"That Guy With the Glasses" Talkback 5 (Warning Strong Language)

[Antiyonder]

He's The Nostalgia Critic: He remembers it so we don't have to!

He does it all. Reviews crappy movies (even if they're good, decent, so-so), picks a fight with a game reviewing icon and still has time to make movies that are 5 seconds (1 minute) long!

Disclaimer: It's important to note that his videos are for satire purpose thus not a full out complaint. Anytime it seems like he gets a fact wrong, it's done for the sake of laughter, not because of illinformity.

His videos can be found on thatguywiththeglasses.com

Previous Threads:
Talkback 1
Talkback 2
Talkback 3
Talkback 4

Mod Note: Discussion continued from Talkback 4.

[rggkjg1]

being the big superman fan i am, and a fan of ALL the movies, i guess it's my duty to nitpick all top 11 choices.

11 - that's the first time i've heard someone complain that brandon routh and lois lane looked too young. their characters were "bland" because of the script. if he feels superman was miscast, it's quite obvious they should have gotten josh hartnett like the early rumors said years ago.

10 - hmmm. really? last thing i was expecting for a stupidest superman moment. i got the feeling the bottom of the barrell is being scraped already. if you want to "blame" someone for this stupid idea, i guess richard lester is that someone.

9 - superman iv was supposed to "go back to basics" of what the first 2 superman films were all about.

8 - blame richard lester again?

7 - durring production of superman iv, the budget got cut. this was pretty funny though, never noticed those curtains on the moon.

6 - IT'S MORE THAN THE GLASSES!

5 - luthor puts a piece of cloth that would end up as the nuclear man costume with the dna he put on the rocket.

4 - yeah, this was pretty stupid. blame richard lester again.

3 - arghghg. blame richard lester.

2 - superman iii is more of a comedy movie, so i guess you'd need a comedy star in it. don't know who to blame? the director, writer, and the producers.

1 - i knew this would be on the list, but not number one. i really believe he doesn't spin the earth backwards. i feel this is what time travel looks like for superman. the other superman might have been "erased" which would explain why there are not two supermans.

for the top 11 stupidest superman moments, this was dissapointing. not because im a big fan, but because most of these moments aren't even directly about or feature superman. if something is going to be called the top 11 dumbest superman moments, i'd expect it to be 11 instances where superman was clearly being dumb.

[Antiyonder]

2 - superman iii is more of a comedy movie, so i guess you'd need a comedy star in it. don't know who to blame? the director, writer, and the producers.

Even so, Pryor's character shouldn't take up as much screentime as the main character.

[The Huntsman]

That was hilarious, especially the scene with Lex Luthor and the kiss. I've only recently begun watching The Nostalgia Critic and I've apparently been missing out. I guess it just goes to show that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

[TMC1982]

being the big superman fan i am, and a fan of ALL the movies, i guess it's my duty to nitpick all top 11 choices.

11 - that's the first time i've heard someone complain that brandon routh and lois lane looked too young. their characters were "bland" because of the script. if he feels superman was miscast, it's quite obvious they should have gotten josh hartnett like the early rumors said years ago.

10 - hmmm. really? last thing i was expecting for a stupidest superman moment. i got the feeling the bottom of the barrell is being scraped already. if you want to "blame" someone for this stupid idea, i guess richard lester is that someone.

9 - superman iv was supposed to "go back to basics" of what the first 2 superman films were all about.

8 - blame richard lester again?

7 - durring production of superman iv, the budget got cut. this was pretty funny though, never noticed those curtains on the moon.

6 - IT'S MORE THAN THE GLASSES!

5 - luthor puts a piece of cloth that would end up as the nuclear man costume with the dna he put on the rocket.

4 - yeah, this was pretty stupid. blame richard lester again.

3 - arghghg. blame richard lester.

2 - superman iii is more of a comedy movie, so i guess you'd need a comedy star in it. don't know who to blame? the director, writer, and the producers.

1 - i knew this would be on the list, but not number one. i really believe he doesn't spin the earth backwards. i feel this is what time travel looks like for superman. the other superman might have been "erased" which would explain why there are not two supermans.

for the top 11 stupidest superman moments, this was dissapointing. not because im a big fan, but because most of these moments aren't even directly about or feature superman. if something is going to be called the top 11 dumbest superman moments, i'd expect it to be 11 instances where superman was clearly being dumb.

