My Top 11 Favorite Looney Tunes Cartoons

There are very few characters out there that can make the world laugh like they can. For decades, they've delighted audiences everywhere with their ridiculous antics, insane rivalries, and wacky adventures. They are the Looney Tunes.

I watch the 30 minutes of classic "Looney Tunes" on Cartoon Network on every morning. I love that they are uncut and presented in their best quality. Though at the same time, I'm a bit disturbed that so many references to suicide are included. In one cartoon, after Pepe Le Pew has been rejected so many times, he pulls out a gun, walks off screen and pulls the trigger! I was like, "WHAAT?!" Of course, he was fine, but that's an incredibly dark moment in that character's psyche. Even still, it just goes to show you that back then, cartoons weren't made to just make kids laugh. They were made to make EVERYBODY laugh. 

So today, I've decided to talk about my top 11 favorite Looney Tunes cartoons. Why Top 11? "Because I like to go one step beyond."

11. Wabbit Twouble (1941)
Directed by Robert Clampett ("Wobert Cwampett")



Elmer decides to leave behind the woes of the city and seek a "westful wetreat [with] west and wewaxation" at Jellostone National Park (predating Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park by about 20 years). However, after he arrives at his campsite, he realizes he's not alone as Bugs is there and prepared to give him as much trouble as he can stand. In the middle of a trick, Bugs confesses to the audience, "I do this sort of thing to him all through the picture". You might notice that Elmer is fat here, whereas in other appearances he is thin. This was because the WB animators believed that a fatter Elmer (mirroring his voice actor Arthur Q. Bryan and his physique) would be funnier. After a few cartoons, they decided it would be better to slim him down. Personally, I think his added makes you feel bad for Elmer, considering here he's not portrayed as a hunter. He's plenty dumb, but sometimes too much is too much; keeping him slim in his hunting outfit and giving him a gun keeps him lovable but not pitiful. 

10. My Favorite Duck
Directed by Chuck Jones


This was the first time (and thank goodness, not the last) that Daffy and Porky were put together. Porky's out on a camping trip where he encounters the incessant Daffy, who (like Bugs to Elmer from #11) proceeds to give him a hard time. One of the main differences between Clampett and Jones as directors is that Clampett would go for the easy joke; not that they're bad, mind you. Jones adds little acting touches in the animation that makes the situation even funnier without either character having to say a word. Examples including Daffy eyeballing Porky, Porky realizing he's been had by Daffy after drying off with a towel, Daffy fashioning Porky with a bonnet and that great shot of Daffy realizing he's in trouble while Porky grins evilly. Something that bothers me though: giving Porky a shotgun. Maybe it's just me.

9. The Wabbit Who Came to Supper (1942)
Directed by Friz Freleng


We've come back again to Bugs and Fat Elmer. In the midst of a hunting trip, Elmer (suspiciously without his hunting gear; who goes hunting in a bowler hat and a tie?) receives a telegram from his dying Uncle Louie. As long as Elmer never harms another animals "especiawwy wabbits", he will inherit $3 million. This prompts Bugs to follow Elmer home and irritate him as much as possible. This cartoon is notorious for a brief shot of Bugs exiting a shower and a slight droop of a towel reveals Bugs' "doodle". Warner Bros. has tried to suggest that's not what people think it is, it's just a brief look at the tub from between Bugs' legs. Nope, it's a "doodle". A surprising shot at Disney is Bugs commenting, "Hey, this scene oughta get me the Academy Award" while "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" plays briefly in the background. In fact, Fantasia did end up taking two honorary Academy Awards. Disney never made fun of the "Looney Tunes", but that's what makes WB's cartoons so irreverent.

