plasmawave
Banned
That Matrix review was super nitpicky. I'm disappoint.
Tamara's sunken cheek joke was funny.
Tamara's sunken cheek joke was funny.
The Nostalgia Critic |OT| He Remembers It So You Don't Have To
- Thread starter PK Gaming
- Start date
Morpheus explains that to Neo when he shows him what the Matrix is. Basically, the machines needed power and found a way to harness energy from our biomass "mixed with a form of fusion". People who were kept without an active mind died prematurely, hence the simulation. It's fine if you want more of an explanation than that...but it's in no way a plot hole.
Why did they need our power specifically? It's explained further in the Animatrix if you want details. But there is a higher level thematic reason why they use us. It's to explore the relationship between humans and the machines we create, and this theme follows through the whole trilogy.
Which is just about the dumbest SF idea in a film in the last 20 years. The idea that you can make a perpetual energy source out of feeding people to people + 'fusion' somehow is just dumb. Biomass has no use in fusion as an energy source. We're made of heavy atoms, other than the hydrogen in water which you don't need people to get, and you use light ones in fusion (and produce heavy atoms). I don't recall anything in the Animatrix usefully expanding on this. They mostly just showed how the "removing solar power" part of things happened. Of course, it's incredibly dumb that humans would 'burn the sky' to stop the machines as well, since without the sun we have no food. It was a pointless suicide.
And the sequels basically retcon the idea anyways. The machines did it for revenge. This is actually the best thing about them.
I never caught that before. Well, The Matrix stuff anyway, having to rely on supplemental material is always a shaky business. Still breaking the second law of thermodynamics no matter how you slice it.
So? Maybe this futuristic form of fusion can use biomass or bioelectric energy in some way. Why does this technical detail need so much explaining? We don't need a paragraph of technobabble to understand what is happening. And good sci-fi doesn't require it either. Hell, sometimes you can just make shit up like in Jurassic Park. Just splice the DNA, duh!
The Broken Ska Record
Member
I'm in the middle of watching it, and I get that feeling, too. Like it's trying too hard. I don't know if it's because I like the movie for what it is, or if the NC is always like this.
The thing is that I agree with you. We don't need a big technobabble explanation. In fact, we didn't need any explanation at all. Morpheus knowing the motives of the machines was never necessary, and in the end it was wrong anyway, so it really didn't do anything.
And nope, there is absolutely no way to make the explanation make sense even through "it's the future". That's how bad it is. It would never ever ever make sense to use humans as an energy source in any kind of fusion system. And if you can do fusion at scale you pretty much don't need any other energy source.
He's never been a super-perfect person, even in his reviews, so I can actually see it. That kind of presence, backing and fame like Doug skyrocketed to can screw a person up as time goes.
It's worse and more visible when he is out of character, I especially get annoyed at his mistake videos when he is lacking any sincere kind of apology or insight in his mistakes and just defends himself. A bit of humbleness really wouldn't hurt him in general.
He is also a big problem. It's not him directly (most of the time) who is screwing the other reviewers, but he knows of it and just keeps out, which is a bad thing for itself. He stated that he "try not to get involved in these things". So, since he could do something, he is as guilty as anyone else for the exodus.
Kyle released his farewell statement
Long story short: He had been planning to leave for a while, and the timing was just really really bad. So he harbors no ill will towards the company.
Long story short: He had been planning to leave for a while, and the timing was just really really bad. So he harbors no ill will towards the company.
Winterfang
Banned
Tamara was funny. I had only seen any Matrix movies once. Reloaded is my favorite.
Cow Mengde
Banned
Yeah, after the Animatrix, I gave up. It was just a bunch of nonsense.
The first Matrix movie is great because it is a kickass action movie with style coming out of every orifice. It is a simple as that. "Symbolism"/"meaning" is what ruined the sequels, but in the first one it is a complete throwaway.
Does he at least say "Zuul, mothafucka, Zuuuul!" in the review/nitpickery?
