Movie Review preview
1. Name of the publication where the review was found: Moviefreak
2. Name of the writer who wrote the review: Sara Michelle Fetters
3. Grade or score the movie review on a 1-10 scale in your opinion: 9/10 because it wasn't to lengthy and it got the main points across well and didn't express their own opinions too much outside of the highs and lows. The review kept it all about the movie.
4. High Points of the movie (performances, cinematography, plot, etc.) according to the writer: It takes some time before this third entry in the popular animated series finds its footing and begins to click on all cylinders. Thankfully, when it does, it is right when it needs to, the last 30 minutes building up to the rousing, energetically exuberant climax so wonderful they end up making the initial, unfocused missteps of the early portions barely even matter. The pre-credits opening featuring Kai and Master Oogway in the Spirit Realm is spectacular, setting a tone I had trouble believing any other portion of the film was going to be able to equal let alone top. Happy to say, not only does this happen, it does so at the perfect time, right at the end, the last act of the film truly sublime. Not only is it marvelous from an action perspective, it’s also sublime from a character-driven one as well. From Tigress accepting Po as a teacher, to his maturation as a mentor to an embarrassment of pandas, to his willingness to make what can only be described as an ultimate sacrifice to defeat Kai, all of it works, every second, even to the point I wanted to stand up cheer by the time the fight had come to its end
5. Low points of the movie (performances, cinematography, plot, etc.) according to the writer: There’s a lot of shaky ground here, and it’s difficult not to notice it. Kai’s villainous plan is fairly ephemeral and nondescript, and other than wreaking a lot of havoc and stealing the Qi of all the kung fu masters he defeats – while also transforming them into his mindless jade-colored slaves – there’s not a lot to what he wants to do. More, Li’s introduction to all of this is relatively amateurish, feeling more like something out of a sitcom than a major motion picture. It also seems like it takes Cranston a little bit of time to get a handle on the character and what it is he’s hoping to do with him, and as great as it is to hear him tap back into his comedic side it’s not until the pair end up in the supposed safety of the secret panda village that the actor begins to find his groove.
6. Quote a paragraph from the review that you think expresses the overall opinion of the reviewer about the movie: There’s no denying that this third chapter in Po’s saga cannot hold a candle to the 2008 first film that got the good-natured panda’s story rolling; and I can’t help but wish the initial first couple of acts of this third tale could have been a little more focused and felt a little less fractured, than they ultimately did. But there’s no denying that Kung Fu Panda 3 concludes on a definite high note, filled with eye-popping animated set pieces as well as thrilling story beats that I was perfectly entertained by. If it is the end of the road for this particular hero, he certainly goes out a winner. In other words, this sequel is a total Skadoosh! and there’s not a heck of a lot more to add.
1. Name of the publication where the review was found: comicbookmovie.com
2. Name of the writer who wrote the review: Josh Wilding
3. Grade or score the movie review on a 1-10 scale in your opinion: 10/10 because it explains the movie and concept and how it ties into the first movie and gives it's issues and explains them well.
4. High Points of the movie (performances, cinematography, plot, etc.) according to the writer: Christopher and Jonathan Nolan's screenplay is far better than that of Batman Begins, and the character work is particularly excellent. As mentioned above, The Joker is extremely well-written, stealing every scene he's featured in. A big part of this is of course down to Ledger's performance, but the dialogue in the interrogation scene or final confrontation between Batman and the villain is incredible.
5. Low points of the movie (performances, cinematography, plot, etc.) according to the writer: Although saying it does end up paying off at the end the writer says there are some structural issues and it occasionally feels as if The Dark Knight jumps around a bit too much and it may be a bit too long.
6. Quote a paragraph from the review that you think expresses the overall opinion of the reviewer about the movie: Batman Begins may not have been perfect, but Christopher Nolan still had an awful lot to live up to in order to surpass the 2005 reboot. The Dark Knight not only does that, but to this day remains one of the greatest comic book movies ever made. There was a lot of buzz surrounding the sequel in 2008 after the sudden death of star Heath Ledger a few months before its release and it would be easy to look back and accuse critics of overpraising his performance as The Joker because of that. However, there's simply no doubting the fact that the actor deserved every bit of acclaim he received. The Joker is a well-written and terrifying villain, but Ledger's performance brings him to life in a way it's hard to imagine any other actor being capable of. Creepy, manic and utterly brilliant, Ledger was rewarded with a posthumous Oscar and delivered one of the greatest performances not only in the genre, but in film period.