joecoolbrad Reviews

Todd's Pop Song Reviews (2009– )

Entertaining, and a touch of insightful.

[10/10 · 19 July 2011]

Todd reviews pop songs.

This is an awesome concept for two reasons: 1. Pop music is part of a common experience that civilized human beings can usually share. 2. Pop music needs criticism, and badly.

So what sets Todd apart, besides being in the shadows? Todd begins every review with a piano cover of the song he's going to review. He then introduces the song, talks about individual elements, culminating in a final judgment, and a send-off. This is all filled with sight gags, puns, and zingers that makes the show very entertaining. That said, Todd can, from time to time, weave social commentary into his reviews, an inevitable element of reviewing popular culture, but one which would be so easy to mess up. Todd manages this element flawlessly, eschewing preachiness when necessary, and in general practicing restraint. The highlight of his shows are definitely his top tens, so if you're new to Todd, start there. One other thing to remember, however, is that he is a romanticist, namely he values emotion in artwork, especially music. Therefore, it follows that if you don't really agree, then his reviews may not suit you too well, but he usually does a good job of avoiding excluding anyone either. If you don't agree with him, then he can make you see things from a different point of view.

So, to conclude, watch this series, as it is quite entertaining, and you just might learn something.

The Nostalgia Chick (2008–2014)

Interesting take on exhibition reviewing

[10/10 · 19 July 2011]

Lindsay Ellis plays a character known as the Nostalgia Chick who reviews classic movies in light of adult issues. Or at least, that's as much as I can get in a nutshell. She, as a member of Channel Awesome is in name an exhibition reviewer, i.e a reviewer who produces reviews for entertainment. However, Lindsay is best when she deals with adult issues in media, such as feminism in an area which is male-dominated. In a way, that reflects her position on the site, as she is part of a minority of female reviewers. In fact, she was chosen for the site on the basis that the site was imbalanced.

If you're expecting another Nostalgia Critic, who picks apart movies for every flaw while making jokes, you're going to be disappointed. Lindsay is different, her reviews are much more big-picture and, rather than dealing with the movie chronologically, deals with it in parts. This makes for an interesting review style which sets her apart from the other reviewers on the site.

So, to conclude, The Nostalgia Chick is a must-see for all fans of cinema and nostalgia.

Twilight (I) (2008)

Public Service Announcement

[2/10 · 22 December 2009]

This comment is not so much a review so much as a Public Service Announcement: If you want to watch a movie with real character depth, an emotionally engaging story, and a solid romance at the core, there are plenty of good movies to see (I recommend Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind).

If you want a good vampire movie, there are tons of classics to choose from. (I recommend the various adaptations of Dracula, especially the 1931 version) If you want a strong romance between two developed characters set in a fantasy world, then there are movies you can watch. (Lord of the Rings, for example) But unless you want to endure bad dialogue, writing, no plot, unlikeable characters, bad acting, an underdeveloped supporting cast, poorly framed shots, crappy FX, painfully slow pacing, annoying product plugs, and an overall painful experience......

DO NOT WATCH TWILIGHT!!!!!! I don't even know where to begin with how god-awful this movie is. Bella's character is just plain awful. She's a whiny brat who is never satisfied, and overly pretentious. She acts like she's tormented, even though her biggest pain is having parents that are divorced, even though they are both really nice people who care about her. Furthermore, she also has the glorious distinction of being overly popular, which just shows how much her life sucks. Add to that, she is obnoxiously STUPID!!! In one scene Edward says, "I wanna kill you and suck all the blood from your body" and Bella smirks and says, calmly , "I don't care." And that isn't even that far from the original As for Edward, there's nothing wrong with him except the fact that he stalks a girl he barely knows and treats her like crap. Aside from that, we don't actually learn anything about him throughout the course of the movie. Oh, and he's about the worst vampire ever to walk the face of the planet.

Add to this, both characters are poorly acted.

Further lowering this film's quality is the plot. There is none. After our protagonists get together, the rest of the film is just watching them get a kick out of not having sex. That's really clever, people. Also, the last scene is almost directly lifted from the 1992 film Bram Stoker's Dracula. "I want to become a vampire!" "No, because vampires are damned for all eternity!" "I'm gonna die anyway!" Sound familiar? I could go into more detail, but it's just a waste of time. This film is horrible. From beginning to end, this movie is just plain awful.

Fight Club (1999)

The ultimate, perfect manly film

[10/10 · 20 November 2009]

The Good: The comedy, Drama, Psychology, Philosophy, Acting, stellar direction, great characters, gritty violence

The Bad: Graphic....wait, is that a bad thing??

Bottom Line: Men will love this film. See it. If you aren't overly sensitive or feminine.

This film is one that will leave a permanent impression. Its part anarchist comedy, intellectual thought-piece, Gritty boxing film, psychological character study, social commentary, and romance.

This films first draw is just how well-directed it is. The shots are just beautiful, showing the world in all its gritty detail and having no qualms about breaking the fourth wall.

I am not going to talk about the plot in detail, mainly because it contains so much detail and depth that i would just be doing a disservice. Suffice it to say this is by far the most creative concept I have seen since A Clockwork Orange.

I really cannot endorse this film enough..... If you are a guy this is a must see. If you are a woman, see this, and you may grasp some insight into the male psyche. Prepare to be offended, though

The Angry Video Game Nerd (2004– )

Pure Comedic Gold!

[10/10 · 10 August 2009]

The good: Catchy theme song, great character, great comedy. The bad: I get stomach cramps hearing what the nerd would rather do. Ew.