Does he at least say "Zuul, mothafucka, Zuuuul!" in the review/nitpickery?
No. He hasn't said that in years.
Winterfang
Banned
Whoa I'm surprised at how well the CGI in animatrix holds off. Also the image of that guy hammering down that robot chick with her boobs (I assumed) out is disturbing as hell. It makes me feel really sad.
plasmawave
Banned
My prediction.
Doug actually likes Revolution the best.
Doug actually likes Revolution the best.
Cow Mengde
Banned
Zuul, motherfucker, Zuul!
DrForester
Kills Photobucket
Black Willy Wonka is one of the only recurring characters I enjoy with the skits.
Ok, so I basically couldn't finish his video on the first film because it was too nitpicky even for me, but I still have to admit I get endless amusement out of him calling Neo Tom.
I wish Doug didn't gloss over so many of the fights and instead critiqued them as fights to see whether or not they served any purpose. After all, Reloaded is first and foremost an action movie. As in, the whole initial draw of the film are the action sequences, so I don't entirely agree with his "Ugh..another action sequence in my action movie?" approach. That first fight at the beginning was a great way to show the audience right off the bat just how much Neo has grown as a fighter since the first film. He can take on three agents - the baddest bad guys from the first film - all at once without breaking a sweat. It's a fairly short brawl as well, only lasting a minute or two.
The chateau fight with Neo was clearly added for one main reason - to arbitrarily separate Neo from Morpheus and Trinity. Without Neo, the subsequent freeway chase is - I think - far more exciting because the outcome is less certain. Plus, it gives Morpheus and Trinity time to shine. The chateau fight does have the one brief moment where Neo blocks the sword with his hand, begins to bleed slightly and the Merovingian says "You see, he's just a man." A line that's not really necessary since the visual communication is pretty clear, but it reminds the audience that even though he's The One, he can still be hurt.
I think Doug just missed an opportunity here. While not the first, The Matrix films were certainly the most prominent Hollywood films to really embrace and attempt to emulate the wire-work wushu style approach to fight sequences from Chinese action films. Which I think is something worth examining. How successful are they compared to the best of that genre? How does Yuen Woo-ping's choreography compare to his previous work? This is the guy who choreographed Drunken Master, Crouching Tiger/Hidden Dragon, Kung Fu Hustle, etc. I think that stuff would have been fun to explore.
But honestly, the only fight in the film I would agree is completely unnecessary is Neo's brief sparring match with Seraph. I guess you could argue it was meant to show off what Seraph was capable of, but that's about it.
The chateau fight with Neo was clearly added for one main reason - to arbitrarily separate Neo from Morpheus and Trinity. Without Neo, the subsequent freeway chase is - I think - far more exciting because the outcome is less certain. Plus, it gives Morpheus and Trinity time to shine. The chateau fight does have the one brief moment where Neo blocks the sword with his hand, begins to bleed slightly and the Merovingian says "You see, he's just a man." A line that's not really necessary since the visual communication is pretty clear, but it reminds the audience that even though he's The One, he can still be hurt.
I think Doug just missed an opportunity here. While not the first, The Matrix films were certainly the most prominent Hollywood films to really embrace and attempt to emulate the wire-work wushu style approach to fight sequences from Chinese action films. Which I think is something worth examining. How successful are they compared to the best of that genre? How does Yuen Woo-ping's choreography compare to his previous work? This is the guy who choreographed Drunken Master, Crouching Tiger/Hidden Dragon, Kung Fu Hustle, etc. I think that stuff would have been fun to explore.
But honestly, the only fight in the film I would agree is completely unnecessary is Neo's brief sparring match with Seraph. I guess you could argue it was meant to show off what Seraph was capable of, but that's about it.
Boss Doggie
all my loli wolf companions are so moe
Because clearly one quality of sketch determines the quality of all sketches.
Winterfang
Banned
Reloaded was my favorite. I'm surprised the graphics hold off as good as they do =)
Boss Doggie
all my loli wolf companions are so moe
Watching some old "Review Must Go On" vids that I missed. I must say I thoroughly enjoyed his Man of Steel review.
obin_gam
Member
Who said it was just one?
