Red Letter Media Short Treks - Re:View

[Vger23]

The idea that Mike isn't being genuine and is simply trying to appease RLM fans is pretty silly. He's obviously someone who feels passionately about Star Trek, and people's opinion's aren't stagnate. He's praised Trek before (TMP, Beyond), and he's trashed Star Trek before (TNG Movies, STiD).

TrekBBS: "I like RLM except when they're making fun of my precious STD and TLJ"

People around here are just uncomfortable that they brought up a lot of valid criticisms.

I'm not uncomfortable at all. I just don't agree with any of it. It makes me feel bad, actually, because I like RLM, and they're usually pretty entertaining, but this makes them feel like a typical crying fanbaby channel, which I always held them above. It wasn't entertaining this time, because it was just sad.

Sorry.

 

[Vger23]

Let's just say I'll be very surprised if they don't end up watching and reviewing it...

You know that they will. In that way, they're cut from the same cloth as the few posters on this board you can count on to complain vehemently and yet keep watching.

 

[Tomalak]

You know that they will. In that way, they're cut from the same cloth as the few posters on this board you can count on to complain vehemently and yet keep watching.

The difference is, I still have a bit of faith that if RLM see something they like, they'll say so.

 

[Warp Core Breach]

The review seemed pretty spot on to me.

 

[Lord Garth]

The idea that Mike isn't being genuine and is simply trying to appease RLM fans is pretty silly. He's obviously someone who feels passionately about Star Trek, and people's opinions aren't stagnate. He's praised Trek before (TMP, Beyond), and he's trashed Star Trek before (TNG Movies, STiD).

TrekBBS: "I like RLM except when they're making fun of my precious STD and TLJ"

People around here are just uncomfortable that they brought up a lot of valid criticisms.

I don't care if he thinks Discovery is worse than Plan Nine from Outer Space. If someone has a (somewhat) positive opinion of a show and then suddenly adjusts their opinion to a more negative one because that gets better feedback, then I'm going to say what it is: trying to change your stripes to gain approval. If I want to hear someone's take on something, I want to hear their real take.

I'm going by what @Mach5 has said. Prior to this thread, the only RLM reviews I ever watched were the ones for the TNG Movies. Which I do agree with: the TNG Movies, except for First Contact, suck.

 

[fireproof78]

The idea that Mike isn't being genuine and is simply trying to appease RLM fans is pretty silly. He's obviously someone who feels passionately about Star Trek, and people's opinions aren't stagnate. He's praised Trek before (TMP, Beyond), and he's trashed Star Trek before (TNG Movies, STiD).

TrekBBS: "I like RLM except when they're making fun of my precious STD and TLJ"

People around here are just uncomfortable that they brought up a lot of valid criticisms.

Nope, not accurate for me. I don't like RLM and feel they are an over-the-top and overblown YouTube personalities who caters to an audience.

I use to like RLM until I rewatched their TPM review (a film I don't really like) and realize how overblown it was.

No thanks.

 

[Notsubway]

While I think some their comments, particularly Rich's, are probably more harsh and over-the-top then what they really think (they are in the business of getting views) I agree with many of their points. The Tilly and Saru shorts had stories that were over simplified to fit the format and suffer for it. I mean the part that randomly falls off the ship just happens to be perfect piece of equipment to make radio contact with an interstellar race?

Additionally, I am also concerned with where Discovery goes from here. As Mike pointed out, they had one card in their back pocket (the Enterprise) and they used it to close out the first season. Bring in the Enterprise and the characters that come with it so soon comes off to me like the writers didn't feel like the story they wanted to tell was strong enough on it own they needed to bring in the big guns. That's fine, but once you've fired that shot, what do you next?

 

[fireproof78]

Bring in the Enterprise and the characters that come with it so soon comes off to me like the writers didn't feel like the story they wanted to tell was strong enough on it own they needed to bring in the big guns. That's fine, but once you've fired that shot, what do you next?

Well, for starters, they fired many of the writers.

Secondly, we get to see Captain Pike, someone we have barely seen in the course of TOS. Plenty to add on to there.

