Textual Analysis: Film Review 3

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/super-size-me#

Common Sense Media is a non-profit organisation that promotes safe technology and media for children through educating families of what they will be exposed to. Unlike most film reviews that are directed towards various minorities of people (e.g. film lovers, other critics, directors etc), Common Sense Media targets parents/guardians in order to help them develop an understanding of a film's content and its suitability for children.

The first thing that grabs the audience's attention is the image in the top left hand of the screen- this is the documentary poster and is iconic to those who have seen it before or may have seen it advertised.

The title of 'Super Size Me' is also present alongside an age rating of 13+ and a 4/5 star rating. When hovering my mouse over the information icon (i) besides the rating, a small information box pops up; this informs me that they use their age rating system to provide the reader with a minimum age in which the piece of media is deemed 'developmentally appropriate'. Readers must note that this is an advisory age restriction given by the website, not the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC)- all official age ratings are shown in small text beneath this alongside the date of review, date of release, genre and running time.

A one line synopsis is also given to inform the reader of the main topic featured within the documentary and offer them an insight as to what it's about. This can be seen as very effective as a parent may not wish to read the entire review; it is quick and readily available information which states the nature of the media product without going into too much detail.

To the right of the screen, readers are given the option to share the review online via social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest) and also given the opportunity to print or email the page.

Directly beneath this is a 'watch' button that consists of many different links in which the reader can click on to be directed to a page in which they can watch the documentary online for a small fee. This is also effective as a form of advertisement/product promotion; if the reader chooses to watch the media product following the link given on this page, the website receives some sort of profit alongside the referred organisations, e.g. Amazon, iTunes and Google Play. The reader can also read the 'user reviews' which are reviews left by other readers and those who have signed up to the website- both parents and children. These assessments are not sourced by Common Sense Media yet can help the reader to develop a wider understanding through the reassurance of a second opinion.

There is a series of clips/images central to the screen including that of the official trailer. This further promotes the product but also helps the reader to develop a judgement/expectation before the review has even been read; this suggests that first impressions are very important when it comes to the film industry as the editor of this page wanted the reader to ensue a certain set of expectations before going on to read the account in more depth/detail.

Positioned to the right of the frame is a list of themes central to modern day media called 'What Parents Need To Know'. This box consists of: positive messages, positive role models, violence, sex, language, consumerism, drinking, drugs & smoking. These aspects are then given a ranking out of 5 on their prominence throughout the text- in this case, Super Size Me.

The review itself is split into multiple sections (the main summary, 'what's the story?' and 'is it any good?'; I found this beneficial as I knew which part of the review contained the information I was after and I knew exactly where/how to find it.

The author of the review is stated/acknowledged at the very bottom of the page alongside a short note from the website itself featured in small font. This note states: "Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are conducted by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners." This is of great effect as the reader is then reassured that the content of the review is unbiased, trustworthy and therefore a reliable source in which they can use to develop their own judgement of the text.