Table Of Content
filmtotaal.nl
If you're looking for a great place to read movie reviews, Film Totaal is definitely one of the best sites out there. Their user experience is top-notch, their database of movies is vast and useful, their reviews are well-written and informative, and their community of Dutch movie lovers is really friendly and helpful.
For hundreds of thousands of users, Film Totlaal is the go-to resource for movie news, reviews, discussion, and information. Could Film Totlaal be the best movie review site for you? Well, the only way to find out for sure is to delve in and see everything that the site has to offer. And, since there is quite a bit that the site does have to offer, it's probably best that we get right to it. So without further ado, allow me to introduce you to one of the best movie review sites in the world - Film Totlaal!
Design
Film Totaal has an overall aesthetic that I think could be best characterized as ?bold.? From the font choices to the layout to the color scheme. There is no other word for this site. Whether it is the all-caps ?Impact? font inspired type of the logo and site menu bar; the white, gray, black, and red theme of the site as a whole; or the neat and meticulously ordered and condensed layout in which content is presented, Film Totlaal's site design is somewhat stern and mechanical, but not at all uninviting. It's somewhat reminiscent, actually, of old war propaganda posters.
Personally, I like the no-nonsense, economical approach to site design that you don't see all too often these days. I have found that movie review and ratings sites suffer from one of two common pitfalls: 1.) they try too hard to be playful (a la Rotten Tomatoes), which, when poorly executed can take away from the authority or credibility that a movie review site requires; or 2.) they try to jampack way too much content onto every page. Sites that fall into the latter camp are far more common than the former, and it seems as if it can be rather difficult to find a way to neatly organize and present a lot of information in a cohesive and well-paced fashion.
But Film Totlaal does just that. As a versatile and vast site that combines a great deal of features, tons of information, and many different types of content, not for one second do I feel lost or confused as I browse this movie review and rating site. In fact, from the second that I landed on the site's homepage, figuring out how to browse everything it had to offer was almost like second nature. Now, that is how you know you have an intuitive site on your hands.
The site's logo is in the center of the top horizontal bar, while a hamburger dropdown menu is available here. The main sections of the site are all found on this menu bar, which can be expanded or collapsed as you please. The middle horizontal bar contains the site's official menus, while the third bar is gray and empty to separate content from menus.
The most recent posts are at the bottom. Finally, there is a 4th section, an interactive one that allows users to post their own news and opinion pieces.
The site proceeds from top to bottom in a logical fashion, with two news sections- one clearly labeled "movie news," and the other for celebrities. There is also a third section which switches up the layout to keep the site from becoming too static. This presents a background color change from white to gray and prominently features the site's most popular news story with other most-read articles listed beside it. The most recent posts are at the bottom. Finally, there is an interactive section that allows users to post their own news and opinion pieces.
Keep scrolling down and find that the next section of the homepage introduces a black background. This is where you can browse featured videos (movie trailers, interviews, etc.). Below that, you'll find a "movies on TV" portion of the site, followed by a section of reviews and then of top lists, keeping in line with the alternating color pattern of the rest of the site. Film Totals' website design is easily in the running for the best movie review site design that I have ever seen. I greatly appreciate how logical, organized, and concise it is. The fact that each section of the homepage is a 1:1 preview into each section in the site menu bar is the kind of thing that makes my OCD side very happy.
Oh, and by the way, did I mention that as you browse the site, you are followed by a giant plus button in the bottom right hand corner? Simply click this to immediately review the movie you are looking at, add it to your watch list, or rate it. God, I love the way this site is designed - but I'll stop Stanning now, I promise.
Content and Features
Film Totlaal, in addition to being one of the best movie review sites on the web, is a many faceted site. On one level, yes, it is a movie review site. Film Totlaal has a staff of professional movie reviewers who provide insightful, thoughtful and fair reviews. However, the official Film Totaal rating of the movie is decided by YOU.
Therefore, Film Totaal is considered one of the best movie review and rating websites in the Netherlands. It can be used for providing movie reviews and news, or it can be a place for active community members to discuss their favorite movies. Every film is up for comment and discussion on the forum.
I have one main complaint with Film Totaal: it outsources some of its workload to IMDb. Other movie review sites go through the trouble of providing in-depth and informative actor and filmmaker profiles, adding to a rich database of movies and actors. Film Totaal, on the other hand, is somewhat lacking in this department. For example, viewing an actor's profile will only reveal a list of the other movies that they are in (at least the ones that are already on Film Totaal). Instead of providing anything more, the site simply links you to that actor's IMDb page instead. This is an uncharacteristically lazy move from a movie review site that is, otherwise, so fastidious.
The additional features of the website include an extensive news section, interesting top lists, trailers, a movie release schedule, a TV guide of when movies are to air on cable or public television, and even a way to access movie times in theaters all across the Netherlands.
Mobile and Desktop Experience
There is not a Film Totaal mobile app, but that's okay. The movie review site is very mobile-friendly, offering an excellently optimized site, ready for any device. Be prepared to be subjected to a few ads, as is to be expected. Overall, though, the mobile experience of Film Totaal is nearly as good as the desktop one.
Conclusion
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Even though Film Totla has no mobile app and it could stand to improve its actor and filmmaker profile pages a little, it is still, without a doubt, one of the best movie review sites on the web today. If you value high-quality movie reviews and an active, friendly online community, this is the site for you!
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