About the "Superman spinning the earth backwards" sequence from the first movie, it makes sense in the context of Jor-El prviously telling his son to not use his powers to "interfer with the course of human history". Meanwhile, Pa Kent tells his adopted son to use his powers for the benefit of humanity. So of course, when Jonathan suddenly dies of a heart attack, Clark in a sense, feels morally responsible (maybe he could've somehow advised Jonathan to see a doctor). When Superman sees another loved one of his, Lois, suddenly die, naturally he flips out. Also why couldn't Superman simply stop the two missiles rather than turn back time, well you have to keep in mind that he was still recovering from having that Kyptonite neckless from Lex Luthor on.

Now as far as dumb Superman movie moments that Doug overlooked...:
*The photo of Bill Cosby in Perry White's office in Superman II

*Superman throwing a cellophane S-shield towards Zod, Ursa and Non in Superman II

*Vera Webster transforming into a robot in Superman III

*Lex Luthor having hair when we first see him in prison in Superman IV. It was previously established towards the end the first movie, that Lex wore a hairpeice. More to the point, in the second movie, we first see Lex (still in prison) bald.

*Superman being able to lift an island full of Kryptonite in Superman Returns (that was your big climax Bryan Singer).

*And speaking of Superman Returns, if Doug is going to rip on the fourth movie for trying too hard to recreate events from the first movie, then the same thing should be said about Bryan Singer and company trying to hard to recreate the Richard Donnor universe instead of putting more of a personal stamp (while still remaining respectful to the source material).

*The cryptic explaination for how Clark got his powers back in Superman II. It would've made sense had Marlon Brando not been so greedy and/or the Salkinds not been cheap and refusing to use the Jor-El (Jor-El sacrificed himself in order to give his son his powers back in the Richard Donner cut) footage. Then again, why couldnt the filmmakers simply used Lara (Susannah York) for the sacrificing, since she pretty much substituted for Marlon Brando/Jor-El anyway.

[Wonderwall]

being the big superman fan i am, and a fan of ALL the movies, i guess it's my duty to nitpick all top 11 choices.

11 - that's the first time i've heard someone complain that brandon routh and lois lane looked too young. their characters were "bland" because of the script. if he feels superman was miscast, it's quite obvious they should have gotten josh hartnett like the early rumors said years ago.

I've always said that. Routh I could forgive as he still looked it. But Bosworth really was a little girl playing a grown woman and failing. Can't blame the script on that.

[Dudley]

Wow. I'm looking at these clips, and maybe I should see the films in their entirety first, but these look pretty awful.
I also hate how Superman keeps pulling new random powers out of nowhere, like the mind scrambling kiss. And I heard that in Superman 4 he has telekinesis. WTH?

[TMC1982]

Wow. I'm looking at these clips, and maybe I should see the films in their entirety first, but these look pretty awful.
I also hate how Superman keeps pulling new random powers out of nowhere, like the mind scrambling kiss. And I heard that in Superman 4 he has telekinesis. WTH?

"Great Wall of China Vision" (Superman is able to put the wall back together by simply shooting non-heat/x-ray related beams out of his eyes) in Superman IV.

[J. B. Warner]

I'm more familiar with the unbelievable suckitude of Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace than I am with the first two movies, mostly because of their Agony Booth recaps (hilarious, by the way). But yeah, nobody can deny that the first two movies had their own "please remove brain now" moments too. And I still can't find anyone who had anything good to say about Superman Returns.

Count me in as another viewer who's surprised the NC didn't mention the super insignia power from Superman II (what the hell?). Still, what he did bring up is pretty damn laughable, and his commentary is great ("AHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHA--wait, NOTHING WAS FUNNY!"). Great deconstruction of the ending to the first movie - it really is unbelievable just how many things are wrong with that. Still doesn't top the ending to Superman IV, though, which must be seen to be believed.

[Mynd Hed]

6 - IT'S MORE THAN THE GLASSES!

Yes, yes, we all know that Supes changes his mannerisms and acts all "mild-mannered" and combs his hair differently and all that. And maybe that's enough to explain how, say, the majority of the press or some random guy on the street doesn't pick up on it right away. But people like Lois Lane who have spent significant amounts of close-up face time with both Supes and Kent over the years? Sorry, it still just plain doesn't hold water.

5 - luthor puts a piece of cloth that would end up as the nuclear man costume with the dna he put on the rocket.

Oh, that explains everything nothing.

To be fair though, the earlier drafts of the movie did have him succeeding in saving Lois straight away.

The fact that earlier drafts of the script were less stupid doesn't make the final version any less stupid. If anything, it makes it MORE stupid, because whoever was in charge of such things actively chose the stupider version to film.

*Superman throwing a cellophane S-shield towards Zod, Ursa and Non in Superman II

Yeah, I'm kinda surprised this didn't make the list, too. It probably would've made a better addition than a couple of the earlier entries, like the stupid Niagara Falls kid. Which is pretty dumb, but doesn't break suspension of disbelief / the laws of (even science-fictional) physics like some of the others. I mean, kids ARE pretty dumb.

