Видео

I think it definitely seems like that sometimes. I've seen several reviews where he likes something, like Wicked, but he also notes there is messaging. I think that's just one of the things he does when messaging is present. When he doesn't like something and mentions the messaging, it definitely feels like they can be connected... but then he'll mention it on other things that he likes and it feels unconnected. So, I'm tend to just ignore the comments about messaging since they feel very vanilla lately from all of the people on who are promoting messaging or anti-messaging. I don't think those comments are necessary in a review unless the studio is taking a storytelling short cut by dropping in some kind of obvious messaging that feels out of place. Angel studios is a massive messager just like Disney. It's so annoying. Thanks for the comment! This was a great point to make.

THIS ^^^^^ YES ^^^^^ THIS!! I think that Hollywood green lights a film and then leaves full creative control with the director. When you do that you enable genius to be created, but you also take the risk of producing mediocre films and financial flops. Studios have to start thinking more strategically with their films. If they want a diverse film, fine... make it diverse. However, if you make it with poorly constructed characters, a weak plot, shakey effects, and "meh" dialogue you are just making a bad movie and it will look like you prioritize diversity over quality. I know lots of diverse creators who get infuriated by this concept. If you keep churning out poor content within diverse packaging, you are going to establish a new stereotype that diverse content is second class entertainment. There are so many exceptional diverse stories out there. So, clearly it's possible to tell great stories that feature diverse ideas and casts. So, yeah, when you get one that isn't well done, it looks like money over quality was the driving factor. I also think that the reason The Critical Drinker points this stuff out is because he does care. You don't see him calling out poorly done, non-diverse films that often because he doesn't care. I've said it a million times, apathy is the worst response that a film can have because it shows that nobody cares, nobody is talking about it, and it will simply fade from existence without even a whimper. I sure don't waste my time on apathetic experiences... why should he? I think this is a point that gets overlooked a lot. Great comment. I could talk about studio waste all day long!! 🙂

This is an amazing point. Yes! I think this could open the door to playing characters who look exactly like the original actor in the future. They will still have to act but "makeup" will take on a whole new meaning. We'll likely see a whole new set of copyright laws emerge.

@@ErinUnderwood i like how you put that...i hope digital make up becomes a word

@@MrPanetela Hmmmmm ...... You may have just inspired an idea for a future video! 🧡

Awesome! I am so glad you watched this video! I loved the action of the film... most of the time... but there were so many issues especially with the logic and the tech - which are my favorite things to talk about. Thanks for the comment. I loved it!

Absolutely! I love Colman Domingo! Thanks for the great suggestion.

@ you’re welcome 😇

Thanks! Sometimes I think filmmakers get so caught up in the story (because they are living and breathing it) that they forget to stop and imaging what a viewer would see, know, or feel at different points in the movie. I think that’s likely what happened here. Thanks! 🙂

Me too! ♥️ The animation on this one is the best that I’ve seen. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

THIS ^^^^ right there is why I do these video reviews. Sure, I love movies and talking about movies, but I love meeting people like you who think this way and who are looking for ways to help bring people together. I like to do that through stories. Thanks!! I'm so glad you are here.

Some people can’t. My elderly uncle never hangs up on people.. 😳 … and that is how he got scammed out of money.

Well, I should not have read that while drinking my coffee. 🤣😆🤣😆🤣

I actually really appreciate this comment. I love talking to people and about stories, but it feels a little awkward talking about the Critical Drinker because he's iconic in this space in many ways. 🙂

Thanks, Jack. 🙂 My mom was a great person. I really appreciate your listening. Thanks for stopping by and for the compliment. You made my day.

Yeah, I agree with you on the end of year line up of films. There's really no competition for Moana 2 right now and it will rake in the "family film" cash for the holiday season. I think it's set up as the kids film and Wicked is the adult film. It's wild that Moana 2 has already pulled in that much money! Hopefully, the next film will be a bit more complex. Thanks for subbing! You made my day. 🙂

Yeah, I know. It's so meta. I don't think I have ever done that before, but his review (or really his video essay) was so well done. It deserved a shout out.

