Language arts covers a wide spectrum when you consider our reading and writing adventures. Critically reviewing films and other media productions falls in our spectrum according the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for seventh grade. On Tuesday, January 6, we will travel to the theatre to view Marley and Me. For this week’s reading dialogue journal entry, we will focus our energy on our film review. We will discuss this in class on Monday, January 5 and Tuesday, January 6.
First, you will rate the film on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best. You will provide rationale for your rating, which is why you feel the way you do…what supports your opinion. Using specific examples from the film make your rationale stronger.
Second, you will select 3 areas to critique while viewing the film. These areas can range from special effects to themes (life messages) to humor. The sky is wide open. The expectation is that you have 3 specific areas to hone your efforts of critical analysis of the film. You have to cleary identify each area. Explain why you selected the area and it should match your interest as a movie go-er. Rate the area using the same scale 1-10 and provide rationale remembering that specific examples from the film as well as your analysis of those examples and your area make for stronger entries. Questions, comments, post them here. You may opt to do this RDJ digitally using a word program and copy and paste it into a comment. See my example in the comments section.
January 5, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Category Rating 1 (worst) to 10 (best)
Overall 9
Settings 8
Music 10
Themes 10
I reviewed the Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I rated the film a 9 overall. It pulled my heartstrings from start to finish. Speaking of finish, the end dropped off leaving you to wonder what became of their daughter and the hurricane pounding the hospital. I liked the addition of the hummingbird and the significance behind it. I selected three areas to focus my attention during my evaluation of the film. The areas include settings, music, and themes.
Settings are crucial in a film because they increase the plausibility of the theme. For the most part, I felt the settings were true to form and time period. They added to the drama. At other times, I found them to be a bit cheesy like the lightning settings. I feel they showcased them in that matter to indicate the time period and add a little humor.
The music was expertly selected. It fit the film like a glove and added to the drama. The piano selections were specifically grand. The patriotic music signified the importance of the close of the war and added irony to the circumstances of Benjamin’s birth. The music selected for the ballet and other dance scenes matched perfectly. It remains a beautiful and magnificent soundtrack.
Themes, life messages, are essential to high quality films. A high quality film should leave the viewer with something to ponder. From the very beginning with the magnificent clock which ticked backwards to honor the fallen soldiers and their families, to Queeney’s acceptance and love of Benjamin, to Benjamin’s birth father realizing his ultimate loss, to the love between Benjamin and Daisy, and I could list much much more, the messages about life and our perceptions of circumstances hit home. The themes presented in this film will carry it for audiences to enjoy throughout the ages.
January 5, 2009 at 5:55 pm
I give Marley & Me a 5
I think Marley & Me will be an awesome movie because the main character is a dog and it seems like from the previews he is very active and energetic. Even though I haven’t seen it yet.
January 5, 2009 at 8:57 pm
I like that we get to rate the movie on our own scale. Its cool to me because we get to express our opinons freely.
January 6, 2009 at 1:48 am
Was this the blog that we were supposed to do? This is about the movie isn’t it? I’ll check the main page blog.
January 6, 2009 at 11:56 am
?
January 6, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Overall- 8.5
Comedy- 9
Plot- 7
Settings- 10
I thought that this movie was pretty entertaining overall. It was funny, it had the right amount of drama, and a great theme. It was sad when Marley died, but that was okay. Sad parts make the movie interesting. That is part of the drama. I love the theme that was stated at the end also.
The comedy in the movie was great. I loved the part where Marley jumped on the dog obediance trainer. That happened in reality, I know, but it still showed perfectly how untrained Marley was. I loved the irony of him jumping on her, because she is the trainer. She is the one that gets dogs under control. There were many other situations like that, that I enjoyed.
I gave plot a seven, because the plot was good, but there were multiple spots where something was left out that was in the book, or something was added. I could tell though where the exposition, rising action, conflict, ect. were.
The settings in the movie are perfect in my opinion. All three of their houses were exactly how I visualized them when I was reading. I loved the setting of dog beach the most. It really reflected Marley’s fantastic view on life, and how his and John’s relationship developed. I think that dog beach was one of the most important places of marley’s life.
~C
lpepper
January 6, 2009 at 9:38 pm
thank u for going over the blog in class it helped me alot. i am rating humor special efects and setting. i give setting a 9 because it really helped the story along when they moved. i give humor 10 except at the end when marly dyied. the last one special efects a 7 b/c it was not he best when they where at the beach.
p.s.ni cried 2 it was so sad even though i knew it was coming the whole movie.
SoPh : ) :’ (
January 6, 2009 at 9:46 pm
I would rate Marley & Me an overall of 9.
Music- 9
Plot-9
Plausibility- 9
I would rate the music a 9 because in almost every scene of the movie, the music fit what was happening. When they were running on the beach, happy music and mischevious music was playing. When Marley was in the hospital, sad music was playing.
I would rate the plot a 9 because everything in the movie went smoothly. It flowed from scene to scene. However, they skipped a few parts in the movie that were in the book. For example, they forgot the puppy he had when he was a kid, and the dog they got later… Lucky. Other than that the flowing went very well.
I would rate the plausibility a 9 because the actors did a very good job. When the actors were sad, the audience was sad. When the actors were supposed to be funny, the audience laughed. The scene at the end was one of the most realistic scenes becasue of Marley in the hospital and how sad everybody was… most of us were crying.
I loved this movie and I think that the actors and director did a very good job!