Anyway, all told I enjoyed this one. Any version of Superman is going to require a lot of suspension of disbelief even compared to many other popular superhero properties, but for some reason, even the best of the live-action versions strain credulity even by Superman standards.

[Psychopulse]

Well, that was certainly odd... I'm glad I did not see any of the films. And Superman 3 and 4 must be crappy with moments like those. But something bothers me about the whole "Flying backwards to rotate the earth thing, I've thought of something he overlooked that he should have put on this list of things that were wrong with it: Wouldn't the earth keep spinning that way if he caused it to rotate the opposite direction?

[Mynd Hed]

Oh, and everyone saying that after watching this countdown, they're glad they haven't / don't plan to watch the live-action films: for all its flaws, the first one is still very entertaining for the performances and out of historical interest as the first superhero movie of its kind.

The rest can safely be skipped. Oh, sure, some people will tell you that the second one is better than the first. Ignore these people. The second one is okay if you're really in the mood for more after seeing the first, but for most people, one will be enough.

[Robin2099]

The fact that earlier drafts of the script were less stupid doesn't make the final version any less stupid. If anything, it makes it MORE stupid, because whoever was in charge of such things actively chose the stupider version to film.

They didn't really have a choice in the matter. Originally, the reversing the earth's rotation scene was supposed to be the ending for Superman 2(replacing the magic kiss) which was being filmed simultaneously. However the original ending which featured Superman saving California, restructuring the San Andreas fault and then throwing the second missile into space which cracked the Phantom Zone and releasing the three super-villains. This furthered the animosity between Ilya Salkind and Richard Donner and led to his firing.

Well, that was certainly odd... I'm glad I did not see any of the films.

Your loss. The original Superman film is still widely regarded as one of the best super hero movies ever made. And Christopher Reeve was so influential(and iconic) as Superman that for the most part, whenever the character is drawn, he oftentimes resembles Reeves.

[Lord Dalek]

Me thinks rggkjg doth protest too much.

Also I'd say the Atari missile battle in Superman III is probably the dumbest moment in the history of the series but thats just me.

[Beat]

The first two films hold up really well. The last two...not so much. Returns was so busy fanboying over the original it forgot to tell a story.

Now kneel. Kneel before the first two.

[LinkG07]

The first two films hold up really well. The last two...not so much. Returns was so busy fanboying over the original it forgot to tell a story.

Now kneel. Kneel before the first two.

And Zod! Raaaawr!

Hey! That reminds me, I remember a scene in Superman II where he throws a illusion of his crest in like a cloth form at Zod. Wth is up with that, and why wasn't it on the list?

[Lord Dalek]

I wonder... has Doug viewed the Donnor cut of Superman II yet?

[rggkjg1]

Me thinks rggkjg doth protest too much.

Also I'd say the Atari missile battle in Superman III is probably the dumbest moment in the history of the series but thats just me.

it's my duty as a "true" fan.

honestly, people here on this board have come up with better and more legit dumbest superman moments. cellophane s shield and fixing the great wall just by looking at it.

and here are my dumbest moments that no one mentioned yet:
zod using "the force" to take the deputy cop's gun in houston, jason (i'm surprised this wasn't on the list), lacey somehow being able to breath in space, how do lois and clark get from the fortress to the diner in superman ii?

there's 6 more legit dumbest moments that could have easily been on this list. i'm sure there's more, but since i'm fond of all the movies, i guess they aren't sticking out as much as they would for people who hate the 3rd and 4th films.

[Ishtar]

Pretty decent Top 11 for the Worst Superman Moments. I'd like to see one for the Batman films, but most of those would come from Batman & Robin, and he's said everything that's been needed to say about that.

[TMC1982]

it's my duty as a "true" fan.

honestly, people here on this board have come up with better and more legit dumbest superman moments. cellophane s shield and fixing the great wall just by looking at it.

and here are my dumbest moments that no one mentioned yet:
zod using "the force" to take the deputy cop's gun in houston, jason (i'm surprised this wasn't on the list), lacey somehow being able to breath in space, how do lois and clark get from the fortress to the diner in superman ii?

there's 6 more legit dumbest moments that could have easily been on this list. i'm sure there's more, but since i'm fond of all the movies, i guess they aren't sticking out as much as they would for people who hate the 3rd and 4th films.

Kids in Superman movies have generally been annoying anyway:
*The kid at Niagra Falls in Superman II

*Ricky (Lana Lang's son) from Superman III

*Jeremy from Superman IV

*Jason from Superman Returns