Yeah. Exactly. He's a talented reviewer. He may opt for colorful language to get people's attention and to toss a black eye to the studios from time to time, but he's also not afraid to say something is good even when it's not totally the kind of thing he would generally watch. If you haven't seen his review for One Life, I would recommend it as well. Very few of us reviewed that film, and it deserved so much more credit and attention than it got.... and he gave it some extra shine with all of his subscribers.

Oh, I love this. I am so tired of scammers. They know what they are doing is bad... and yet they do it anyway. So, I'm glad he got a little lesson in German. 😉

@@ErinUnderwood And I am glad, that you can read german, if I write it with an irish accent. Looks like english, am I right?😂

Agreed. While the ending worked well enough, I feel like they could have made some different choices that would have made it a home run.

Thanks so much! You know, it really strikes me just how many of us have these really important memories of time with our parents as we watched Star Trek. It's really different than our experiences with Star Wars... I think because the series was something we could watch on television and it become a "family time" moment that defined one of the happy points in our lives. I wonder if kids today are getting that same experience with their parents and television. All of my friends are so busy shuttling their kids around they don't seem to get that "couch time" of just sitting and having fun together like we did. OMG the Gorn! Right!!!!! That was a classic episode! Agreed about Drinker. 🙂

@@ErinUnderwood Great points about family time, totally agree! Seems like everything is so fast-paced today, back then there was time to sit and enjoy TV and board games together. Hopefully that comes back! Forgot to add, family legend has it that my dad did not pick up my mom for dates in the 60s until the latest Trek episode was over 😂 She still married him, too hahaha

@@kirk1968 ❤ That's classic! Every family needs a Star Trek Legend!!!

Nonsense. The dude is one of the biggest fence sitters among the supposed "anti-woke" crowd and never calls out race or women. He blames bad writing and mentions a nebulous "message" but refuses to ever define what that message is.

Thanks for your comment. I think you makes some good points and I wanted to make sure I really thought out my answer before replying. I understand what you mean by saying he blames "woke feminism." Those are words that get tossed around a lot, and they are words that have grown increasingly meaningless lately for a variety of reasons that are largely political and societal. The thing is, that words like that also get people to read, and they get people from the left /right /center to read, not just the right. Some of his commentary on about how Disney's often illogical stance on diversity made me take a much longer and deeper view into what Disney has been producing. On one hand, I am happy to see more stories focused on women and people of color, and I automatically want to celebrate that because it has been missing for so long. However, when you really LOOK at the stories, structure, and characters within some of those stories you can see that Disney often takes short cuts. They put more effort into diversity on screen than honoring the stories they are telling about diverse people by making sure the structure of the story is solid, that the logic gaps are closed, that the characters are well developed, and the conflicts always have real meaning and consequences. I enjoyed The Marvels, but the story was weak. I love Rey, but they opted for spectacle and surprise over logic. I appreciated The Acolyte but was appalled by the C-level writing in the script and storytelling. It doesn't do women or POC any good to finally be telling their stories only to undermine them by not putting in the time and thought into telling GOOD stories that are on par with the best stories that Disney and other studios are telling. The Critical Drinker might use uncomfortable words or poke at the soft spots of Disney's move to be diverse, but I think that he does it in a more constructive way than many other reviewers out there. I think women and POC deserve amazing stories, and Madame Web was just embarrassing. I love Tatiana, but I think the writers of She Hulk were lazy and could have done a better job with her story. The series was at best "okay" and I found it a struggle to stay engaged. They also made similar mistakes with Nick Fury in Secret Wars...making that the most un-Marvel of series and making it so slow that I had to force myself to sit in front of the TV to watch it for my review. Nick Fury is one of my favorite Marvel characters and as the series wrapped, I found myself growing furious at how they developed that story. The Critical Drink is rough at times on Disney and other studios, but that doesn't mean he's necessarily wrong. Perhaps he could be kinder, but if he watered down his style of criticism, I am not sure studios would hear the wake up call that they need to hear to save their franchises. Their ability to write complex, layered, nuanced visual stories has changed over the last 5-6 years, and it's a pattern that needs to stop. They need to hold their creatives to a higher level or I am afraid they may do permanent damage to their IPs and characters. But yes, there is no denying that sometimes The Critical Drinker's choice of words can be rough. Thank you so much for making this comment. I think it's a really important topic and I am glad that you brought it up.

