Confused Matthew is an Ass.

[Soviet Heavy]

I realize how ironic it is to be mad at this man's opinion, since he seems to be deliberately baiting people with his reviews.

For those of you who don't know, Confused Matthew is a movie reviewer from youtube who regularly takes popular films and tears them apart. For a lot of his reviews, I find that he raises a number of good points, and I generally find them interesting enough to watch.

That is of course, until you get to his animated reviews. This is where his reviews throw out any pretense of thought or intelligence, and he loses a lot of credibility, I feel.

Take for example, his review of Spirited Away. He claims that "like many anime, this film's setting isn't very well defined." What? I'm no expert on Japanese culture by a long stretch, but all things considered, it is one of the best realized animated pieces I have seen. He then goes on to compare the film to Inuyasha, by mere fact of them both being anime. That is the equivalent of comparing The Emperor's New Groove to Snow White. Sure they might both be Disney, but they have nothing in common apart from a name.

In his Incredibles and Up! reviews, he gets all moral-guardian like and complains that the films are too scary or mean spirited for children to understand or enjoy. He also complains that Carl Frederickson is a bad protagonist because "kids won't be able to relate with an 80 year old man"

And then there is his Lion King review, where he claims that Timone and Pumba are the most evil Disney characters ever made.

Gargh, it makes me mad. Many people have responded to these arguments of his with very valid reasons, but this persona of his just makes my blood boil.

So yeah, this is a vent, but I just needed to get it out. I suppose I need to pose a question to keep you interested so I say this: What do you think of Confused Matthew's animated reviews?

 

[viranimus]

Then look elsewhere perhaps? Or register your issue directly to the reviewers youtube page?

Just seems a little displaced is all.

 

[Urgh76]

Um, did he actually Watch any of these movies? T.T

 

[SomeLameStuff]

he claims that Timone and Pumba are the most evil Disney characters ever made.

Timone and Pumba... most evil...?

But but but! Hakuna Matata!

And he doesn't like Carl Frederickson?! I watched about 10 minutes of Up, liked him almost instantly!

This man has lost all credibility with me.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Then look elsewhere perhaps? Or register your issue directly to the reviewers youtube page?

Just seems a little displaced is all.

I know, I already have launched arguments against him on the matter. I just felt I could get a slightly more civilized conversation here.

 

[viranimus]

/nod

fair enough.

 

[BonsaiK]

I realize how ironic it is to be mad at this man's opinion, since he seems to be deliberately baiting people with his reviews.

For those of you who don't know, Confused Matthew is a movie reviewer from youtube who regularly takes popular films and tears them apart. For a lot of his reviews, I find that he raises a number of good points, and I generally find them interesting enough to watch.

That is of course, until you get to his animated reviews. This is where his reviews throw out any pretense of thought or intelligence, and he loses a lot of credibility, I feel.

Take for example, his review of Spirited Away. He claims that "like many anime, this film's setting isn't very well defined." What? I'm no expert on Japanese culture by a long stretch, but all things considered, it is one of the best realized animated pieces I have seen. He then goes on to compare the film to Inuyasha, by mere fact of them both being anime. That is the equivalent of comparing The Emperor's New Groove to Snow White. Sure they might both be Disney, but they have nothing in common apart from a name.

In his Incredibles and Up! reviews, he gets all moral-guardian like and complains that the films are too scary or mean spirited for children to understand or enjoy. He also complains that Carl Frederickson is a bad protagonist because "kids won't be able to relate with an 80 year old man"

And then there is his Lion King review, where he claims that Timone and Pumba are the most evil Disney characters ever made.

Gargh, it makes me mad. Many people have responded to these arguments of his with very valid reasons, but this persona of his just makes my blood boil.

So yeah, this is a vent, but I just needed to get it out. I suppose I need to pose a question to keep you interested so I say this: What do you think of Confused Matthew's animated reviews?

Here's how it works:

1. Guy wanting to be a cyber-celeb posts scathing reviews of stuff that is generally considered to be not all that bad
2. Outraged people repost his reviews or talk about their existence on several different media
3. Curious people flock to review to hear/see and judge outrageous criticism for themselves
4. Out of these people, a small percentage become outraged, and repeat step 2.
5. Momentum builds, cyber-celebrity is assured

I've never seen and I'm not going to watch his reviews because I don't want to become a part of this process, and besides, opinions are like assholes - everyone's got one, and everyone thinks that theirs is important. I guess the answer to your question is "I don't think of Confused Matthew's animated reviews". Neither should you if they bother you so much, or you're just playing into his hands.

 

[A random person]

I've heard of him before, the general consensus on him is that he should stay away from animated films.

Also, what BonsaiK said.

 

[MegaManOfNumbers]

He's abviously Bandit Keith in disquise. hates Japan? hates animated movies? hates generally everything that's cultural? loves attention? he sounds rather American.

 

[hem dazon 90]

He doesn't agree with you thus he is an ass?

Faulty logic right there bud.

He's abviously Bandit Keith in disquise. hates Japan? hates generally everything that's cultural?

I fail to see how anime is cultural.

 

[Jeff Gibson]

Um, did he actually Watch any of these movies? T.T

Doesn't really look that way.

 

[FalloutJack]

All critics (including Yahtzee) are to be taken with a grain of salt. Taking them too seriously never ends well. Because if said reviewer is believed and is - in fact - damning a work of art, he's most likely committed a sin against nature, even if everyone believes he's right. Critics are there because other people are lazy and don't want to take a risk. But then, in turn, some critics are also lazy and don't want to take a risk, and so you get people who find movies/games/books that regular people enjoyed alot being written as crap. This is like what happened with Firefly. Great fan following, screwed by Fox, but doubtlessly considered good by many people. What does this prove? Some people (like network executives) are kinda' slow. This guy? If he's taking stuff that's already accepted as good and labeling it bad, then he's not just an ass. He's a dumbass.

 

[omega 616]

Theres a guy like that on a website I go on, except he does it with games and has a much slightly higher intelligence ... and makes alot of knob jokes.

Basically, I am saying this guy is trying to be the movie equivalent of Mr. Croshaw and by the sounds of it, failing badly.

 

[RDubayoo]

Apparently he got some flak for doing a review of 2001: A Space Odyssey that was less than charitable. Well. Let's face it. That movie really is boring. As Matthew himself explained, long shots of ships floating in space, landscape shots, no discernible plot--that does not make a compelling movie. Sorry, it just doesn't. He's absolutely right about that movie and he's one of the few people who has the guts to come out and honestly criticize a movie which, let's be honest, gets by nowadays based on its iconic imagery, nostalgia, and a rabid fanbase. In other words, it's the sort of movie people point to as a classic and make references to, but which no one actually watches.

However, I thought his negative Iron Man 2 review was so off the mark that it was ridiculous. He claimed that "nothing happened" during the movie when even a five-year-old could have spotted all kinds of life-altering things happening to the characters in that movie. But hey, whatever. I'm not going to hate him for it. It's just a difference of opinion.

In short, you might not like his opinions, but this does not make him wrong, does not invalidate his opinions, nor does it make him a troll.