9. A Pest in the House (1947)
Directed by Chuck Jones


One of the great unsung duos in the Looney Tunes' history is that of Elmer and Daffy. They balance each other so well with Daffy's inherent madcap nature and Elmer's more cautious and reluctant behavior. A few cartoons did take advantage of this from the silly To Duck or Not To Duck ("Daffy 'Good to His Mother' Duck") and the slightly racist Wise Quackers ("Yessir, Massah Elmer"). Elmer is the proprietor of a hotel and Daffy is his loyal bellboy ("bellduck"?). In walks a very tired muscular man who demands peace and quiet, "BECAUSE IF I'M DISTURBED AT ANY TIME, I'M GONNA PUNCH YOU RIGHT IN THE NOSE!". Daffy doesn't get the message and causes untold audio damage. My favorite moment is when Daffy has heard a funny joke and is laughing so hard when he tries to describe it to the poor guy. "HE ASKED THE FARMER -- HAHA -- HE ASKED THE FARMER!" Every time I see that, I get a smile on my face.

8. Operation: Rabbit (1952)
Directed by Chuck Jones


Wait a second! Wile E. Coyote can talk?! Yes, indeed, Mel Blanc did provide the voice for the famous coyote in a few cartoons; Blanc used a slightly more "know-it-all" lilt to his own voice. It's quite a shock for those who have only seen the numerous Road Runner cartoons. Bugs meets his new neighbor, Wile E. Coyote, "genius". The Coyote proclaims he is going to eat Bugs for supper, on account that he is faster and larger than Bugs is. Of course he learns, when facing an opponent as cunning as Bugs Bunny, one often has to go back to the drawing board. Two of my personal favorite line deliveries in any "Looney Tunes" cartoons are Wile E. desperately exclaiming, "Oh no..." as he realizes he's about to be caught in an explosion and his final line, "Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Mud". It's a testament to the "sheer, unadulterated brilliance" of a master vocal performer as Mel Blanc.

7. Daffy Dilly (1948)
Directed by Chuck Jones


I first saw this cartoon as part of the '80s "Looney Tunes" anthology film, Daffy Duck's Quackbusters (which completely fails to capture the possibilities of the Looney Tunes characters with Ghostbusters references). It's this cartoon that launches Daffy into his paranormal investigations agency featured in the film. Daffy, here a down-on-his-luck prank salesman ("salesduck"?), hears about J.B. Cubish, a local millionaire who is offering $1 million to anyone who can make him laugh before he dies. Willing to give it a try (by using Sylvester's catchphrase "Sufferin' Succotash"; Daffy's voice is actually Sylvester's, but simply sped-up), Daffy goes over to Cubish's place where he encounters a stubborn butler willing to kill Daffy rather than let him get the $1 million. Daffy eventually decides to scare the butler away by accusing him of wanting his master dead. Fearing for his life, the butler flees. It's a classic Daffy cartoon that doesn't always get the appreciation I think it should.

6. Hare Brush (1955)
Directed by Friz Freleng


After countless Bugs vs. Elmer cartoons, you could imagine that the WB animators were desperately seeking a way to find to keep the characters fresh. In this cartoon, they did the last thing anybody suspected: completely reverse the roles between Elmer and Bugs. During a board meeting, millionaire Elmer bounds in on all fours and chomps on a carrot like a rabbit. Elmer is immediately thrown into an insane asylum. As Bugs is wondering by, Elmer is able to trick him into taking his place in the asylum. As Elmer hops away, Bugs is taken away by a doctor who, mistaking him for Elmer, hypnotizes him into believing he is Elmer. Suprisingly, it works and Bugs begins to behave like Elmer. Once he is released, Bugs goes hunting in Elmer's clothes and finds Elmer dressed like a rabbit. The usual shenanigans ensue, just from different perspectives. Something intriguing to note is that in the beginning of the short: Elmer clearly pronounces the word "rabbit" rather than his usual "wabbit". Elmer drops a huge hint that he might not actually be crazy at the end of the cartoon. It's really refreshing and a bit strange to see the role-reversal here, but it's really well-done.