@@ErinUnderwood Exactly! It does the causes of minority rights and multicultural democracy no favors to have mega-popular franchises show poorly-written versions of them. The solution, though, is to hire better writers and not, as the Critical Drinker suggests, to stop telling stories about diverse characters.

Hans, I love this question. In fact, it might be one of the most important questions I have gotten in a long time ... and I am sorry that you wasted 10 minutes of your life. But here's the thing, I am a centrist and I have lots of friends on both side of the political divide. As you can imagine, my liberal friends aren't as keen on Drinker and when I talk about him and why what he does is important ... they don't see it. In fact, I think have to deal with some of my friends who say I'm part of the problem. So, when I saw Drinker's video essay analysis of the Star Trek: Unification short film, I loved how he broke down the film, his response to it, why it worked (or didn't in some cases), and how it contrasts to the larger Star Trek storyverse. So, yes, my response is basically a "I agree with him on this" response, but it was also a "here's why he is a actually a really good story editor and analyst." I'm actually sharing this with people who wouldn't normally watch Drinker and who have the knee jerk reaction to him as the "destroyer of all things good in life." He is a talented editor, storyteller, and essayist ... and he is a fan. These are all traits that a lot of people don't see in him despite his very large and well-earned following. Again, I am sorry that this video wasn't for you, but I am grateful that you stopped by and that you asked this question. I can't give you your 10 minutes back. So, please accept my thanks for stopping by because I am really glad that you did. Thanks!

@@ErinUnderwood Thanks for responding - since I wasn't aware this was a "liberal" channel. When visiting movie channels, I'm usually not that aware they are "liberal" or "conservative" - because that is primarily not the reason I'm visiting them. In the old days, movies were far less political - and even if they were, they weren't this "in your face". I'm a great fan of Costa Graves, although I don't share his political convictions. To me, he just makes great movies. With great regret I've seen the demise of great film making in favor of spreading "The Message" - and I made my bed at "The Critical Drinker" (amongst others - otherwise you wouldn't have gotten the view). I don't agree with him either on each and every movie - which should be obvious. Critics, any critic should be qualified by the quality of their reviews and the strength of their arguments. Rejecting a critic solely on the basis of their political convictions - instead of my previously listed criteria - is a sure sign of bigotry and ignorance. Glad I found a channel that isn't like that! ❤

@@HansBezemer Yeah, it's not really a liberal channel as I am not liberal. I don't like being defined by other people's politics. I really try to keep politics out of movies. It's not my place to talk politics in a movie review. A good reviewer should be able to tell you about a movie, it's postives and negatives, its characters, etc without getting into politics. I just recently got pummeled by some real life friends for liking Drinker (WTF? how did that become something that friend do to each other nowadays?) ... so, I wanted to show them WHY he is so much more than they credit him for. Plus, my god, I loved his video essay so much. That essay is one of the prime examples of why I will always defend him. He is a great reviewer ... and quite funny, too! 🙂

@@ErinUnderwood I saw "Unification" afterwards - and emotionally, I was a bit underwhelmed (although the dying Spock gave me a moment of goose bumps). I'm not a guy who easily cries at the movies - last time that happened was when the Enterprise fell from the sky (Search for Spock). I once watched "Les amants the pont neuf" - and I was so bored out of my skull that I whispered "Jump! jump!" at one of the most heartbreaking points in the movie. My then girlfriend was all in tears. So I asked "Are you getting a cold?" No answer. Just sniffing. I just happened to find Critical Drinker in my feed years ago - and I thought his drunk, over the top rant was quite funny - "Captain Marvel", I guess. Nowadays I appreciate him also on another level. So I stuck around. He's one of my favorites, though.

