Building a Movie Review Website: A Comprehensive Guide .

7 min readJul 4, 2023

Introduction:

In the era of streaming services and digital content consumption, movie review websites have become go-to platforms for movie enthusiasts. These websites provide valuable insights, ratings, and recommendations for both new releases and classic films. In this article, I will guide you through the process of developing a movie review website that fetches data from popular movie databases like The Movie Database (TMDB) and the Open Movie Database (OMDb). We will cover key functionalities such as movie search, trending suggestions, popular movies, and series recommendations. So, let’s get started!

Understanding the Movie Database APIs: Before diving into the development process, it is essential to familiarize yourself with the APIs provided by TMDB and OMDb. These APIs allow you to access comprehensive movie data, including titles, cast information, ratings, and more. You will need an API key from each service to fetch the data.

OMDB API: Searching for Movies The OMDB API allows us to search for movies by title, year, and other parameters. To get started, we need an API key which can be obtained by creating an account on the OMDB website. Once we have the API key, we can use it to make HTTP requests to the OMDB API endpoint.

Here's an example of fetching movie data using the OMDB API:

const apiKey = 'YOUR_OMDB_API_KEY';
const searchTerm = 'The Dark Knight';

fetch(`http://www.omdbapi.com/?apikey=${apiKey}&t=${searchTerm}`)
  .then(response => response.json())
  .then(data => {
    // Handle the retrieved movie data
    console.log(data);
  })
  .catch(error => {
    // Handle any errors
    console.log('Error occurred:', error);
  });

TMDB API: Fetching Trending and Popular Content The TMDB API provides comprehensive information about movies and TV shows, including trending content and popular series. To access the TMDB API, you need to sign up for an account on the TMDB website and obtain an API key.

To fetch trending movies from TMDB, you can use the following code:

const apiKey = 'YOUR_TMDB_API_KEY';

fetch(`https://api.themoviedb.org/3/trending/movie/week?api_key=${apiKey}`)
  .then(response => response.json())
  .then(data => {
    // Handle the retrieved trending movies data
    console.log(data);
  })
  .catch(error => {
    // Handle any errors
    console.log('Error occurred:', error);
  });

Similarly, you can fetch popular TV series using the TMDB API:

const apiKey = 'YOUR_TMDB_API_KEY’;
fetch(`https://api.themoviedb.org/3/tv/popular?api_key=${apiKey}`)
  .then(response => response.json())
  .then(data => {
    // Handle the retrieved popular TV series data
    console.log(data);
  })
  .catch(error => {
    // Handle any errors
    console.log(’Error occurred:’, error);
  });

Link Bootstrap and other required CDNs:

Add the necessary CDN links for Bootstrap, Font Awesome, and any other dependencies in the <head> section of your HTML file. Here’s an example:

Implementing the Movie Search Functionality:
The provided code snippet demonstrates a search box that can be integrated into your movie review website. Let's break down the code and understand its components.

<section class="w3l-grids" style="margin-top: 25px; margin-bottom: 5px;">
  <div class="grids-main py-5">
    <div class="container py-lg-3">
      <div method="post" class="search-box">
        <input type="search" placeholder="Search your Keyword" name="search"
          required="required" autofocus="" style="color: black;" id="searchInput">
        <button class="btn search-hny mr-lg-3 mt-lg-0 mt-4" id="searchBtn" title="searchh">
          Search <span class="fa fa-search ml-3" aria-hidden="true"></span>
        </button>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</section>

HTML Structure:
The search box is enclosed within a `<section>` element with the class `w3l-grids`. This class is responsible for the overall styling and layout of the search box section. The `margin-top` and `margin-bottom` properties control the spacing around the section.
Search Box Container:
Inside the section, we have a `<div>` element with the classes `grids-main` and `py-5`. These classes define the container for the search box and provide padding on the top and bottom to create proper spacing.
Container and Form:
Within the container `<div>`, we have another `<div>` element with the classes `container` and `py-lg-3`. This class combination ensures proper alignment and spacing for the search box container.
Search Box Content:
The actual search box content resides within a `<div>` element with the class `search-box`. This is where the search input field and search button are placed.
Search Input:
Inside the `search-box` `<div>`, we find an `<input>` element of type `search`. It has a placeholder text "Search your Keyword" that guides users on what to enter. The `name`, `required`, `autofocus`, and `style` attributes are used to provide additional functionality and styling.
Search Button:
Adjacent to the search input field, there is a `<button>` element with the classes `btn`, `search-hny`, `mr-lg-3`, `mt-lg-0`, and `mt-4`. This button triggers the search action when clicked. It contains the text "Search" and an icon from the Font Awesome library. The `title` attribute provides a tooltip with the text "search".

