Release: May 28, 2013
Film: A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001)
Tagline: That ending, that damn... DAMN ending!
This review contains examples of:
- Aesop Amnesia: Subverted, surprisingly, by the Critic, who chooses to commit to memory the fact that A.I. is less meant to be a blockbuster than a tribute to a friend. Played straight, unsurprisingly, by the TMZ staff he was forced to work with, who learn nothing from the Critic's rants about how they have no right to pry into other people's business.
- All There in the Manual: The Critic starts the final act by saying that aliens have arrived, before correcting himself and saying they are actually advanced mecha. This is something you would know only by reading the script.
- Awesomeness by Analysis: The Critic gives a very in-depth look at the differences between Kubrick and Spielberg, saying that the two were as far on the opposite ends of the directing spectrum as you could get.
- Call-Back: Spielberg's spotlight fetish makes a return.
- Faux Affably Evil: The TMZ reporters are depicted as thoroughly horrible people with relentlessly cheerful attitudes.
- Misblamed: Spielberg for the ending. See Wham Line below.
- Moral Myopia: The TMZ reporters make a living off of misrepresenting, dehumanizing and humiliating celebrities and gleefully revel in it too, but are suddenly outraged and disgusted when someone does the same to them. Lampshaded by the Critic fairly early on."Yeah, well, it was very kind of your people to get in contact with our people, and let us know that you didn't like the way we represented you. It's good to know that an industry that mocks so many has such a thick non-hypocritical skin themselves."
- Jerkass Realization: At the end of his review the Critic discovers that all this time the film's infamous ending was Stanley Kubrick's idea. He comes around and realizes that the movie was meant to be Kubrick's attempt to emulate Steven Spielberg, and as messy as it turned out to be, the Critic nevertheless compliments Spielberg for doing his best to bring his friend's ideas to life long after his death, both as a posthumous obligation and a heartfelt tribute.
- Real Life Writes the Plot: The quote mentioned above? Yeah, that was only partly a joke. The people at TMZ really did contact the people at Channel Awesome to say that they didn't like the Critic's rant bashing them and everyone who watches them in his Top 11 South Park Episodes list. He decided to write them into the episode as part of the "it's not easy representing someone or their work fairly" message.
- Shout-Out: The Critic refers to David's potential death at the Flesh Fair as being sent to "Silicon Heaven".
- Subverted Catchphrase: “I’m the Nostalgia Critic, I remember it... and don’t you forget!”
- Take That!: The Critic is forced to work for TMZ.
- One of the celebrities they decline to report on is Linkara.
- The scene of David laughing for no reason is edited to have David laugh at much anything... except for Tracy Morgan.
Critic: (about David) Ooh, he's a keeper! - This Is Gonna Suck: The Critic prepares for the final act by downing an Advil.
- Villainous BSoD: One of the TMZ reporters has a hilarious one when the Critic exposes the fact that she had sex with a goat.
- Wham Line: When the Critic pulls up a website on "A.I" to prove that Spielberg was to blame for the infamous ending:Critic: Just look at it here! Just look at it here! Yeah, there you go: "The writers who were originally working on 'A.I.' all thought it was crazy when Kubrick wanted (begins trailing off) to bring David's mother back"... what?
- Worst News Judgement Ever: The TMZ Crew's "Celebrity Reports".
