Movie Website Reviews for Weekend of December 26, 2008

December 28, 2008

There are almost as many wide releases this week as there were total release last week. However, while there are several effective sites, and none that feel sub-standard, none rise to the level of the Weekly Website Award.

Bedtime Stories - Official Site
All the usual features are here (synopsis, bios, images, trailer), as well as a few games. It's a good site, but not an award worthy site.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Official Site
The site itself if not strong, however, there's a side site that is filled with video clips, and not just from the movie, but also from a round table discussion of the movie with the principle cast This not only sells the movie rather well, but would make a great special feature for the DVD release. I also like the series of images we zoom into on the main site, but while it is effective, it isn't award-worthy.

Last Chance Harvey - Official Site
All the usual features are here, including synopsis, bios, production notes, image gallery, and trailer. There are also a couple of extras starting with three clips and there's a personality quiz. (Apparently I should be taking more risks, but I find having a plan to be a virtue.) There's also a section called Take a Chance Collage, but it is marked coming soon. Add in background music and a touch of animation, and this is a very effective site. It is not an award-worthy site, however.

Marley & Me - Official Site
All the usual features with cute clips and the puppy dog used as intros. There are also a few links to site to adopt a virtual pet, among others, but besides that, it is a rather average site and doesn't stand out.

Revolutionary Road - Official Site
I don't want to sound condescending, but this is a very standard site and it has everything one would expect from a movie site. It has all the usual features, as well as enough sound and animation to effectively sell the movie. (I especially like the audio quotes that continuously play in the background as you explore the site.) However, there's not enough here to make it stand out and feel award-worthy.

The Secret Life of Grain - No Official Site
There is no site for the North American release, however, the original French site is still around.

The Spirit - Official Site
There's a lot of style on this site, but that's no surprise given the nature of the movie. It has all of the usual features, plus a game that starts out well but ends as a crappy platform jumping game with bad controls. There were a few other issues with the site, including background music that was too short and grew repetitive far too quickly. Overall it was disappointing, because I had higher hopes for this site.

Valkyrie - Official Site
There's a huge amount of historical information on the site, with plenty of audio and video clips. Add it the regular features, and it is one of the better sites this week, but not award-worthy.

Waltz With Bashir - Official Site
An excellent site for a documentary, and it has a lot more style than most similar sites. Additionally, this style does not come at the expense of its content, and there's plenty of information here.


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Filed under: Marley & Me, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Bedtime Stories, Valkyrie, Revolutionary Road, The Spirit, Last Chance Harvey, Waltz with Bashir