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The Top 11 Best Nostalgia Critic Episodes
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Released
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September 25, 2012
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Running time
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31:22
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Link
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Opening[]
(We see Doug sitting in the office of his house)
Doug (vo): Hey, guys. Doug Walker here. Uh, things are moving along here pretty smoothly here at Channel Awesome. We're working to get these new shows going, all that good stuff. Uh, one of the things that a lot of people have been asking for a long time, uh, while we're doing this, is what are my favorite Nostalgia Critic reviews. And, oddly enough, they might not be the ones that you think they are. Uh, so, today, I'm gonna do my Top 11 Favorite Nostalgia Critic Reviews. But before that, I'm gonna do the top...8 or 9...sort of honorable mentions, the ones that you would think would probably be on my favorites but actually aren't, but I still think they're kind of good. So we'll just go through these real quick.
Honourable Mentions[]
Doug (vo): Thomas the Tank Engine.
Doug: Yes, it started the "Sparkle, Sparkle, Sparkle!" meme that now I hear at every con.
[Clips from Thomas and the Magic Railroad are briefly shown]
Doug (vo): Uh, I thought it had such real good laughs. I thought it was such a strange movie, and such an odd combination of elements and...
Doug: ...dramatic and comedy and adult and children. It was so strange.
Doug (vo): You're a Rotten Dirty Bastard: The Nostalgia Critic Christmas Special.
Doug: I really like this one. Uh, this was back when I just wanted, like, no redeeming features for the Nostalgia Critic.
[Several clips from that episode are shown]
Doug (vo): I just loved...it was the first time I used Orlando, I loved using all the people that were in it, just loved the spin, you know, "It's a Wonderful Life"...
Doug: ...where everyone would actually be better off without the character. Even the person trying to show him betrays him, uh, when he finds out how much better he'd be.
Doug (vo): The Grinch.
Doug: It was the first review I ever did entirely in rhyme, and it actually wasn't as difficult as I thought it was gonna be. And a lot of people really liked it, and...
[Clips from the review, showing NC imitating the Grinch, is shown]
Doug (vo): ...I loved imitating the original Grinch special, trying to get the angles and stuff like that.
Doug: So that was great fun.
Doug (vo): It.
[Clips from the movie are briefly shown]
Doug (vo): This is the one that, like, a lot of people were half-and-half about it at the time, and now, like, everybody loves it. It's like one of the definitive reviews that everyone really enjoys.
Doug: And they love making fun of Tim Curry, they love making fun of all the sort of strange choices that are made in the story, and they love making fun of the Stephen King cliches, and the Stephen King Drinking Game.
Doug (vo): Scooby-Doo, the final episode (For now).
[Clips from that episode are shown]
Doug (vo): I thought it went out really well, I thought it was a real good way to wrap things up. Just in terms of absolute favorites...
Doug: ...I just think these others are a little better. But I really, really like that review, and I think it was a real good way to send the Nostalgia Critic off.
Doug (vo): The Wizard.
[Clips from that movie are briefly shown]
Doug (vo): This is one where I was just topping myself with reviews at the time, like, every review was just getting, like, better and better.
Doug: I think this was sort of, like, at the time, like, the crowning achievement, that everyone's just blown away by how funny it was. And I think people were just happy to see me tackle this movie, because not a lot of people tackled the movie at that point, at least, not from a review standpoint.
[The character Lucas is briefly shown]
Doug (vo): And also, just the Lucas jokes. How do you go wrong?
Doug: [Imitating Lucas] "California!" [normal] A lot of memorable lines.
Doug (vo): The Room.
[Clips from the movie are briefly shown]
Doug (vo): Believe it or not, this isn't one of my all-time favorite episodes. I think it's really good, I like how it turned out...
Doug: ...and I love working around how I go back in time to make it nostalgic, go forward in time to make it nostalgic. Like I said, I just like these other ones better.
Doug (vo): And the final runner-up is Batman & Robin.