I love your comment so much. My eyes had a tear or two at the end as well. I'm so glad you enjoyed the short film!! My mom loved Star Trek and it was a think we would do together. We'd watch the series, the films, etc. So, I totally get that connection with your dad. ❤ I am sure that our parents would have loved it, too!! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂 You made my day.

Exactly my reaction, too!!!! hah!

OMG. Yes, the "pop up" alters and emails to call are really worrisome. That's how they got money out of my uncle. I'm so glad you were there to help your parents.

They'd better have more than just one image or else scammers will all know this trick pretty quickly.

@@Serai3😂 you are absolutely right!!!

Aww! Thank you. I'm so glad you like this video, subbed, and commented. 🙂

I swear, that was the best part!!!

OMG. I love this!! LOVE IT. These calls make me absolutely crazy, and I have to admit that I used to be a telemarketer in one of my first sales jobs out of high school .... and I was so good at it. So, when I get these calls I actually instruct them on how to do their calls better and give them critiques. It makes them so crazy. Thank you so much for sharing your story. I think they do go after the brainless housewife types for sure!!! Sadly, they scanned my elderly uncle a while back and I have taken them a lot more seriously since then.

Awesome! Thank you so much for clarifying. That actually makes so much more sense. 🙂

I have seen an interview with Sam where he says it's like a digital mirror so he can look into the screen and see a young William Shatner looking back which helps him act and make his movements look like Kirk, it's awesome new tech.

@@artechwebdesign I LOVE NEW TECH!!! I am a huge tech geek. This kind of stuff fascinates me and opens so many new storytelling doors. I know it may not be for everyone, but I love that James Earl Jones licenses his voice to (I think) Respeecher so that we will always be able to hear his voice as Darth Vader. I am going to have to go find that interview with Sam. Thanks for the heads up

Thanks so much for commenting. I've been thinking a lot about what you wrote here. I don't always agree with him and I don't always like how he communicates. However, he has made me think a little differently about stories over the years. There was a time when I would just shrug off the things that I didn't like in a film and just focus on the positives, but there is a lot to be said for understanding why a film doesn't work. There have been so many times when he pointed out silly things in scripts the provided plot points, but when you really think about the logic of those things they don't actually make sense. That's the kind of thing I have grown to appreciate with him. However, I do think he can be too harsh at times or maybe too quick to judgement, but then again, I have seen a lot of reviewers who are too quick to judgement on a review. I did it myself with Agatha All Along. I was ready to write off that series by episode 4, but I kept watching... and episode 5-9 turned me around and showed me that I was wrong. Thanks again, Henry. By the way, I really like your mockingbird handle. LOL. It made me smile. 🙂 Have a great day.

Wow. Who touched you inappropriately?

@@michaelj7069 The Critical Drinker, maybe. Or perhaps Tatiana?

There's a good reason to be anti-woke. It's proven to be divisive academically - and it's ideologically inconsistent.

You even said it with a fedora. What a time to be alive.

There are theories about the "afterlife" as being non-linear - this is a theory beyond anything in Star Trek. There are lots of stories, novels, films, religions, etc that talk about the next stage of existence as simply being "now" or "always" or "all times" without being tied to a linear structure. The term for that is "eternalism" and when "all moments in time are equally present, and the distinction between past, present, and future is nonexistent." Thinking about it in that way, living creatures would need a timeline to experience "life" in the physical world, but our spirit or soul would not because when it detaches from the body and "moves on" it would go into the state of eternalism, which would explain why Kirk could see himself at all stages of his life. If this is the philosophy that they used in the film it could represent different points when Kirk had either a death or near death experience. I'm just talking this idea out. I'm not sure how I feel about it since I can't remember how many near death or death experiences he may have had. Or maybe if all times are "now" in eternalism it could create a strange perception issue in which we see ourselves all all ages of our life simultaneously. I am sure there are people far more experienced with philosophy and religion than me who could talk about this better than I am doing.. but it is fun to talk about it.