5. The Old Grey Hare (1944)
Directed by Robert Clampett


There are a few "Looney Tunes" cartoons that try to explain the origins of the conflict between Bugs and Elmer, but this is the one that I accept for myself. Elmer is shown crying to himself about how he'll never be able to catch Bugs. Suddenly, "the voice of God" (I question this; not that I don't believe in God - I do - but I don't think the Almighty would use time travel to help a hunter kill a talking rabbit, but that's just me) tells Elmer that he will eventually catch Bugs. The voice takes him far into the future -- 2000 A.D. ("GWACIOUS!") -- and Elmer wakes up as an old man. After making a few jokes that made sense then and are pretty dated by now, Bugs shows up, just as elderly as Elmer. A short chase ensues, with Elmer finally "shooting" Bugs with his Buck Rogers gun. As he lies "dying", Bugs remembers the first time he and Elmer met as babies. I love the scene where Baby Bugs pulls over Baby Elmer in his stroller and then proceeds to slap the $#*! out of him and hit him with a baseball bat. It never fails to make me smile. This cartoon just goes to show no matter what time period they're in, the great Bugs vs. Elmer rivalry will never go away.

4. Blooper Bunny (1997)
Directed by Greg Ford and Terry Lennon


I truly think this was the last great "Looney Tunes" cartoon. Unfortunately, Mel Blanc had passed by this time, but another great voice actor - Jeff Bergman - took up the characters for this long-delayed cartoon. Originally, this was supposed to be released theatrically in 1991, but because Warner Bros. objected to a few of the self-parody jokes ("Warner Bros. doesn't have an original bone in its-"!), the film was shelved until it premiered on Cartoon Network in 1997. Warner Bros. has since changed their view of the cartoon, fully embracing it. The short starts with a wacky celebration of the career of Bugs Bunny's career and then reveals the countless hilarious botched rehearsal that it took to create it. I love its edginess, the jokes never fail and the 3D scenery is very cool to see.

3. Rabbit Fire
Directed by Chuck Jones


This is the pinnacle Bugs vs. Daffy episode. One of the greatest cartoons ever created. "Rabbit season, duck season" is a highlight among all other "Looney Tunes" cartoons. Not much more that I can say about it that hasn't already been said.


2. Duck Amuck
Directed by Chuck Jones


I'll just put Chuck Jones' words here: "Who is Daffy Duck anyway? Would you recognize him if I did this to him? What if he didn't live in the woods? Didn't live anywhere? What if he had no voice? No face? What if he wasn't even a duck anymore?" It's the best Daffy Duck cartoon ever made.

1. Show Biz Bugs
Directed by Friz Freleng


This is like 5 different cartoons put into one. They even borrow the Yosemite Sam xylophone gag from "Ballot Box Bunny". Daffy is constantly being upstaged by Bugs at a stage show, and is willing to do anything to keep himself first-billed; even kill himself! I know most prefer Duck Amuck, but I wanted my list to have a different #1 and so I chose this. "That's terrific, Daffy! They loved it! They want more!" "I know, I know! But I can only do it once!"


So, that's my Top 11 Favorite Looney Tunes Cartoons. I hope you had a lot of fun reading this and watching these cartoons again. If you have your own favorites, be sure and leave them in the comments below. Only one way to end this!





Note: Today would have been Chuck Jones' 100th birthday.

KATY PERRY: PART OF ME: Not Like the Movies

Note: I actually saw this film on July 3rd, the night before the film came out. By the time I was able to reach a viable Wi-Fi connection, too much time had gone by to post the review. So I decided to wait until the Blu-Ray was released, which is today. Give it a watch! Thanks - Zack

A few nights ago, I had the pleasure of attending a screening of Katy Perry: Part of Me 3D. The screening was hosted by one of the film’s executive producers, Craig Brewer (director of Footloose). After the last-minute delay of G.I. Joe: Retaliation, this film became Paramount’s only major release of the summer and they wanted to send it off right by hosting sneak preview screenings all over the country, some attended by Katy Perry herself.

After pre-show live entertainment by a local artist, Craig Brewer introduced the film and said how proud he was of it and how he learned so much about Katy Perry. He concluded by asking the younger viewers of the audience to help the adults sing the Katy Perry songs, but told the adults there would be something special for them at the beginning of the film that they should help the younger viewers sing. As promised, before the film began, a Paramount vault appeared on screen and behind it was a digitally-remastered scene from Randal Kleiser’s Grease: the ever-popular “You’re the One That I Want” number, featuring 3D sing-a-long lyrics. I don’t consider myself a Grease fanatic, but even I have to admit I had never seen or heard the film better.

