Film reviews

Film reviews

Listen to the film reviews to practise and improve your listening skills.

Do the preparation task first. Then listen to the audio and do the exercises.

Preparation

Transcript

Obviously, this is the sequel to Fun in the City, which is a film I didn't like so it's fair to say my expectations were low. So, you could say I wasn't disappointed, as it met my expectations. It was awful! It was so awful, I'd rather not spend any more time on it by talking about it. But, that wouldn't be a film review and I think I owe you all a review to save you wasting your money going to see it.

So, it starts off with this big wedding scene. And, I won't go into why, but the whole scene is just there so they can make this one joke. It's not even a funny joke ... it's just, ah, it's just terrible. It's got nothing to do with the rest of the film. Anyway, it starts there. Then, instead of the characters and the plot staying in New York where the original film was set, one of them wins a ticket to India and decides to take all her friends. It's what directors do when they've run out of ideas … let's take our characters on tour!

Anyway, they gossip, cry and shop, and they repeat this until the end. No real people would ever act like this. I didn't have any sympathy for their problems or even care what happened to them. Don't go and see it, you'll only encourage them to make another sequel. The world doesn't need three of these films. Please save your money and go and see the other big film this week: Twilight Mirror.

So, if you're a fan of the book it's based on, you're probably as excited as I was about this. For everyone else, this is a film fans have been waiting ten years to see. I have to confess, I was a bit nervous. I'd seen the posters and they didn't look right. I didn't love them at all. And I wasn't sure about the actors they cast either. So I went in not sure what to expect. But … I loved it.

One thing I really liked about it was the pace. They went backwards and forwards between the real world and the computer world and it worked really well. The special effects brought the computer world to life and I totally believed in it. But, more than that, I felt emotionally connected to the story and the characters. The whole film worked on so many levels. It reminded me of going to the cinema as a child – how much fun that was. I can't recommend it enough.

Task 1

Task 2

Discussion

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Language level

Average: 4.1 (76 votes)
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Profile picture for user Andres Felipe Murillo Ayala

Submitted by Andres Felipe … on Sat, 22/06/2019 - 03:58

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I had a problem with the task 1! Every time when i was going to select a description to organize the activity, the answered one disappeared all the time and i finished answering just with one answer in each point. but in task 2 i didn't have any problem at all. Can anyone explain me what was the problem?

Hello Andres,

When you select a second item you need to click on the box itself rather than on an item inside the box. If you click on the box (which should change to a darker colour when you select an item) then you will add your item. If you click on an existing item then you will swap it out.

 

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by Ol4ik on Sat, 08/06/2019 - 04:28

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I watched "chernobyl" from HBO last week. It is incredible film in 5 parts about awful explosion in nuclear reactor that took a place in Sovet Union in 1986. Whole continent could damage because of this accident, but real people made everything and gave everything, even their lives, that manage this problem. No special effects, but great actors and great plot that was create on real story, that made this movie (series) so fearing and exciting. Chernobyl is worth watching.

Submitted by Shuferu on Thu, 16/05/2019 - 22:03

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It is interesting as well as educative

Submitted by Alireza on Sat, 11/05/2019 - 09:58

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I appreciate the diversity you make in the subjects. Very nice.