You're killing me, man. Keeeeeling meeee! 🤣😂🤣😂 Is it wrong to admit that I love The Breakfast Club. 😉 Thanks for stopping by.... I may be changing my name to Not Ally Sheedy.

100%❗ It was the cherry on top. It was perfect.

Also when he points out "THE MESSAGE!" wokeness, always funny.

Yeah, very true. We all have the ability to be annoying from time to time, especially when issues get under our skin. Then you see something like his video essay that he did and you get at glimpse into where all of that frustration is coming from... and it's love, his love for a story, a series, and a genre that keeps getting tangles up in its own mess.

They know what they are talking about.

@@troyjamesmartin In their own mind.

@@ErinUnderwood I just wish he and the others would stick to whether or not something was good not getting so political.

@@ericpleasant7225 This is actually one of my biggest pet peeves with any kind of review: film, tv, book etc. A good reviewer can leave that stuff on the curb and just focus on the story presented. However, I think the the term "woke" has been bastardized so many times and in so many ways over the recent years that it no longer means what everyone thinks it means because it now means something different to everyone. I think woke has become an annoying shorthand for cheap and easy ways to add diversity to a story without actually giving diverse characters a strong and well thought out character.... but I think it's just easier to say those words if that's what you really mean because it's far less political and cuts through any confusion. I do think that the word "woke" will stop being used soon. It's a term with a limited lifespan, but the RUclips algorithm does love it. So, I guess we'll see. It's one of the things I really try to stay away from. Thanks for bringing this up.

Thank you. I'm so glad you liked it and enjoyed the essay as well. ❤

It’s wickedly meta…isn’t it? 🤣😂🤣

Me reacting to you reacting to a reaction video of a reaction video of a fanmade video 😂

I love that you said this. I agree 100%. It's one of the reasons that I decided to start my own RUclips channel to do reviews. I was tired of having to conform my reviews to a company's standards. We don't all have to agree, but we should be able to all talk and share our thoughts without keeping it acceptable for studios. I'd rather talk directly with people like you about the things that you and I like or dislike. 🙂 If they want to label that as toxic...well, they're the ones missing out. Thanks for the comment!

@christophernuzzi2780. Very respectfully, while I certainly appreciate and enjoy constructive, civil debate, your comment here could easily be construed and interpreted as, minimally, bordering on the intolerant and "toxic". Clearly, you have extremely robust personal opinions on exactly what constitutes "slop" within a given entertainment franchise, but characterising those who disagree as mindless "uncritical fans who slurp it up" is not particularly conducive to a friendly, affable discussion. Attempting to partition and divide those who don't share your sentiments or conclusions with antagonistic and belligerent sweeping generalisations is just not very helpful IMHO. For me, that's the very essence of "toxicity".

@@Supervisor194 Thank you for making this point. I think it's a really important one to make. I believe that stories are meant to connect us and to give us ways to talk with each other about things we love, hate, fear, desire, etc. Not every story will be a fit for every person, and our personal tastes shouldn't have a bearing on whether a story is considered well-written or not. Having spent more time in writing workshops and critique groups that I can calculate, one of the first things that I learned was that liking a story had nothing to do with whether or not is was actually a well-written story. I think this is something that a lot of people don't actively think about. The other golden rule that I learned is that critiques should be about the work, not the people who read or write it. I will freely admit that I love Christmas films. I don't care how well-written or how well-produced they are if they can somehow tap into that special sense of magic or wonder that I crave from Christmas movies. For example, I loved Red One. I thought it was good fun, but I know so many critics who hated it. I also ended up loving Agatha All Along once I really gave it a chance and watched it through to the end so that I could really "see" what they did with that story...which was fantastic. I do fear that our "all or nothing" approach to a story being good or bad isn't helpful and is often harmful because stories are rarely all good or all bad, and there is usually something that most people can enjoy or appreciate in most films. One of my good friends is also a critic and we laugh like crazy over the fact that films I hate are often films she loves. When we sit and talk about the films and why we love or hate them we actually grow to appreciate the good and bad parts of the film, given the other person's perspective. I also appreciate that we have critics from across the spectrum who can share what they like and dislike about movies. If you find a critic who often likes what you like, they can really help you avoid films that you're not likely to enjoy. I think we also need to get rid of this idea of toxicity. Somehow the definition of toxicity has begun to be attached to people who don't like something or who disagree. I actually used to think The Critical Drinker was toxic until I started listening to his reviews. I don't agree with him all of the time and I'm not always a fan of how he expresses himself, but he has this gift for seeing how a story works, why it doesn't work, and where logic falters. I have actually learned a lot about story analysis from him, and I do think the studios should actively listen to what he has to say because weak stories can still be "good" stories, but "good" stories aren't likely to make the money in the box office that the studios need to generate to keep making films. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts. I hope you always feel comfortable enough in my channel to express yourself like this. 🙂

