Task 2

Read the movie review text entitle Round Trip, then answer the questions!

Round Trip

The Rover meets Groundhog Day with a touch of Mad Max in this short Australian
comedy, written and directed by Ren Thackham. Round Trip is a blisteringly funny journey
into the wild where anything can, and does, happen.

Danny Bolt plays Constable Rose, a charming and likeable cop hoping for the easy
transport of a prisoner in the back of his police car. Said prisoner, Ned (Lee Priest), is
anything but cooperative though, and seeks escape at his first opportunity. However, their
current location is in the massive unknown that is the Australian outback, where strange
things start to happen.

Brilliantly filmed, wickedly funny, and intelligently paced, Thackham steers with both
hands on Round Trip for a thrilling and controlled viewing experience. The laughs come
when they are supposed to, especially from the banter between Priest and Bolt. One of my
favourite moments is when Bolt’s police officer talks about wanting a tattoo to the largely
inked Ned. It was a perfect example of great timing and characterisation.

The location is used spectacularly. With the unforgiving sun a constant menace,
contrasting wonderfully with the breathtaking landscapes and endless horizons. There are
also some pretty impressive stunts thrown in for good measure, with Constable Rose’s cop
car being flipped a couple of times.

It was fantastic to see Thackham’s script hold up to the strain of attempting multiple
genres. The coalescing elements of comedy, action, mystery and horror could so easily have
been too much for another filmmaker to hold their balance, but Thackham holds the reins
tighter than Ned’s skin-tight vest against his bulging muscles. The lines are funny throughout
and there is a genuinely compelling degree of peril and intrigue from the storyline. To say
much more would spoil it but you should most definitely seek this film out.

I would perhaps have liked a little bit more exposition than is given. Only to help me
invest more into the two characters and the dangerous situation they find themselves in. That
being said, the charisma of the performers goes a long way to assist this. The performances
are excellent, Priest playing the unstable criminal with impressive amounts of humour. Bolt is
utterly hilarious as the Aussie officer, delivering some of the most memorable moments
in Round Trip.

Everything I have said in this film review goes a way to attest to the splendour of
Thackham's short film, but two words come to mind if you are looking for a more concise
conclusion. Fair dinkum.

Answer the following questions!

1. What is the genre of this movie?

A. Science fiction
B. Drama
 C. Action
D. Tragedy

2. Which one of these statements is true according to the text?

A. The performance is great but it is ruined by the unstable criminal played by Priest
B. The set of location is comfortable for the movie actors
C. The characterization is not precisely characterized by the director
D. The most memorable scene is played by Bolt

3. The word ‘Throughout’ in the paragraph 5 has the closest meaning with …
A. Passing
B. All over
C. Exclude
D. In the certain time

4. What is the reviewer true intention in giving the review about the movie?
A. To tell that the movie is hilarious
B. To describe about the spectacular set of location
C. To prove how excellent the movie is
D. To describe the character in the movie

5. What is main idea of the fifth paragraph?

A. The good steadiness of the multiple genres in the movie
B. The multiple genres in the film
C. The multiple genres that is awfully executed by the director
D. There are too many genres in one short film

6. What is the story about?

A. A cop and a prisoner who did something fun in the journey to the prison
B. Two men that found something strange in their journey
C. A prisoner that always tries to escape from the back of the police car
D. A cop that struggling in guarding the prisoner at the back of his seat

7. Which one of these words that has the closest meaning with ‘splendor’?
A. Awful
B. Spell
C. Majesty
D. Drought

8. These statements are true according to the text except …

A. The writer cannot handle the compilation of the genres in this movie
B. The actor is acted like the way director want it to
C. The actor assist the movie with his charisma
D. The set of the location is extremely hot
9. How is the way of the reviewer giving the review?
A. The reviewer talk only about his experience in watching the movie
B. The reviewer gives a piece of the scene and then gives a review about it
C. The reviewer only tells about his feeling towards the movie
D. The reviewer talk about how great Thachkam is

10. Below here are things that is reviewed by Olson except …

A. The filming location
B. How Thachkam managed to balance all the genres
C. The characterization followed by a piece of scene
D. The summary of the movie

Answer:

1. C
2. D
3. B
4. C
5. A
6. C
7. D
8. B
9. C
10. A