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Tuesday, 15 December 2015

Review Draft



PARAGRAPH 1: SYNOPSIS (85 WORDS)



One bizarre board game brings a lot disturbance to a cluster of close friends that merely opted for a serene evening of sipping wine and chatting, but each roll of the dice chucks a new challenge which channels fear and bewilderment amongst the group. Four friends discover the brutal consequences of one friend’s greed as they become victims of a life gambling game. Production Company Olympus plunge the audience into a state of confusion and turmoil with their unusual adaptation of the Monopoly board game.


PARAGRAPH 2: CHARACTERS AND CONTEXT (180 WORDS)

The remarkable confidence of the young actors shone through wonderfully, with Marion (Lily Smith), Andrew (Jack Hopkins), Taylor (Amy Snake), and Russell (Charley Baker) all making the exciting experience all the more engrossing to watch. With the inclusion of nifty camera shots, the scenes rose with expertise and the tension grew. The film-makers smartly kept the focus on the board game itself, making it all the more thrilling to watch as if we were in the shoes of the devilled monopoly man himself. Like the Monopoly game itself, the characters continuously progress around the board, until they land on a ‘Chance’ card. Like the real game, the players have a 50/50 chance of the card coming out positively or negatively, however during the early stages of this well constructed game, the majority are positive. Unlike the real game, supernatural occurrences ensue, producing real money to the participants. To the joy of the players, they eagerly continue the game, falsely believing that it can only get better, however the selfishness of one character destroys the game for the rest of them…




PARAGRAPH 3: GENRE (118 WORDS)



Supernatural elements are explored thoroughly to justify the sinister events produced by the Monopoly board that are unexplainable to the human eye. The sudden absence of Lily Smith’s character, Marion, generates enigma amongst the viewer and the characters on screen, which ultimately conveys aspects of a Horror genre whilst sustaining elements of a Fantasy due to the mystic mayhem caused by the sorcerous board game. Conversely Jon Favreau’s 2005 film Zathura uses a comparable narrative of two brothers discovering a board game that also causes unexplainable events to occur. Contrastingly however, director Jon Favreau uses repeated conventions of a Sci-Fi Action Adventure film as opposed to a Horror Fantasy which uses factual financial snags to drive the narrative.


PARAGRAPH 4: HOW THE PLOT DEVELOPS, ETC. (105 WORDS)

The plot thickens when during the hunt for Lily Smith’s character, Marion, we see Russell cheat the game by stealing the money. The resulting actions lead to the awe-inspiring build-up of tension, portraying more challenges for the four friends to face. Much like the 1995 fantasy film, Jumanji, the friends find themselves locked into the games fierce unfolding events, testing their own will power to succeed the game and survive. The single barbaric feat proves irredeemably cruel as the film soon unveils the consequences of his act, as a feeble beam of light exposes his dear friend lying motionless behind the shadows of the hallway.


PARAGRAPH 5: REVIEWERS EXPERIENCE (82 WORDS)



What makes this particular Fantasy Horror so electrifying is the simplicity of Monopoly being possessed and (with the help of co-writer Joe D Blissett) the characters are somewhat relatable with their blatant money issues and lack of care for financial problems. But was it not inevitable that this Monopoly driven narrative was going to involve someone cheating? Unsurprisingly Charley Baker’s portrayal of his character Russell projected greed and selfishness which caused him to be a dislikeable character amongst his other innocent associates.

WORD COUNT: 570

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