I can hear you regurgitating the drinkers well trodden talking points. He’s an idiot. He thinks Event Horizon, a movie my friends and I have watched for years to laugh at how stupid it is, is an amazing horror film.

@@Supervisor194And yet fandom today borders on sycophantic or toxic. Meanwhile the studios & networks control the narrative pitting fans against one another. There’s nothing wrong with liking something -just like there’s nothing wrong with seeing a work as being poorly done. Both POVs are right.

I think you are right about the blinking, and that's definitely a slight flaw with the technology. I agree that they chose critical moments in the film and they all resonated so well!

Always good advice… and yet he did such a good job that I just couldn’t help myself. ❤️

Not creepy. Haha it’s fine

@@JasonEyermann Thank you! 🙂

I haven’t read the comic/graphic novel, but I love the films!! It’s such a good story.

@@ErinUnderwood I honestly haven't read the Manga either, but the Anime series is also awesome. If I may point out that the director of the films you wrote of also directed one of my favorite Sci-Fi movies, the Polish movie Avalon. What is unique about this director is that everything he works on has Basset Hounds featured in some way.

@@daguard411 Oh! I haven't seen Avalon. I'll try to check it out... and I love that he includes Basset Hounds. Dogs are the best. 💙 I have dachshunds and I always joke that they are just short and long Bassets. 🙂

That final scene with the sunset was so lovely, and when they held hands was perfect. ❤

@simonseymour3099: Kirk already "died" in Generations. Are you saying he dies AGAIN in this short?

@@AnansitheSpider8 I don't want to give away spoilers... but it was the same death. The short is basically what comes next after that death. It's a beautiful little film.

@@ErinUnderwood It can't be the same death because Gary Mitchell's involvement, the Kirk Easter egg in Picard Season 3 and the other medical monitors focusing on Kirk in other OTOY online footage have to be taken into consideration. I think this is a resurrected Kirk, and what we see is what happens AFTER his resurrection (especially when he is given his Starfleet badge BACK after it was taken off of him when Picard buried him in "Generations".)

@@AnansitheSpider8 It's too trippy to be anything other than an afterlife. It is possible Kirk's spirit exists in limbo and was "resurrected" to see Spock as he's about to die himself.

Yes, I was surprised at how much he loved it and was actually moved by the editing and voice over in the narrative. It truly felt like a short film about a short film. The way his voiced trailed off towards the closing got me good.

@@hdanielmartinez7045 Exactly. It was really well done 🙂 When he does his video essays, they are so well written and put together. I was also surprised by how emotional this one was. I loved it.

Unification had 50 year old me in tears in a number of viewings. Critical easily produced one of his best reviews. You can't act the feelings I sensed in his voice. He really showed (along with Unification) what we've lost, and will never get back. After this... I'm kinda okay with that now. Great review... Of a review.

Hahaha !!! 🤣 Seriously! I think Granny will be a tough nut for them to crack.

She was amazing. I knew she was a talented singer, but I had no idea that she could sing like THAT. Her voice was beautiful.

@ honestly!! ❤️