[Clips from that movie are briefly shown]
Doug (vo): Yes, this is actually not one of my favorites. I think it's actually kind of overrated...
Doug: [Chuckles] Believe it or not. If you like it, like it. Great. You know, there are some good jokes in it, I'm not saying it's that all bad. It's just funny how much, like, it really took off, like, this is the one that people associate, like, the most with the Nostalgia Critic.
[A clip of NC going nuts upon seeing the Bat Credit Card is shown]
Doug (vo): And, of course, the Bat Credit Card, that if you know, people still shout at me at cons. You know, it's just this...
Doug: And it's a good review. I like it. I just don't think it's, like, my best, you know, or even necessarily like one of the Top 11. At least not one of my favorites. So, blah-blah-blah. Let's get to the actual Top 11 of my Favorite Nostalgia Critics.
[A cartoon drawing of the Nostalgia Critic is shown. That drawing will serve as an interlude for the countdown]
#11: Patch Adams[]
Doug (vo): Number 11 -- Patch Adams.
[Clips from the movie and the review are briefly shown]
Doug (vo): I just loved the idea of attacking a film that is supposedly based on a true story, even though it's, like, every manipulative little thing you can imagine in this movie.
Doug: And it's another one of those films where, like, a lot of people liked it. They liked it at the time, and for whatever reason, they liked it years later. Uh, the critics certainly didn't like it. It got panned. Maybe that's why I didn't like it either, I'm just following the crowd. Uh, but what I really like about this review is not just the jokes, and not just making fun of the Robin Williams formula, which I think, that's the film where it's abused, like, the most. I mean, it is just the most painful to watch, and it's just made even more painful that it's supposedly based on a true story, about a very fascinating guy.
[Clips of the real Patch Adams are shown]
Doug (vo): I mean, this guy, whether or not you agree with him or not, is very fascinating, and has some very fascinating ideas. And, like, a legit movie made about him...
Doug: ...one that's really sort of challenging and interesting, would be kind of cool, instead of...this schmultz. So, I mean, if you like it, if it inspired you or whatever, great. It just didn't do it for me. I thought changing, the making up a character, whatever, to kill off as opposed to actually, you know, acknowledging the real person who died in this. Oh, that...how can that not piss you off? That really pissed me off. That's a dead person, for crying out loud. You're not even getting the gender right. Um, so, but at the same time, it's actually brought both the review and, I guess, the movie...well, obviously, the movie...has brought a lot of attention to the real guy, and the real guy, like I said, whether or not you agree with him, he deserves to be looked at. He deserves to be heard out. So, yeah, I really liked this review, I loved tearing into it, and it was definitely a lot of fun.
#10: Animaniacs Tribute[]
Doug (vo): Number 10 -- The Animaniacs Tribute.
[Clips from the review are shown]
Doug (vo): This was just great, because I got to talk to people that were, essentially, were kind of my heroes growing up, and I didn't really know they were. I didn't know these people, I didn't know what they did.
Doug: But then, when you see...
#9: The Haunting[]
Doug (vo): Number 9 -- The Haunting.
[Clips from the movie and the review are shown]
Doug (vo): I loved ripping into this film because I adore the original, as you could probably guess. Doug: A lot of people didn't know the original, and a lot of times, when they ask, you know, "What's one of your favorite movies or scary movies?", I say, "The Haunting." And they would automatically think, you know, the Liam Neeson/Catherine Zeta-Jones version, and it's just... [Bites his fist] They're missing this great, great film. And like I said, even if you don't find it scary, it's psychologically fascinating. I mean, it's just a great study of this character, and, you know, and just, haunted houses in general and everything. It's shot gorgeously, it's just this brilliant movie, and then, for this remake to come out...this is one of the few movies I actually walked out on. I was actually dragged to the theater to go see this one. I just wanted to walk out about five times, and, you know. Rob was just, "I'll stay. Come on, let's see how bad it gets. Let's see how bad it gets." Finally, at the point where Owen Wilson gets his head chopped off, which was...
