"The Nostalgia Critic" is a wonderfully funny and always amusing web series that turns film criticism from simple reviewing into a form of entertainment. This show is part of a new generation of reviewing, following in the footsteps of Internet review sites rather than traditional print or TV media, like Siskel and Ebert or Gene Shalit. The Nostalgia Critics snarky style seems to derive inspiration from written humor-based movie review sites, and combines their style with the visual showmanship of the countless wannabe instant celebrities possessing web cameras and Youtube accounts. The hybrid result is a wonderfully-crafted review show that gives the most scathing criticisms of schlocky films this side of Jay Sherman. The series is targeted towards a young audience, primarily Generation Y youth (approx ages 15-32), who grew up with the films chosen for the reviews. Most of the films seem to be "family films" that were broadcast on endless rotation on the Disney Channel during the 1990s, most of which are well known to Generation Y youths, but some of which are obscure. The show is hosted by the eponymous critic. The critic himself is a fictional character, who reacts to movies he does not like in an exaggeratedly furious and irate manner. He a tall, lean fellow who wears a flat cap, tweed sweater and a comically loose tie in the style of Avril Lavigne. His clownish, blatantly nerdy persona will definitely appeal to younger viewers who will find it chic. I doubt older viewers (Generation X and Baby Boomers) will enjoy "The Nostalgia Critic", in large part because the films reviewed don't target them, but also because the series is targeted towards a generation reared on and familiar with the Internet and its various subcultures. I highly recommend "The Nostalgia Critic" for young adult film buffs who want to enjoy a film review series that focuses as much on entertaining its audience as it does reviewing films. My main problem with the series as that reviews are horrendously long (20- 27 minutes), and could stand to be half--if not a third--as long as they are. The reviews are designed to be blow-by-blow studies of the movies, which can grow boring after a while. That being said, the critic and his cohorts do their best to keep the energy level high throughout each review. If you can stand reviews as long as a standard TV show, you will love "The Nostalgia Critic".
Review of Nostalgia Critic
