Discussion Questions for Movie Reviews
"Murder in the First"
- Mark the judgment and explain the main idea it presents. Does the judgment support the star rating?
- Analyze paragraphs 5-7. What reasons and examples are used? Do the reasons and examples support the judgment? How?
- Describe the tone and language used in the review. Find some examples to illustrate your findings.
"The Legend of Bagger Vance"
- Find the judgment and explain the main idea it presents. What star rating would you expect for this review?
- Explain the strategy for the introduction.
- Discuss the analysis--pages 3-4. What does the writer focus on? What are the writer's criteria, based on the analysis?
- Why do the last two quotations function as an effective conclusion?
- Assess the audience for this review. Find examples in the review.
"Remember the Titans"
- What star rating would you expect for this review? Find examples to support your answer.
- Mark the paragraphs the makeup the plot summary. How much of the review is this?
- Assess the conclusion of this review. What alternatives might be used to end this review?
- Discuss the entertainment value of this review? Strengths? Weaknesses?
"Casino Royal"
- Where is the plot summary in this review? Explain your finding.
- Discuss the analysis. What does the writer focus on? What criteria are implied?
- Is the judgment at the beginning of this review or at the end? Explain your finding.
- Who do you imagine is the audience for this review? Consider the style and tone. Also, consider the choice of quotation in the last paragraph.