Release: November 26, 2013
Film: Man of Steel
This review contains examples of:
- Biblical Motifs: Critic lampshades how borderline obnoxious the film is in regards to its Jesus symbolism.
- "I AM JESUS! I AM JESUS!"
- Call-Back: When Superman and Zod crash into an IHOP restaurant.Waiter: I'm sorry sir, the Red, White and Blue Pancakes are at Denny's.
- "What about BOOMER?"
- Central Theme: Whether if you like any form or media or not, there is nothing wrong with it.
- Cold Opening: The music video at the start points out the similarities of both The Dark Knight Trilogy and Man of Steel.
- Crossover: With Angry Joe, who provides some rather logical analysis points to counter whatever doesn't make sense for the Critic. Critic outright ignores him most of the time of course.
- Even Nerds Have Standards: Even with his adoration of the movie, Joe thinks the Product Placement during the climax is pretty bad.
- Groin Attack: Superman does this to Doug!Zod to save the Critic. With heat vision.
- Hilariously Abusive Childhood: Angry Joe has off camera flashbacks that involve a lobster costume, nipple tasers, and nitroglycerin.Angry Joe: No, papa, no! Not the nipple tasers, please!
- Love It or Hate It : The review starts with the various comments on whether or not Man of Steel is horrible or great. Critic outright hates it while Angry Joe loves it. In the end, Critic still hates it, but comes to acknowledge why Joe loves it and that not all its followers are just psychos who enjoy violence.
- Messianic Archetype: It starts off quiet, but then a voice shouting "I AM JESUS!" is heard whenever Clark or Superman does anything Jesus-worthy.
- Orphaned Punchline: "And that's how I saved Christmas with a lightning gun!"
- Sadistic Choice: Played for Laughs. Doug!Zod threatens the Critic with bodily harm should he say something positive about Man of Steel. Joe then retorts that the Critic would be hunted down like an animal if he went back on his positive words to Man of Steel. His situation causes the Critic to lament:Critic: Can't we all just hate Superman IV?
- Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: At the end of the Cold Opening song when a fake promo for Batman v. Superman appears with Batman and Superman walking and the narrator says they will be coming together in said movie, the two supers stop, look at each other in disgust, say "F*** you, Zack Snyder" to the camera and walk off.
- Shout-Out: "The greater good..."
- Of course, the ending is one big tribute to How It Should Have Ended, with the appropriate cameos!
- Strange Minds Think Alike: For all their disagreements, the Critic and Joe actually agree that the infamous scene where Superman kills Zod isn't as controversial as it was made to be, being justified by the fact that Superman was still new to the whole hero business at the time.
- Take That!: AI!Jor-El stating that he won't be available for Xbox One.
- Joe also hates TMZ, outright calling them "the scum of the Earth".
- The Critic also took shots at Joe for his "Ass & Titties" song.
- There Was a Door: The Critic gets annoyed that people keep coming in by smashing through the ceiling.
- Thou Shall Not Kill: Doug!Zod taunts Superman of this virtue. He ends up getting his balls zapped off with heat vision.
- Unexplained Recovery: Zod is revealed to have survived being blown up on the Death Bomb. Though if he survived, there's nothing saying Mechakara didn't...
- What the Hell, Hero?: Doug!Batman calls Superman out on killing someone just to save people he didn't know, especially since he himself didn't even resort to doing this when The Joker killed his childhood friend. Even though he left Ra's al Ghul to die and killed Harvey Dent.
- He also calls him out for zapping off Zod's balls with his heat vision. Superman responds by saying at least he didn't kill him.
"I WILL FIND HIM!"