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Most people in America enjoy going to the movies. It’s cheap, easy, and relaxing. But nobody wants to waste their hard-earned money on a bad movie. Movie reviews are the best way to get a good idea of whether or not someone wants to go spend ten dollars and two hours of their time in a slightly uncomfortable movie theatre seat sitting next to a stranger who thinks its appropriate to take their shoes off for the whole movie. Since almost everyone likes movies and everyone likes to save money, any general movie review’s audience spans all races, genders, and classes. A grandpa could be reading the same movie review that a high school student in Detroit could be reading, but different movies attract different audiences. The critic writing the review needs to be aware of the audience that the movie is targeting, and adjust their conventions accordingly. A recent review of the movie “Deadpool” is a great example of how a critic realizes his audience, and tailors his review accordingly. “Deadpool” is a movie targeted at an audience of young people who stay current with the American entertainment industry. This can be seen when the critic references lead actor Ryan Reynolds’ past movie flops, “The Green Lantern” and “R.I.P.D.”, as examples of how Reynolds has finally found his niche with his role as Deadpool.

One convention that goes into movie reviews, specifically, is the way the critics have to give their interpretation of the movie and a basic plot summary without giving away any important spoiling details. Critic Adam Graham for The Detroit News describes Deadpool’s plot very simply, explaining the main character Wade Wilson as “a low-rent vigilante” who falls in love, gets cancer, and becomes Deadpool. Graham also gives a preview of the movie’s main conflict, the love interest getting kidnapped by the movie’s villain. The critic gives the reader a basic idea of what they can expect from the movie, without giving their opinion on it, so that the reader can decide for themselves whether or not the movie sounds interesting.

The critic does still give their own input, which is a major convention of movie reviews. There are many ways the critic gives their personal opinion of the movie. In one example, Graham sees the on screen romance between Reynolds and his love interest, played by Morena Baccarin, as a “warm, believable sexual chemistry” which entices readers into seeing the movie by giving the movie some validity in being well-acted. Another way Graham tries to convince the reader to see the movie is by commenting on previous attempts at superhero movies that try to break the fourth wall, specifically the movie “Last Action Hero”. He says that though “Last Action Hero” was “an example of how not to do it” but that “’Deadpool’ hits just the right tone”. This gives the reader some assuredness that the critic knows what a bad version of this movie looks like. This comparison gets the reader more excited to see a movie that follows a similar structure, but does it well.

Lastly, a staple convention for movie reviews is a ranking system. Some critics use a numerical system that could be any number out of, most commonly, five or ten. A five out of five or ten out of ten rating is considered to be the best rating. Other critics use a letter grading scale, with A+ being the best and an F being the worst. Adam Graham gave “Deadpool” a B+. A higher rating gives the reader confidence that the movie is enjoyable and can really convince a reader to see a movie they normally wouldn’t have seen without reading the review. Reviews can often make or break a movie in the box office, and credible critics use these conventions and features to give their readers their version of the best possible review of the movies they see.

Movie Review: http://www.detroitnews.com/story/entertainment/2016/02/11/adam-graham-movie-review-insane-deadpool-deconstructs-superhero-genre/80234798/

Citation: Graham, Adam. "Review: Insane 'Deadpool' Deconstructs Superhero Genre." Detroit News. 12 Feb. 2016. Web. 04 Apr. 2016. <http://www.detroitnews.com/story/entertainment/2016/02/11/adam-graham-movie-review-insane-deadpool-deconstructs-superhero-genre/80234798/>.