[That aforementioned scene is briefly shown]
Doug (vo): You'd think it made me stay longer, 'cause, you know, it just, you know, encouraged the idea that more characters would die.
Doug: That was too much feeling like, "Okay, this is way too stupid." And it felt so good doing a side-by-side comparison, you know, even though I don't think, like, people defended this movie necessary, you know, not like, "Hey, you leave The Haunting alone!" Most people knew it wasn't very good. It just felt so good to do, side-by-side, why it's so terrible. And it's, you know, like I said, I always sort of say every movie is like a little miracle that could get made, you know, films are so difficult to make and so much goes into it. And it's one of those where I'm just like, "Wha...?" I cannot understand the thought process behind it. The only thing I can figure is just that, the makers or the director or whatever thought CG was really scary. You know, maybe he saw Jurassic Park and was like, "Oh, my God! I want to do something like this. CG is really scary." [Chuckles] And it's just so horrible, and it just goes against everything that the original was trying to do, and the story is terrible and...oh! [Grunts in frustration] I'm really glad I got to do sort of this side-by-side comparison, because, hopefully, it turned on more people to the original movie.
[Clips from the original movie are shown]
Doug (vo): So much effort was going into, like, every line, every decision, every choice the character makes, and what happens in the story. It's Gothic, and it's suspenseful, and it's creepy, and it's...
Doug: And then there's that... {Clips from the remake are shown, causing Doug to groan] It scares me, but not for the right reasons.
#8: North[]
Doug (vo): Number eight -- North.
[Clips from the movie are shown]
Doug (vo): And this was fun for the exact reason you probably think it is that I saw the Siskel and Ebert review when I was growing up, but I never saw North. And I was just always fas... "What is in this movie?"
Doug: Because like I said, I saw the trailer, a lot of us saw the trailer. It just looked like an everyday kids' film, I mean, nothing really that massive. I think it came out the same time as The Lion King, so, really, nobody paid attention to it. But after watching that review, I mean, I was... "What the hell was in this?" So it was really fun to see...what made this film so godawful that can make Siskel and Ebert say these things and have both of them declare it the worst film of the year, or one of the worst films they've ever seen in their lives. And it is just a fascinating, you know...it's kind of like The Room. You just kind of ask yourself, "What would persuade the writers or the directors to make these choices?"
Doug (vo): I mean, these are just not only bad choices and bad jokes, but they're so hate-filled and mean...
Doug: ...and filled with stereotypes, half of them don't even make sense. And even half the celebrities don't make sense. Who would put Kathy Bates as an Eskimo? It doesn't add up.
#7: The NeverEnding Story III[]
Doug (vo): Number seven -- NeverEnding Story III.
[Clips from the movie are shown]
Doug (vo): I kind of shot myself in the foot with this, because I clearly did the best one first during Sequel Month. And everyone sort of thought it was gonna be Secret of NIMH 2, and I kind of thought it was, too, but NeverEnding Story 3 was so...
Doug: ...bizarrely horrible and intriguingly fascinating that you couldn't turn away.
#6: The Legend of the Titanic[]
Doug (vo): Number six -- Titanic: The OTHER Animated Movie.
[Clips from the movie are shown]
Doug (vo): You don't think you're gonna top that in terms of animated Titanic movies. You can't even believe there's a genre of animated Titanic movies.
Doug: And yet, here's another one with actually better animation...
Doug (vo): ...and...it's just worse. I mean, you can't comprehend that the one with the rapping dog is actually the better one.
Doug: I mean, why throw money at this?
#5: Commercials[]
Doug (vo): Number five -- all the Commercials Specials.
[Clips from those Commercials episodes are shown]
Doug (vo): I know, again, it's kind of cheating, because it's, like, three episodes in one. But I mean, let's face it, I mean, I know some of you probably look for, whatever, some spliced version on YouTube, whether or just all together, you know. It was just a great idea, it was a fun idea.
Doug: It was a weird comparison...
#4: A Simple Wish[]
Doug (vo): Number four -- A Simple Wish.