Style the new section using CSS:

Use custom CSS or modify the existing stylesheets to ensure the new section aligns with the overall design and theme of your movie review website. You can add classes and apply CSS rules to style the search box as per your requirements.

/* Example custom CSS for the search box section */
.search-box {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: center;
}

.search-box input[type="search"] {
  width: 300px;
  padding: 10px;
  border: none;
  border-radius: 5px;
}

.search-box .search-hny {
  background-color: #e23e3e;
  color: white;
}

Integrating API Results with HTML:

The provided code snippet demonstrates a section where the search results will be displayed. Let’s understand how to incorporate the fetched data into this HTML template.

HTML Structure: The code starts with a <section> element having the class w3l-grids. This class helps define the overall styling and layout of the section. It creates a responsive grid-based structure for displaying the search results.
Container and Result Container: Inside the <section>, we find a <div> element with the classes grids-main and py-5. These classes define the container for the search results section and provide padding to ensure proper spacing.
Inner Container and Result Element: Within the container <div>, there is another <div> element with the classes container and py-lg-3. This class combination ensures proper alignment and spacing for the search results container. Inside this container, we have a <div> element with the class w3l-populohny-grids that acts as the container for the searched movies.
Fetching and Populating Results: To populate the search results, you need to fetch data from the OMDB API based on the user’s search query. Once you have the results in JavaScript, you can dynamically add the movie details to the HTML code using JavaScript’s DOM manipulation.

<section class="w3l-grids">

     <div class="grids-main py-5">

        <div class="container py-lg-3">

	  <div class="w3l-populohny-grids" id="searchedMovies">

	 <!-- Searched movies added here -->

	  </div>

	</div>

     </div>

</section>

In your JavaScript code, find the searchedMovies element using getElementById and append the fetched movie data to it. This can be achieved by creating appropriate HTML elements, populating them with the relevant movie details, and appending them to the searchedMovies element.

Displaying Fetched Movies from TMDB: The provided HTML code snippet focuses on showcasing trending movies using the TMDB API. Let's delve into the structure and functionality of this code to understand how it enriches your movie review website.

HTML Structure: The code begins with a <section> element having the class w3l-grids. This class provides a grid-based structure for the section, enabling responsive layout design.
Container and Header: Inside the <section>, we find a <div> element with the classes grids-main and py-5. These classes define the container for the trending movies section and provide vertical padding for appropriate spacing. The container also serves as the parent element for the header and movie grid.
Header Section: Within the container <div>, we have a <div> element with the class headerhny-title. This section acts as the header for the trending movies grid.
Title Heading: Inside the header section, we find a nested <div> element with the class w3l-title-grids. This element creates a grid layout for the header content.
Heading Text: Within the w3l-title-grids element, we have another nested <div> with the class headerhny-left. This element aligns the heading text to the left.
Movie Grid Container: Following the header section, we have a <div> element with the class w3l-populohny-grids. This container is where the fetched movie data will be dynamically added.

Integration with TMDB API: To display the trending movies, you need to make API requests to TMDB and fetch the relevant movie data. Once you have the movie details in your JavaScript code, you can manipulate the DOM and dynamically add the movie information to the popularMovies element.

<section class="w3l-grids">
  <div class="grids-main py-5">
    <div class="container py-lg-3">
      <div class="headerhny-title">
        <div class="w3l-title-grids">
          <div class="headerhny-left">
            <h3 class="hny-title">New Movies</h3>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div class="w3l-populohny-grids" id="popularMovies">
      <!--fetched new movies will be add here-->
     </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</section>

Using JavaScript, select the popularMovies element using getElementById, and then create HTML elements dynamically to represent each movie. Populate these elements with the fetched movie details, such as title, poster image, release date, and other relevant information. Finally, append these elements to the popularMovies container, resulting in the dynamic display of trending movies on your webpage.

Displaying Trending Movies with HTML:

The HTML code is designed the same as the popularMovies code so no difference only the fetching link is chaged.

Testing and Optimization:

Thoroughly test your movie review website across various browsers and devices to ensure consistent performance. Optimize your code by minifying and compressing CSS and JavaScript files. Implement caching and content delivery networks (CDNs) to improve loading times, ensuring a smooth user experience.

Conclusion:

By leveraging the power of Bootstrap, HTML, CSS, and SASS, you can develop a visually appealing and user-friendly movie review website frontend. Bootstrap's pre-built components and responsive grid system expedite development, while HTML and CSS provide the structure and styles needed to create an engaging user interface. SASS enhances maintainability and modularity, allowing for scalable stylesheets. Remember to test and optimize your website to ensure compatibility and optimal performance.

With these tools and techniques at your disposal, you are well-equipped to embark on your journey to create a captivating movie review website that brings movie enthusiasts together.

Building a Movie Review Website: A Comprehensive Guide .

Written by Abdulhakim Mohammed