The movie centers around Katy Perry’s “California Dreams” 2011 tour which spent nearly a year going through the United States and around the world. While the film only features the musical numbers of the concerts, I did some reading and found out that there was a whole multimedia presentation which gave a fantasy world narrative to each concert ala Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland. Seeing that, given the 3D aspect, would have been stunning. Yet, I can see from the way the film tries to tell the real story of Katy Perry, adding in the fantasy element would have been somewhat jarring.

The film goes into the history of Katy back when she was still Katy Hudson, Pentecostal Christian gospel singer. While living with her minister parents came restrictions from not being able to eat Lucky Charms cereal and the only mainstream movie she could watch was Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (oddly enough, the original Sister Act was not considered recommend viewing). When she came of age, she moved to LA where she spent her time being the wild child that she hadn’t been before. Inspired by Alanis Morissette, Perry spent time writing angry, edgy songs. Realizing she wasn’t being true to herself, she decided to abandon the dark nature of her earlier work and embrace the fun, pop songs we all know today. You delight in seeing the absolute joy as she hears “I Kissed a Girl” on the radio for the first time.

If there’s one thing I took away from this movie is that Katy Perry is the hardest working woman in music today. She seriously goes out and gives it her all in front of hundreds of people. This is why it is so tragic when her husband, Russell Brand, effectively ended their marriage. You can tell Perry is clearly devastated and yet people are still filing in for a concert. How on Earth could you ask ANYONE to go out and perform in front of hundreds of thousands of people when their most cherished loved one no longer loves them? She manages to pull herself together enough to go out and perform. However, you can see this sadness in her eyes when she helps her sister pick out a wedding dress. Undoubtedly, people will come away with a respect for Miss Perry.

Katy Perry: Part of Me 3D was spectacular. The behind-the-scenes looks at the tour, the look back into Katy’s early career and managing to take a concert tour and find a narrative inside. I have to give a hand to the filmmakers for spending months of going through nearly a year’s worth of footage. That can’t be an easy job for anyone. The end result is a sweet, colorful, fun film led by a beautiful, talented and hard-working songstress.



P.S. My favorite Katy Perry song is “Hot N Cold”. Yes.

A Tribute to the Nostalgia Critic

Note: Some of the videos included here might feature foul language. However, the Critic is a pretty uncensorable personality, and I wouldn't want to, especially for first-time viewers. Enjoy! - Zack

He remembered it so we don't have to. We all grew up with bad movies. Some we all know, some we've never seen. Yet he still braved them all, often descending into madness or furious anger. He was the Nostalgia Critic.

In 2007, Doug Walker posted an energetic review of Michael Bay's Transformers. Out of that video came a new character: the Nostalgia Critic. From there, he began producing videos that examined films and TV shows from the early '80s to the early '00s. After YouTube kept pulling down his videos, Walker started his own website titled "That Guy With The Glasses". Other Internet critics - such as the comic-book reading Linkara; the anime-loving JesuOtaku; and the female movie-targeted Nostalgia Chick - soon joined him.

Often, the Critic would be driven to yelling and screaming about something horrible he had just seen. Most notably, his vitriolic reaction to the "Bat Credit Card" in Batman & Robin soon became a running joke throughout his episodes. At conventions, whenever a fan would purposely drop the "Bat Credit Card" line, Walker would scream, jump off the stage and chase after them. All in fun, of course. He would often be vilified by his most obnoxious Internet troll, Douchey McNitpick (also played by Walker), who would bring the Critic to task about mistakes made in his videos.

Then came his yearly specials celebrating the anniversary of the creation of the site. These were mini-movies featuring most of the critics featured on TGWTG.com. It started with 2009's TGWTG Team Brawl, a mindless "Peter vs. the Chicken"-style fight between the Critics of TGWTG and the Angry Video Game Nerd and his crew; 2010's Kickassia, where the Critics took over a small country and 2011's Suburban Knights, where the Critic lead the TGWTG gang on a fantastical journey to find an ancient device that, in the wrong hands, could wreak havoc.