January 6, 2009 at 11:50 pm
Marley & Me
Category Rating 1 (worst) to 10 (best).
Overall: 10
Settings: 9
Humor: 9
Themes: 10
I reviewed Marley & Me. I rated the film a 10 overall. It was a great experience for people that have not had a dog and a heart toucher for people that have had dogs. It made me sad to see Marley die at the end of the movie, but it had a great message. It was: A dog is your friend no matter what. It doesn’t matter if you wear designer clothes or drive fancy cars. A dog will be with you no matter what.
Settings are important because without proper settings, the characters would be out of place. The settings of the film were warm and for most of the part; laid back. It really brought out the personality of the main characters.
Humor was a major part of the film Marley & Me. Almost every scene I was laughing. The director had a good way of showing the characters feelind by either using sarcasm or humor. Marley was mostly the reason why the humor picked up through the movie.
Themes… Like I said before. The theme in this movie had a great message. You give your dog your heart, he will give you his. And also, a dog will love you no matter what.
Marley & Me is a great family film. You are almost guaranteed the cry or have a couple of laughs.
January 7, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Now that I understand what we are supposed to do I can rate it.
Overall 10
Humor 8
Setting 10
Music 8
The movie Marley & Me I give it a 10, because the characters and Marley was so awesome in their roles.
For Humor it was great some parts were really good i.e. when John let his dog off the leash to go in the water and Marley poop in the water. That was funny, but the most hilarious part was when Marley humped the dog trainer.
The Music, the reason I gave it a 8 because it played at the right time when there was sad times it played sort of sad song when Marley’s stomach or tubes in his stomach was twisted I think that was the right timing.
Setting, the places in the movie was so beautiful like down on the boardwalk, my favorite setting was when they moved to Philadelphia their house was huge and amazing inside and out.
January 7, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Category Rating
Overall 9
Humor 9
Set Design 8
Music 9
I reviewed the movie Marley and Me. Overall I give the movie a 9. I give the movie a 9 because it was very humorous and sad at the same time. During the movie most of my attention went to the humor, the set design, and the music. This overall was a wonderful movie.
When I was watching the movie Marley and Me I listened for the humor. On the humor I gave it an overall 9. I especially liked the part where Marley tried to go through the screen door when he was a puppy then he backed up and ran, and he went through the screen door but he came out a puppy. That was one of the more humorous parts in the movie.
For the set design on Marley and Me I gave it an 8 overall. I gave it an 8 overall because there are parts on the beach when Marley is running and it looks like they sped him up a little bit. Set design wasn’t one of the better parts in the movie Marley and Me.
On music for the movie for Marley and Me I gave it an overall score of 9. I gave it a score of 9 because when Marley is running and there is music the music goes with the same pace of Marley’s running. Like say if he is slightly running slow like in the part where he gets loose from the dog trainer the music would be at a medium pace. If he was running full speed like he was on the beach the music would be fast paced. All these reasons that I just gave are the reasons that I rated the movie Marley and me an overall 9.
January 7, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Sorry I wasn’t here today [1-7-09] Mrs. L. I had a bad migrain and sore throat.
Sorry!!!
Chelsea♥
January 7, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Chelsea
January 7, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Hope you feel better Chels
January 8, 2009 at 1:40 am
I agree with Coolpepper, I wish that the scenes hadn’t been left out. I did enjoy the scenes that they added though…
January 8, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Category Rating
Overall 10
Humor 9
Realalistic Drama 7
Set Setting 7
Dear Mrs.Lancaster
I gave my overall rating because how the movie was real you can’t even tell its a movie its like you are there watching them the whole time.
I think the humor of the movie was great there were sertin times were they could have the langueg in the movie alittel better.
My next ratting is a 7 on realalistc drama I watcned out for the fights and the romance to see if they were acting or if the were really trying to set it off also I watch how marley acted to see if he was acting or relly trying to be a dog.
My next setting will be on the set setting I gave that a 7 because it wasent like a house that you would normaly see I mean if they were going to have a extra room for working make it alittel more casul if you know wat im saying. Also why do they keep getting two news papers.
O.K bye
M&M
January 9, 2009 at 12:17 am
Are we supposed to keep blogging on other peoples’ opinions?
January 14, 2009 at 5:45 pm
My rating for Marley & Me:
Overall: IIX
Special Effects: VI
Humor: IX
Acting: X
I rated Marley & Me on how funny it was, how well the acting was, and the use of special effects. Overall I rated Marley & me a rating of eight. It was sad at the end and I had a few silent tears. At times I couldn’t wait to find out what trouble Marley would get in next.
In acting I could really believe that Owen and everybody really was their character. The dog was even better then the peoples acting. It must have taken months of training for him to do what he did. I gave them all a ten because I wasn’t able to find many flaws in the acting, Other than the beginning it was a little shaky when Owen was going for a job interview. I think he wasn’t really into his character yet. I just wonder how did they get the puppy (playing Marley’s youth) to do some of the tricks he did.
Humor I gave them a nine. The funniest part of the whole movie was when the dog trainer blew the whistle when Marley was misbehaving–If the music was playing “Chariots of Fire” when Marley was Barreling towards her it would’ve made that much funnier. — Suddenly you see Marley was running full speed at her, her expression is hysterical and then Marley ends up humping her leg
Special effects were the weakest part of the movie. The beach scene were the worst part in special effects you can clearly see the fine line between real sand and green screen. Even on the green screen the clips were faded and didn’t match. However they did well with the dog dung. You could believe that it was real.