Red Letter Media/Mr. Plinkett Reviews Star Wars: The Force Awakens

[Joel_Kirk]

While I was looking forward to this review, I was a bit disappointed. Yeah, there is some crude humor (warning: it gets pretty crude/silly at the end) I felt that he - Mike S. as 'Plinkett' - didn't really get too deep on why The Force Awakens didn't work or why it did work; it was a kitbash on what he's said with the prequels with a few new things added. He already did a review previously (as an exaggerated version of himself and his co-star Jay) and they pretty much gave it a positive review, something that wasn't given to the prequels or Indy 4 - all of which were decimated in long Plinkett reviews.

Basically, I wanted more from this particular review.

(Note: There is a nod to Star Trek, as Mike seems to be a Trek fan as well, and he makes a reference to the supposed 'first interracial kiss on television' which bugs me. I thought he would be a little more thorough in his research since I thought he would know there were interracial kisses before that Nichols/Shatner kiss).

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

​

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Yes, the "humor" is as crude as always, and while you know what you're getting into when watching Red Letter Media reviews, he's too into pushing that schick that (in part) put him on the map. You are correct--he says little about TFA, but I do credit him for challenging the "diversity" angle of TFA's producers--suggesting they were trying to appeal to other types of viewers but had a problem with Finn and Rey being a true romantic couple.

More than a few SW fans wondered about that, since the characters had so much chemistry, including the kind that can lead to romance.

 

[Reverend]

Anyone looking for a quasi comedic review of TFA with a little more depth and fewer kidnapping and molestation gags AND a run time that's not almost as long as the movie itself, I'd recommend checking out Movies with Mikey.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

RLM's shtick got old for me really quickly.

 

[Saul]

Was hoping he'd spend more time on episode 7 itself. It's more of a commentary of the way the winds have shifted not just with Star Wars but with the movie business in general. Didn't think he needed to sink to the level of taking on Star Wars apologists either and spend so much time deconstructing them when what he has already said about the prequels is just as valid. But creds to him for going through it all in agonizing detail as usual.

 

[LJones41]

Didn't think he needed to sink to the level of taking on Star Wars apologists either and spend so much time deconstructing them when what he has already said about the prequels is just as valid.

His views on the Prequel movies aren't valid. No one's opinions are valid. It's one thing to say that you agree with his views. It's another to claim that his views are "valid".

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

His views on the Prequel movies aren't valid. No one's opinions are valid. It's one thing to say that you agree with his views. It's another to claim that his views are "valid".

Valid is defined as:

(of an argument or point) having a sound basis in logic or fact; reasonable or cogent.

After mind-wiping the crude crap away from RLM, the actual arguments about the prequels are history and fact based, and often inarguable, unless one is inclined to defend the prequels no matter what is said. Of note are his factually correct analysis of how Lucas repeatedly mirrored OT scenes, even costumes--only to mine the feelings from those original films (in other words, his "it's like a poem, it rhymes" was not the motivator), and the abuse of the lightsaber all to please the worst of the extreme end of Star Wars fandom's desires.

 

[ihno]

Yeah, I think they were pushed to make this Plinkett-review, the comment sections were full of demands. But they liked the new Star Wars movie so you had to be disappointed if you expected something like the Prequel-reviews again.

Someone suggested they should make a Plinkett-review of the DC-movies instead.

 

[Set Harth]

the actual arguments about the prequels are history and fact based, and often inarguable

Hardly. When you take away all of the outright factual inaccuracies ( "the Queen's ship didn't get hit" ring a bell? ), the backhanded promotion of popular internet revisionism, and the nonsensical argumentation ( much of which heedlessly ignores core tenets of the saga ), there is relatively little of substance which remains.

RLM is a good example of what Colbert called "truthiness". It may not necessarily be accurate, but it feels right - mainly because the intended audience are already fanatical True Believers. ( There's a painfully obvious parallel in the political realm, but I'll save that stuff for the political threads and leave the specifics as an exercise for the reader. )

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Hardly. When you take away all of the outright factual inaccuracies ( "the Queen's ship didn't get hit" ring a bell? ), the backhanded promotion of popular internet revisionism, and the nonsensical argumentation ( much of which heedlessly ignores core tenets of the saga ), there is relatively little of substance which remains.

RLM is a good example of what Colbert called "truthiness". It may not necessarily be accurate, but it feels right - mainly because the intended audience are already fanatical True Believers. ( There's a painfully obvious parallel in the political realm, but I'll save that stuff for the political threads and leave the specifics as an exercise for the reader. )

I provided two examples of the accurate analysis:

Of note are his factually correct analysis of how Lucas repeatedly mirrored OT scenes, even costumes--only to mine the feelings from those original films (in other words, his "it's like a poem, it rhymes" was not the motivator), and the abuse of the lightsaber all to please the worst of the extreme end of Star Wars fandom's desires.

RLM was hardly the first to recognize that; its all too apparent in the prequels, and well covered as each film was released--long before RLM's reviews.

The prequels are not even a generation old and have been tossed in the dustbin of irrelevancy.

 

[M.A.C.O.]

Was hoping he'd spend more time on episode 7 itself. It's more of a commentary of the way the winds have shifted not just with Star Wars but with the movie business in general.

It's funny, because in the Prequel reviews he flamed them for being assembly line cash grabs by Lucas. Now that Disney owns the property and really is turning Star Wars into assembly line cash grab, with a film a year and as many spin offs and tv shows as they can get away with. I think Mike is having more than a few seconds thoughts.

 

[fireproof78]

I provided two examples of the accurate analysis:



RLM was hardly the first to recognize that; its all too apparent in the prequels, and well covered as each film was released--long before RLM's reviews.

The prequels are not even a generation old and have been tossed in the dustbin of irrelevancy.

I would not quite say that they have tossed the PT in to irrelevancy. Many of the groundbreaking technologies that are taken for granted by today's filmmakers (or vilified if your Christopher Nolan). It's kind of like the epic fantasy movies, like Lord of the Rings, that are out now. When LOTR was made, they had nothing to point to as a reference point.

As much criticism as I will level at the PT and have heard of the years, the point still remains that GL broke some ground with the technology. The films themselves may be dustbinned, but not tech.

 

[TommyR01D]

The viewers were waiting a long time for this (I think the previous review was in 2013) but it didn't really live up to Plinkett's earlier standards. He spent far too much time going over Ring Theory and only got to the actual review about halfway through the video.

I wonder if they'll get around to a Plinkett review of the Twilight films (or anything, really) as was hinted some years back.

It can't be any more effort than making Half in the Bag or any of their other programs, and it's obviously the thing their fans crave the most.

 

[Set Harth]

RLM was hardly the first to recognize that; its all too apparent in the prequels, and well covered as each film was released--long before RLM's reviews.

Exactly. RLM gets credit for "revealing" such things, which are "all too apparent". RLM could release a video stating 2 + 2 = 4 and it would undoubtedly be lauded for its staggering insight.

He spent far too much time going over Ring Theory

Well, that shows he can at least read a web page. Spectacular!