Then came 2012's To Boldly Flee. This was a take on the sci-fi movies we all love. Among the referenced movies were Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Flight of the Navigator and the Star Wars films. A week before the first video was posted, the Nostalgia Critic released an interesting review of the 2002 live-action Scooby-Doo film. He seemed so destitute and flat-out angry that it actually took him five minutes to start the actual review and he was even joined with his past and future selves. This was something far beyond him just hating a bad movie.

"Is this really life? No! This isn't life! This isn't anything even representing life! But it's life for me! It's pretty pathetic, but it's all I got! I know what you're saying, 'Oh, well, that's pretty sad.' Well, yeah, it is fucking sad! I don't get to go out and hang with friends, I don't even have any friends! I have nobody to contribute anything to, I have nobody to talk to, or bounce things off of, or say, 'Hey, what'd ya think of that?' 'Well, I'll tell ya what I think of that'. No, it's just me. Bitching and moaning like I always do."

The video ended with a nod to the final episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation". We didn't think much at it at the time. We assume everything would be back to normal after To Boldly Flee. Right? He'd always be back. In the final part of To Boldly Flee, the Critic finds himself in our world and meets his creator, Doug Walker. Walker tells him that he's "...literally leapt off the page and taken on a life of [his] own. It became less of me writing [him] what to do and [him] telling me what to write". In the end, the Critic sacrifices himself to save not only his fellow critics but also his reality. Walker announced in a video released the next day that the weekly "Nostalgia Critic" show was finished. He hinted that the character was not dead and would return in one form or another someday.

Of course, I was heartbroken when I heard this. The Nostalgia Critic was something I looked forward to weekly, even if I hadn't seen the movie he was reviewing. The movies that he did get me to watch after seeing his reviews include Howard the Duck (alright, it was Hunter Duesing that finally got me to watch it), Godzilla, Last Action Hero, Suburban Commando ("I WAS FROZEN TODAY!"), The Room, The Thief and the Cobbler and Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. In honor of his memory, today I'm gonna run down my Top 11 Favorite Reviews of his. Why Top 11? "Because I like to go one step beyond."

11. Super Mario Bros.


This was a 1993 live-action feature film that had practically nothing to do with the video game it was named after. And boy, did the Critic not let us forget it! He memorably misinterprets the true nature of the Mario brothers. He discusses the "implosion" of Dennis Hopper's career (which, technically, isn't true considering Hopper was still acting up to the point of his death). But it's true that Hopper is clearly not giving any kind of good performance. It is highly disappointing that this film failed at the box office. Nintendo has characters that could so easily work in movies; preferably in animation. Hopefully, Wreck-It Ralph will be Nintendo's wake-up call to join into making animated movies. It's shocking to see the Critic so calm here compared to his later videos (up until the "Mario Mario" sequence).

Favorite line: "Well, for starters, the graphics in the game are actually better than the graphics in the opening; that's strike one. Koopa as a human being instead of a dragon; that's strike two. And two Italian plumbers are played by a British man and a Latino. And that's strike three... Five minutes into this movie and it already has three strikes against it!"

10. Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue


If all your favorite cartoon characters got together, what would you imagine they'd take about? Odds are, whatever you may answer won't be what they do talk about: drugs. We're a long way away from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The Critic delves into this 1990 half-hour PSA against drugs with great relish... until he finds out what they're really there for. He notes at how the special itself is almost like the product of a drug-fevered dream. He does admire the puff of smoke voiced by George C. Scott. This also marks the first time that the Critic has attempted suicide, to no avail. Note: the Critic's trademark tie has yet to be added to his attire.

Favorite line: "Why does Bugs Bunny know what a joint is? Bugs Bunny shouldn't know what a joint is! If Bugs Bunny knows what a joint is, that means he knows what drugs are! If Bugs Bunny knows what drugs are, that means the rest of the Looney Tunes know what drugs are! If the rest of the Looney Tunes know what drugs are, then that explains too... much!"