Every episode I find myself internally screaming
every time they cut to a sketch. I just want the review mate. That's what made NC so big. Not the fucking sketches.
Any update on the gameshow crowdfunding from a while back?
While visiting my hometown last week, an old friend and I were talking about how we used to watch NC videos a few years back. We got to talking about why we stopped watching and then recalled the gameshow Kickstarter/Indiegogo... anything ever come from it?
While visiting my hometown last week, an old friend and I were talking about how we used to watch NC videos a few years back. We got to talking about why we stopped watching and then recalled the gameshow Kickstarter/Indiegogo... anything ever come from it?
I bet Doug & co. really want to get this right. His last ambitious project cost them in a big way and Channel Awesome is apparently falling apart. I haven't seen any of their material in a long, long time.
Lupa did not paint the best picture of the production.
Anywhere to read up on this?
Man, interesting drama over there, huh? This reads as if the people behind the scenes are e a little unequipped to manage what they had while also being equally prickish.
yeah, doug isn't really good for actual analysis. he's good (when he's good) for making fun of bad things. or weird things.
a matrix series introspection seems more up lindsay ellis's alley, or a half-in-the-bag style thing. these just don't seem his style.
brianmcdoogle
Member
Agreed.
As we're discussing his skids, I would at least say that these are better than what he was doing when he was doing his Hunter S Thompson and sign language gorilla videos.I may not like his new videos, but in retrospect, they are infinitely better than what he was producing many years ago when he was considered doing his best. I think these skits are fine.
Boss Doggie
all my loli wolf companions are so moe
Who said it was just one?
Every episode I find myself internally screaming
every time they cut to a sketch. I just want the review mate. That's what made NC so big. Not the fucking sketches.
But like I said though, there are good sketches and bad sketches. Good ones won't make you go "get on with it". Good ones are like in Food Fight. Bad ones are like in Jurassic Park III.
And you make it sound like his old reviews don't have them. They have them.
I can vouch that one of the main reasons I stopped watching altogether was due to the sketches. Their batting average is very low.
Boss Doggie
all my loli wolf companions are so moe
And you make it sound like quality is consistent. He makes bad stuff, he makes good stuff. Hell, back in his second year I thought his year-opener - Nick-month, was terrible. And people are suddenly loving it when even now after rewatching it felt... ehh.
Red Mage
Member
Am I the only one confused by the 'sexism' label in that one conversation? I'm not saying it doesn't happen over there, but I am missing where it is supposed to be happening.
Seraphis Cain
bad gameplay lol
It's kinda crazy that they raised $90,000 for 40 episodes of Retro Pop Culture, 52 episodes of a comic book show, and 40 episodes of The Gaming Gauntlet, and now, a year and a half later, not a single episode of any of those has been released. That's a lot of money for a lot of content that hasn't materialized yet. And I understand these things take time, but fans paid a lot of money out towards the promise of these shows and CA really hasn't been transparent about where it all went at all.
Boss Doggie
all my loli wolf companions are so moe
CA really has bad management. How did it end up being big when it was fine before as a small house bothers me. I guess it's why one of the original guys (the Indian staffman, forgot his name) left.
SolidSnakeUS
Member
Weirdly enough, until I found out there was another Mike still in management (from what Lupa and Phelous were saying), I thought it was Mike J who was the asshole haha...
But really, for some reason, I haven't been feeling the comedy from the NC in the recent vids. I dunno...
But really, for some reason, I haven't been feeling the comedy from the NC in the recent vids. I dunno...
Captain_Spanky
Member
So I used to watch Doug on and off, I think I have a love/hate relationship with his style. Just checked out the new site and holy hell is it even more on an unnavigatable mess than it used to. What the hell happened?
Boss Doggie
all my loli wolf companions are so moe
It happened around December, it's atrocious. While the old site isn't something to write about at least they list the videos.