Nostalgia Critic

"I remember it so you don't have to."

Has anyone ever watched those amateur movie/book/TV critics who post their opinions on YouTube? Where they just sit and rant at the camera for 5+ minutes about how much they loved or hated the thing they're reviewing. Most are... eehhh, kind of annoying and don't have very solid opinions and just aren't worth watching. They don't really give you any reason to watch/read what they're talking about other than they "loved it" and "it was so great". However, a couple years ago, I came across a guy who does none of that. He calls himself the Nostalgia Critic (aka Doug Walker). Granted, he can be a little annoying in terms of his crazy rants (if you don't like that kind of thing, but I find them kind of funny), but he always makes excellent points. He is never just talking about how much he loves/hates a movie, he actually points out what makes it so good or bad. From sets, to acting, to cliches, to directing, to CGI, to music, to plot, to everything. It makes me think a lot about what makes a good movie: interesting characters and a developing plot mainly, but then awesome action and boss effects are definitely essential (but you have to still keep everything else interesting if you want your picture to float).

His main focus is on older "nostalgic" movies and shows, but he sometimes reviews new movies that have come out (mostly if they're horrifically bad). Most of his reviews has him going over the plot step by step and pointing out the major flaws and strengths as he reaches them. Each segment is reviewed with lots of sarcasm and mockery which is why I enjoy it so much, it matches my own dry humor. He will often have his own little clever way of making the review interesting (a running gag, a skit, a counter, etc). For example: when he was reviewing Jupiter Ascending he kept a "Sci-Fi Rip-Off" counter in the corner because he claimed there were too many to count and cut back and forth every time he saw one.
Or when he was reviewing Godzilla (1998) he kept intentionally saying the main character's name wrong because it was so ridiculous, and every time he did, he would show a clip of the character introducing himself, and then say "yeah whatever!".

He's so engaging, I even like watching him rip apart movies I enjoy or have never seen before. And I have to admit, he brings up legitimately good points. There are some movies that I didn't like, but I could never quite pinpoint why (Mamma Mia! and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland). But then after watching his review, I realized, "YES! Exactly! It's in words!"

The thing I appreciate about his reviews is that he is very honest. So that means he's not afraid to admit when something is bad or when something is good when necessary. He could be watching the most horrible movie ever made and will still point out if there is something good. Like in The Master of Disguise-- the worst comedy ever made, he admits that the running fart joke actually makes him giggle, even though the rest of it is completely awful. Or in Moulin Rouge (a movie he despises), he admits he actually likes a scene and points out its strengths. Or when he is raving over a how much he loves something, he will admit that there may be flaws and sometimes confesses he might be biased.

A couple things I have picked up on from his videos:
1) He HATES Moulin Rouge
2) He has a thing for Catherine Zeta-Jones
3) He likes movies that stick to real life
4) He is a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle nut
5) He hates Randy Newman

He also makes lists of his top 11... whatever. Top 11 theme songs, saddest moments, scariest performances, and so on ("why top 11? Because I like to go one step beyond"). This is actually how I discovered him in the first place. I think it might've been his top 11 animated villains video.

There's also editorials where he addresses questions like "can hype ruin a good movie?" or "why is nothing original anymore?" or "is Twilight actually the worst thing ever?", which are actually very well thought out and interesting.

His videos have good effects and editing, and he has solid opinions with backup (even if you don't agree with him). I say he is worth checking out. However, the one downfall is that he swears a lot, so I'd recommend searching the censored channel if you are offended by that. Just search "nostalgia critic censored" and stuff will pop up. Unfortunately, not every single one of his videos are posted there, but a large majority are.

So, anyways, other than that one downside, I'd recommend him. He's thoroughly entertaining and engaging, brings up good points, makes you think, brings up fond memories, and is hilarious.


This is one of my favorite reviews, Quest for Camelot. Even if you've never seen or even heard of this movie, it's still hilarious to watch. "Explain, movie! EXPLAAAAIN!!!!!". (Believe it or not, Quest for Camelot was watched by many children in the 90's).: