Suburban Knights

Well, I'm not even entirely sure what I expected, but this was not it. Considering the fact that all these reviewers pretty much had a huge 'elements of a bad movie' list in the back of their minds and they totally blew it (by cinema standards), I was a little disappointed. I do like the references they make, though they do kinda over do it at times. This is definitely more of a cult following movie, and realistically, I wanted to like it. But somehow, it dragged on. I was disappointed, and that sums it up well. I guess if you like internet reviewers/gamers (and I certainly do) you can get into this, and there's no problem with it either. But for me, this is kinda a letdown.

You know what's hilarious about Doug's anniversary flicks? Everything! The fact that the production quality and acting ends up surpassing some of the high budget films he reviews.

I also find it funny that the same reviewers that accuse Doug for not being in the right mindset to review kids films also pick on his work that they're clearly not in the right mindset to see either.

I think the film is a wonderful accomplishment. You see these (That Guy With The Glasses) characters make fun of other people's work weekly, and once a year they come together to make fun of themselves. It just doesn't get any better than that.

When professional actors (such as Bruce Campbell) attempt self-parody, it looks silly and even sad. You can tell that they have exhausted themselves and are doing it almost out of desperation. When TGWTG team does it, you can tell they're having as much fun as the target audience.

There's a far more prominent narrative structure to this follow-up that surpasses its predecessor in almost every way, ranging from absurdist comic gold to brief moments of bogged down exposition. The film is at its best when it explores and brutally parodies the classic tropes of the adventure fantasy genre, from frustrating plots to ridiculous costume, and in doing so it stands not only as a harsh critic of those stories but as a charming love letter to parody as a film genre.

Lured by false promises, the internet reviewers find themselves summoned to suburban Illinois to embark upon a quest for a powerful gauntlet. They have to LARP in order to have a chance of finding it, which is where the second word in the title comes from, and they're split into two groups, so it doesn't grow stale. But is it entirely safe? And who is the mysterious sunglassed, leather-coat-wearing black guy who keeps appearing…? If you are not already a fan of the people involved, this is not for you, simple as that. It devotes no time to explaining who they are, and this is not produced to show off talents, but to have fun. And both they and us do. Since the trailer gives away who they choose to portray, I will do the same: Spoony is Gandalf(and the Gatecleaner, his take on Nightmare, the VHS-driven boardgame, and acts as the RPG nerd), NC is Link(from Zelda), Joe is Inigo Montoya(you killed his *insert incorrect family member here*, prepare to die!), Linkara is King Arthur, Nostalgia Chick is Arwen(Elvish princess of LOTR), Benzaie is Conan, Sage is Aslan(from Narnia), Phelous is The Rock Biter(Neverending Story), MarzGurl is Princess Mononoke, FilmBrain and Luke Mochrie are Harry Potter(the two are rivals for Doug's favor), CS is Indiana Jones, Obscurus Lupa is a fairie tale princess(probably Disney's Snow White), 8-Bit Mickey is Peter Pan, and the second size-joke of the duo has Handsome Tom as Willow(literally a small role, he doesn't want to act that much... on that, the performances vary greatly), Paw is Jeremy Irons in Dungeons and Dragons, Todd is Dread Pirate Roberts(Princess Bride) and JewWario is David Bowie from Labyrinth. This uses all of them some, no one is "forgotten", and it plays to their strengths. A lot is gained from the interpersonal dynamics of these characters and the… roles they take on. Finally, the team get into arcs! There is nice use of Mati of Captain Planet, whom none of the others like, and it builds up to its well-earned epic climax. The battles are awesome, and get increasingly grand in scope. Choreography, execution and FX are very well-done. This treats the theme of science vs. magic, and both are treated with respect(whilst they also have fun with it... similar to Charmed), and this has some of both, rational explanations and superstition. Backstory and plot are interesting, thought out well, surprising and add up well. This is paced well, the roughly two hours fly by. It has very different kinds of comedy in it, with clever, silly, wordplay, parody and pop culture references. There is some disturbing, violent and/or sexual content in this. I recommend this to every fan of the TGWTG crew, and no one else. 8/10

If you're a fan of the Nostalgia Critic, or any of the other Channel Awesome critics, the chances are you will like this pretty well. This movie is filled with jokes and it's one big satire of multiple movies. The Nostalgia Critic (Doug Walker) gets together all the reviewers of Channel Awesome to search for a treasure in this big role playing game put together by a nerd named Chuck Jaffers (Rob Walker). With all the reviewers dressed as fantasy characters and almost non-stop in-jokes, Suburban Knights pretty much spoofs the fantasy genre, and eventually itself. You really have to be a fan of Channel Awesome to get everything, but if you are you'll most likely find this incredibly funny. I highly recommend this to the fans.