[Clips from the movie are shown]
Doug (vo): Now, aside from this being a curiously bad movie, and, again, one of those really fascinating ones where you just sort of go, "Oh, what was the fuck process behind that?", it was very entertaining.
Doug: It was an entertaining bad movie. It was very easy to make jokes at it.
#3: Tom and Jerry: The Movie[]
Doug (vo): Number three -- The Tom and Jerry Movie.
[Clips from the movie are shown]
Doug (vo): This is just one of those reviews, I don't know, I just have really good memories of it. I have good memories of making it, I have good memories of watching it.
Doug: I loved Tom and Jerry growing up, as you all know, so it was great to really analyze what was wrong with this film. It sort of seemed like the perfect kind of length to it. It wasn't too long, it wasn't too short, and some parts where people would probably complain it went too long, like the Shakespeare thing. Actually, a lot of people really liked.
Doug (vo): And it was, it was sort of just this fun little love letter to Tom and Jerry as well, because I think it's another one of those...
Doug: ...comedy duos that just not too many people think about. It's like, "Oh, it's just slapstick, violence, whatever. It's cartoons, it's kids' stuff." But, really watch them. I mean, if you watch the expressions on their face, like before something hits them, I mean, it's just like that perfect feeling of content, you know, and happiness and stuff, and you just know it's gonna come crashing down when whatever smashes into them, and just how hard it smashes into them, and how much the characters should bend or not bend, or how painful it should look. I mean, they just got it just right. And that piece of shit movie... [Chuckles] Just having them talk, of course. I think, that was another one I saw the Siskel and Ebert review on.
Doug (vo): They were just like, "And now, we're gonna do the Tom and Jerry Movie. Here's a clip." And they show a clip of them talking just for a few seconds, and it's like...
Doug: "And you can already see what's wrong with it, can't you? They're friends, they're getting along, they're talking, it's bright and colorful, it has nothing to do with them fighting each other. Waste of time. Next." It was like a really short review. Um, and, yeah, again, it's just so fascinating the choices they make in this movie, and just how, really, if you took Tom and Jerry out of it, you would never connect any of it to Tom and Jerry. I know it sounds, like, obvious, but I mean, like, you know, the story and the setup. Nothing would you ever think, you know, this would connect to Tom and Jerry. So, like I said...
Doug (vo): ...that girl comes in and just sort of hijacks the film and makes it her own.
Doug: I loved spit takes, as you can tell. I think that's probably the best spit take, ...drinking Sangaria and eating watermelon at the same time.
Doug (vo): I actually had to put plastic wrap over the camera so that when I spit at it...
Doug: ...you'd see it drizzling down, didn't want to get the camera too messy. So, great memories of that one, and just a real fun movie to do, and just, it turned out to be a really great review.
#2: Casper[]
Doug (vo): Number two -- Casper.
[Clips from the movie and review are shown]
Doug (vo): This is one that I just worked my frigging ass off on. It's another one of those things, we're going in, you're sort of not aware how hard it's gonna be, but because you have that naivete and that passion and that joy of what you're doing, you don't notice, you don't realize how many hours you're wasting on animating this damn thing.
Doug: But it just turned out so good, and it's the first time that, you know, I've sort of really pushed, you know, what I could do with animation.
#1: Moulin Rouge![]
Doug (vo): And my number one favorite Nostalgia Critic review is...Moulin Rouge.
[Clips from the movie and review are shown]
Doug (vo): This is probably the one I worked the hardest on and the longest on, and I think it shows. I think it's the funniest, it's the most creative, it has the most cameos...
Doug: ...it has cameos of people that were never really in them, like Brentalfloss. It's a musical, people sing in it, people dance in it. There's a lot of fun visuals to look at, the jokes are great. And it's great taking a film that, again, a lot of people really enjoy, and I really can't stand it. I really hate it. But it's fun pointing out why I don't like it, and again, sort of having that message in the end that, "If you like it, great." You know, enjoy it.