to see more of his work someday. Nonetheless, I was blown away by I Can Do Bad All By Myself. Madea Goes to Jail was a more comedic play, but this was more dramatic, though it still had a comedic side. I actually cried when I heard about the kids' relatives, as well as the church songs and... I'll explain later, and I don't want to spoil. However, when Jennifer was talking to Madea, despite shedding some tears, I could not resist laughing when Madea told Jennifer her idea of the Bible. I honestly think that I Can Do Bad is by far the best film of 2009, beating My Sister's Keeper in my book.
Sometimes, I will write about past experiences with the actor or actress. This is generally going to be well-known and recent films, as well as coming attractions. When it comes to animated films, I will only write about it on occasion. However, due to lack of familiarity with the cast of Tyler Perry/Madea plays/films, I'll skip it for this review.
Next, I talk about the film's MPAA rating, and explain why I believe it got that, and how far I feel the limit was pushed (if applicable). I list any (generally the strongest) instance of violence or blood, sex or nudity, drugs or alcoholic use, and profanity or swearing, as well as toilet humor if applicable. For example:
I Can Do Bad All By Myself scored a PG-13 rating. There are many instances of violence in this film, both verbal and actual, ranging from comedic (e.g., Madea says if the kids call the police she is going to choke, stab, beat, and disembowel them, as well as sillier threats during the closing credits) to serious (e.g., April dropping a radio in a bathtub with Randy inside - he gets shocked, but is otherwise okay). Sandino also beats Randy with a bat and his fists, and we see a bit of blood on his face. Drug use is also prevalent in this film, such as April being a drug addict (as Sandino says, she is "smoking herself to death" and she often goes to a bar) and Manny needing a daily insulin shot to survive (Jennifer steals one from a drugstore). Sexual content ranges from April wearing low-cut top that reveal her cleavage to Randy threatening to rape Jennifer, then telling April that Jennifer tried to have sex with him for money. Profanity is minor, and mainly consists of name-calling (usually for comedic effect).
Last of all, the verdict - who I recommend this film to. Should you see it on the silver screen? Should you rent it? And under what conditions? Example:
I highly recommend seeing this film if you enjoy Tyler Perry's dramatic films. If you're a fan of his comedic side, this film is not for you. I will say, it is not an ideal film for people going to the theater looking for an escape. If you do see it, stay tuned during the closing credits for a blooper and out-take reel.
I also like to end on a mini-poster for the film:
I hope you enjoyed that review, and I look forward to all criticism and comments. I will see you later when I review this week's four films: Love Happens, Jennifer's Body, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and The Informant!
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