If you have never heard of the nerd, you are a deprived individual. This Internet series is just great. It's hilarious, original, and more entertaining than most big-budget TV comedies. James Rolfe is a great actor/producer/director and Mike Matei gets absolutely immersed in his roles, which include Mike Myers, Jason, The Joker, and Bugs Bunny.

Every new episode gets better, every one is hilarious. I would love to hear James doing a big budget film. Talent like his is hard to find.

Bottom Line: My favorite show. Ever. Excellent

The One (2001)

Awful, boring, pathetic

[2/10 · 9 August 2009]

The good: The effects of going between universes are kind of cool The bad: Action that fails to excite, weak acting, poor script, Quite simple: It's been done before, and done better.

I like to say this to people: Just because a movie is full of action and special effects and uses the plot as glue to hold it together, doesn't mean it sucks. As long as I don't care about the plot, the film works.

There are films that work with action and plot together to create a masterpiece: The Matrix, for example. There are films that center on plot and characters to create a compelling piece of entertainment. There are films that center on action, and forget about creating a great plot to create a roller-coaster ride to thrill the viewer, for example, Transformers. There are films that just flop on all counts. This is one of those films.

The action is boring, the superhuman "One" is clearly taken from THE Matrix, The parallel universe idea is kind of cool, but this is just made boring by the "chase" mentality. The special effects are just lame, so the only thing to save it would be the characters. The characters could be said to be bland, but it goes beyond bland. It's flat out pathetic how dumb and lame this film is in its characters.

Bottom Line: STAY AWAY!

The Island (2005)

A popcorn flick, and a good one.

[8/10 · 8 August 2009]

Good: Powerful action, raises moral and philosophical questions usually not seen with Michael Bay, cool set.

Bad: All of the questions and themes have been done before and done better in Blade Runner and The Matrix. Why do there have to be soo many shameless product plugs.

Michael bay is famous for making sci-fi movies focused on action, and horror movies based on gore. In some ways this is good, it centers around the focal points of each genre, but this approach tends to be hit or miss.

The Island is a hit, and it surpasses the mindless action flick in the first half. Before watching this film, I could not foresee that Michael Bay would make (not-too-subtle) allusions to Brave New World, and The Republic. This elevated the film somewhat over the genre flick. However, I found myself finding the value of life aspect to be borrowing from Blade Runner, and the reality-versus-illusion aspect to be borrowed from The Matrix. The film even pays an obvious homage to the subway station scene in the Matrix in the climax "MY NAME IS LINCOLN!" But ultimately all this is a means to an end and that end is some very awesome sights and sounds. The setting goes above and beyond the call of duty here. I actually found myself willing to believe that this could really be the future. There was one problem, and that was the excessive product plugs, which became distracting. I though at first I could ignore them, but I soon found myself counting them. I ended with around 13 or 14.

Bottom Line: For people looking to have a good time, and may be satisfactorily thoughtful for those who hate all of Michael Bay's other films. Watch the film with a good sound system, and you'll be in for a ride.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Possibly the greatest sci-fi film in existence

[10/10 · 4 July 2009]

Strong points: Surprisingly complex and deep characters. solid acting, sweet action, special effects that still hold up in this day of CGI and advanced particle effects.

Weaknesses: Minor plot holes that nobody cares about, oh who am I kidding, this film is flawless.

I say this a lot to people who ask me about movies like Trnsformers that are based solely around action and special effects: The fact that a movie is centered on action and special effects doesn't automatically make it a bad movie. Many people disagree with this, believing that action is useless without characters and plot.

This film is an excellent case for both people.

The acting is better than any I've ever seen from any sci-fi film. Linda Hamilton is by far the best actress in this film. I am very sorry to say that she never went anywhere after this excellent film. Arnold actually is very good in this film, and manages to play the stoic, but increasingly human father figure to John Connor.

That brings me to another area where this film excels, the characters. Every one of the main characters is given depth and emotional realism. The film even explores Sarah Connors psyche, and how it affects her actions.

This film also has the some of the best action we have ever seen in a film. Each action scene is expertly crafted by James Cameron. the special effects are so excellent, they still look good, 15 years later after many innovations in computer technology. The only other film I know of to do this is the original Star Wars.

The film has one factor which may make or break the experience for some. I for one, enjoyed this element. The fact is, before watching this, pay careful attention to the MPAA rating, because this film is very violent and disturbing. I loved the fact that they had no problem showing everything, but for some people, this may ruin the experience, I don't know, I've never had much problem with violence.

Bottom line: Watch this movie, if you can take the violence. You will enjoy yourself.

The Incredibles (2004)

An excellent action-comedy film.

[10/10 · 6 June 2009]

Strong point: Excellent Action, surprisingly deep characters, hilarious comedy

Weak Point: How in the name of all that is purple did this get a PG rating?

This should be an action-comedy superhero film, not a family film. The producers should have gone the whole way and made this an action film. As it is, the film is stellar. When I finished watching it, I immediately felt invigorated and exhilarated. For the first half of the movie I could not stop laughing. For the second half, I was constantly on the edge of my seat.

Its hard to decide which is more appealing, the characters, the comedy, or the action. Each of these is beautifully done, and excellently presented. The special effects and action are as thrilling as a trip with Peter Jackson. The characters emotionally deep and complex. For Director Brad Bird, this is familiar territory, and something he did very well in the Iron Giant. It defiantly carries over into this masterpiece. the film is also peppered with some of the best comedy you will ever see in a film.

Bottom Line: What I've meant to say with all this yakking is: Watch this movie.