I know this forum is mostly for writing fiction etc, but I was wondering if anyone here has any tips, hints, tricks or links to resources on how to write good book, movie and game reviews? I read a lot, watch a lot of movies and play a lot of games and would like to start posting reviews of these things on my website, but find I put too much "personal" stuff into them. Is there a "proper" form/style to use when writing product reviews for things such as these? Help? lol

Well, I've done all of two reviews for the Renderosity Magazine, so I don't consider myself much of an expert. zI will, however, happily share my advice, such as it is. I reveiwed software and a book, and in both cases what I did was give a little overview of the product so that people could know what it was about. Then I tried to think what I would want to know if I was reading the review, so look at if from that direction. When you read a movie review or game review, what is most helpful to you? To me, in a game, ease of use is always a question...I don't like wading through a giant manual to figure out how the game works (some people are just the opposite). Is it interesting, does it break new ground, or is it the same old thing we've all seen a hundred times. Is the animation good or excellent? What kind of computer would I need to use it? Is it for a beginner, moderate user, or expert gamer? What kind of game is it...mystery (clues), action, violent, demeaning to anyone (women, police, whatever), is it intellectually demanding or something to take up your time without much effort? Movies...I want to know if it is well plotted, is it going to hold my interest, does it makes sense within its own world, are the characters well developed, does it have anyone in it that is particularly interesting to watch, who directed it...what is their track record...or is this an up and comer I should be looking forward to for future movies, who worte it...same questions. Is it just another sex and/or violence for money film (yawn) or does it bring some new insights or thoughts. Who is the target audience? Children? Teens? Young adults? Older adults (rarely are movies for us anymore, it seems, but I can dream). Is it a comedy, drama, animated feature, is it a fantasy or realistic, does it cross genres or is it solidly a western, mystery, romance or some other genre? Back to the original statement...think what you would want to see in a review and then write that. What you should not, should not, should not do is give away the secret of the ending or any part of the game that would destroy the act of discovery that may be an essential part of the experience. I like to add a list of extras...if you like this game, you might also like that game. If you like this movie, you might want to read the book it is based on, or this other movie. If it is part of a series, I would let people know that. Does that help??? This isn't a fiction only list. It's whatever we want it to be. :) Oh, and come back and tell us where to find your website so we can read your reviews. :D

Clearly I didn't proof before posting. That's the last thing. Proof your reviews before you post (unlike what I did). If people find it hard to figure out what you are saying, they aren't going to keep reading.

Thanks for your reply, I appreciate the input :) I'll have to sit down and go back over my old movie reviews and see if I can polish them up based on some of the things you have written here :) I'll be sure to post a link once I get everything set up :)

Keep in mind, it all depends on what you want to achieve. You're going to say very different things about a movie or game you want people to be attracted to than one you want them to steer clear of. It's hard to be completely unbiased and I don't know that you should be when you are writing a review. I have to admit that there was one movie that I thought was horrible on every level...I hated it so much that I walked out on it, but, when I told people about it, they said: "wow, that sounds interesting, maybe I want to see it." And I said, "no, no, no, you don't want to see this hideous film." Sometimes the review is the best part of a film. ;) Looking forward to your link.

Also think about what "style" you want to be known for. I like to get to know a reviewer. After a while, I can see a movie and think "So-and-so is going to nail this turkey", or "So-and-so probably broke down crying while watching this scene". I like personal, if it doesn't interfere with my ability to judge the facts. Often, I can even think after a review "I'd like this movie/game, even though this reviewer didn't".

"I'd like this movie/game, even though this reviewer didn't" Oh, I do that all the time. I used to figure that when ever the reviewers in Locus magazine got condescending "if all you are looking for in a book is a plot that moves well, this book might satisfy you, BUT..." that meant I would probably like the book, and anything they raved over I probably wouldn't like. Too much emphasis on "literary" quality, and not darned near enough on good stories, for my taste, some of them reviewers.

Lavender, I don't go to the cinema very often, only once or twice a year. But it helps greatly to know some reviews - if they are bad I probably like the movie! And vice versa. It's a good rule. Regards, Willy