Honorable mention: "Corey thinks about telling her father, but he's too busy being an alcoholic. And gay. And the Brawny man."

9. Judge Dredd


In the weeks before the highly-anticipated Dredd reboot, we mustn't forget why it exists in the first place: because the first shot from 1995 was chock-full of problems. This is one of the rare movies that the Critic just has fun making jokes about rather than getting upset with. Sylvester Stallone and Rob Schneider may be the most implausible hero/comic relief in cinema history. I gotta say though, I love that gun that Dredd uses that can essentially do anything (which the Critic gleefully exploits). He points out the decent production design that hardly gets used in the film. It's good to see the Critic NOT hate a film once in a while. Even though Dredd might turn out to be an infinitely better movie than Judge Dredd, it's not worth passing by without seeing at least once.

Favorite line: "(as Dredd) 'I smell desperate comedy.'"

8. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace


This was the first crossover with Linkara, another critic on the site TGWTG.com. He and the Critic have a great banter together, and they're gonna need it to review the absolute worst Superman movie from 1987. Personally, I feel the only two good things worth watching the movie for are the performances of Christopher Reeve and Gene Hackman. Though they're in a terrible movie, it's just good to see them together again. If the annoying Jon Cryer could shut up for a few minutes in the background. I think Reeve misinterpreted what Superman CAN do and not what he SHOULD do. Superman SHOULDN'T be trying to do what only humans should do: rid the world of nuclear weapons (or not). I like the "International Politics" game show they have in the middle of the review. This is probably my favorite crossover that the Critic ever did (and they would later rejoin again to talk about Star Trek Insurrection).

Favorite line: "(as Clark Kent) 'I'd just like to kill you now, Lois.'"

7. Santa Claus: The Movie


From the producers of the Superman films, the origin story of Santa Claus. Featuring the Big Lebowski as Father Christmas, Arthur Bach as his Head Elf and Reverend Shaw Moore as Dr. Evil. It may be bad, but it's real interesting. This 1985 movie has a tad of a depressing opening, but soon it moves out into modern times where we meet our scenery-gnawing villain, B.Z. (John Lithgow). Acting just doesn't describe it. He simply went mad on set and they were fortunate enough to use it within the context of their narrative. It's certainly no an unorthodox movie, but Lithgow's evil laugh kills me every time. I can not watch him with a straight face. The Critic does a fine job of pointing out what's wrong with the film, but also pointing out the dramatic moments he likes.

Favorite line: "'(as Santa) Alaka-child abduction!'"

Honorable mention: "But Lithgow heard that incredibly forced sneeze..."

6. Blank Check


This is one of the movies I did watch growing up, when it was released in 1994. Back then, I didn't know it was a Disney ripoff of Home Alone, and now I can't watch the movie without that in the back of my mind. The Critic points the horribly douchey father (James Rebhorn) of Preston Waters. He also seems to have trouble controlling... himself... whenever Shay (Karen Duffy) is onscreen. The Critic bravely explains why he makes the first posthumous Michael Jackson joke. While I can still enjoy the movie, the Critic makes a few good observations under the guise of teaching a class on how to make a bad, studio-pleasing movie.

Favorite line: "Did the film score just gasp?"

5. The Thief and the Cobbler


The Critic is less angry about this film in particular and more angry about the the great animator, Richard Williams (most famous for his work on Who Framed Roger Rabbit) who was essentially thrown off the very project he was in charge of. He reviews the most-hated version of the film, the 1993 edition altered by Miramax Pictures and which involves the voices of Matthew Broderick and Jonathan Winters. The Critic even gets posthumous phone calls from the voice of the villain of the film, the great Vincent Price (actually voiced by Doug's brother, Rob). Price proves to be a bit of a jerk, toying with the Critic's mind. While I can agree that Broderick's performance is a tad bland, I actually can enjoy Winters' pop culture referencing Thief. The Critic despises this version of the film, but points viewers to the fan-made "Recobbled Cut" which they believe is closer to Williams' version than what we eventually got.

Favorite line: "('Vincent Price') 'One, two, skip a few, fifty!' (BOOM) 'Oh, I love it when I'm nasty.'"

4. The Top 11 F-Ups Trilogy


Alright, I'm aware this is a tad of a cheat, but the Critic has done it himself every once in a while. These are the episodes of the series where Douchey McNitpick (Walker himself) confronts the Critic and his numerous mistakes featured in his videos. Among them are "The secret passageway in Bebe's Kids isn't impossible", "How DARE you make fun of Mako", "That wasn't a Victorian dress in Superman IV", "9+9+9=27", "Don't review the movie if you haven't seen the show", "Soran couldn't fly into the Nexus" and "Let's Play Bart's Nightmare". I'm glad Doug was able to jokingly acknowledge his detractors in a non-offensive way and have some fun in the process.

Favorite line: "Yeah, this is about as embarrassing as it gets. Even simple first-grade math seems to slip my radar sometimes."
3. Good Burger


I can't be too judgmental about this movie, considering its writer actually comes from Memphis, TN (my birthplace). Still, out of all the Nickelodeon shows to get a movie, why a 5-minute sketch from "All That"? Who knows? Anyhow, the Critic despises this film by taking apart the dull main character, Ed (Kel Mitchell) and his unlikely friend Dexter (Kenan Thompson), wondering why Godfather actor Abe Vigoda is in the film and the ridiculous dictatorial nature of the rival burger store manager, Kurt (Jan Schweiterman). Is it bad? Sure, but as a kid raised on '90s Nickelodeon, it's always good to see Kenan & Kel together.

Favorite line: "But how's a frail old man like Abe Vigoda gonna get out of there -- (Vigoda jumps out a window) And that's the last we ever saw of him. (THUMP) (as Vigoda) 'It's ok, I landed on the fat kid!'"

2. Godzilla


What happened to the Critic's beard? In another review, the Critic explains that he lost a bet regarding the 2008 Presidential election with Ask That Guy and Chester A. Bum (both characters played by Walker). In reality, Walker had played the Joker for Halloween and necessity involved a razor. Here, he discusses how the 1998 Roland Emmerich film which placed the world's most well-known movie monster in a new setting. How well could a German director tackle an American feature featuring a Japanese monster? Answer: not well enough. I must admit, the more times I see this movie, I actually don't mind it. Yeah, I know, blasphemy. I just like its mindless action scenes. As a Godzilla movie, yeah it's pretty bad. But so much around it is terribly enjoyable. The Critic does defend his favorite critics, Siskel and Ebert, as they unfairly spoofed within the movie as a sleazy mayor and his dirtbag yes-man. One of the great running gags of the series involved Matthew Broderick saying the line, "That's a lot of fish." The Critic ends by warning viewers not to watch Emmerich's then-current 2012. 

Favorite line: "Okay, wait a minute. Nancy Cartwright, Harry Shearer, Hank Azaria -- Is this just a 'Simpsons' reunion?"

1. The Commercials Trilogy


Alright, alright, I know. This is a huge cheat. But it's my list, go make your own! I love seeing these old commercials (even if I only grew up with a few of them). The first part follows-up on the depression the Critic faced after getting a phone call from the "director" of My Pet Monster and re-examines his life by watching nostalgic commercials; the other two parts are just a return to form. Notable commercials include "Crossfire", "Connect 4", "Transformers", "Hi-C Ecto Cooler", different "Fruity Pebbles", "NERF Arrow Storm" and the "Wunder Boner".

Favorite line: "(regarding the laughable Giggles commercial) Turn the gas off! Turn the gas off!"

Well, that was my Top 11 Favorite Nostalgia Critic Reviews! I hope you enjoyed them and feel free to leave your favorites in the comments below. In conclusion, I again say that I am heartbroken that the Nostalgia Critic is no more, but he left us with a great list of episodes we can look back on. For what is it to critique something nostalgic? That in itself means different things to different people. And perhaps that's why he endured for so long. Doug, if you're reading this, thanks so much for your time and effort and I can't wait to see what you do next.