 

[STEPhon IT]

While I think some their comments, particularly Rich's, are probably more harsh and over-the-top then what they really think (they are in the business of getting views) I agree with many of their points. The Tilly and Saru shorts had stories that were over simplified to fit the format and suffer for it. I mean the part that randomly falls off the ship just happens to be perfect piece of equipment to make radio contact with an interstellar race?

Additionally, I am also concerned with where Discovery goes from here. As Mike pointed out, they had one card in their back pocket (the Enterprise) and they used it to close out the first season. Bring in the Enterprise and the characters that come with it so soon comes off to me like the writers didn't feel like the story they wanted to tell was strong enough on it own they needed to bring in the big guns. That's fine, but once you've fired that shot, what do you next?

They could have an episode with Picard to launch the Star Trek series. They could have a time travel season where the crew meets with the NX-01 crew on their final mission. They could get lost in the Delta Quadrant and meets the Borg. They could have a full season of the Romulan War, or a War between the Romulans and the Vulcans or the Klingons. They can produce as much fan service as they like as long as it captures more subscribers.

 

[Awesome Possum]

Here I have to kindly disagree though. I think their Discovery-review were not well researched, but very fair overall. They just don't care this much for DIS. Which is not that surprising, a running theme of them through the last years has been the overabundance of badly made genre crap to cash in on popular IPs. Even MARVEL-movies, which they generally like, get that criticism, and DIS comes much better off than what they say about DC, Star Wars or a wole lot of other "nerd" IPs.

As for their "Last Jedi"-review, while I didn't agree with them on everything, I think they made some very good points about the movies weird tonal shifts. Which really helped me to understand why I didn't like this movie (even though I thought it was better than all the other Disney Star Wars movies): The simply fact that in the end, everybody was dying, decimated, only the fewest lucky survivors who had all their friends die around them - and they were cracking JOKES all the time(!) and had calm discussions in the background (instead of being scared and shell-shocked to their bones) - was probably the thing that disturbed me so much.

Thing is: Redlettermedia became famous by crapping on pop-culture (Star Wars) and doing horrible rape-jokes during that. They turned down the rape-jokes. But they're still doing the thing they're famous for: Crapping on everything popular. But they do so in a very entertaining and insightfull manner, that's why I keep watching them. You just have to expect that - if they're reviewing something well-known that you like - they gonna' crap on it.

And overall - wile they couldn't have made clearer they don't really care about DIS - I think the Trek shorts got away much better than most stuff on RLM.

Yeah, I know what RLM is. I've been watching their videos for years so I don't need you to explain it to me. I don't really care that they crap on something I like because that's happened before. I just don't think they put any thought into this video and it disappointed me as a fan. I expect better from them. I don't agree with most YouTubers on a few things, but stay because of the quality and the fact that it gives me something to consider. But I got nothing from this one. It was just lazy insults, probably just to please certain parts of their fanbase. Something they also did with The Last Jedi review. Really their only valid point was the tone problems, the rest is the same garbage complaints from angry fanboys on Twitter or even the Star Wars forum here.

The idea that Mike isn't being genuine and is simply trying to appease RLM fans is pretty silly. He's obviously someone who feels passionately about Star Trek, and people's opinions aren't stagnate. He's praised Trek before (TMP, Beyond), and he's trashed Star Trek before (TNG Movies, STiD).

TrekBBS: "I like RLM except when they're making fun of my precious STD and TLJ"

People around here are just uncomfortable that they brought up a lot of valid criticisms.

No, as a fan of RLM I found it lazy. I even liked their earlier reviews of DIscovery, despite Rich trashing it because they at least put thought into it and Rich is still funny. This was neither of those. It's the first RLM I've stopped before finishing because I didn't want to waste anymore time. I just hope this isn't a sign of more to come and they return to their usual quality.

And no, I'm not uncomfortable nor are those valid criticisms.

 

[Vger23]

Yeah, I know what RLM is. I've been watching their videos for years so I don't need you to explain it to me. I don't really care that they crap on something I like because that's happened before. I just don't think they put any thought into this video and it disappointed me as a fan. I expect better from them. I don't agree with most YouTubers on a few things, but stay because of the quality and the fact that it gives me something to consider. But I got nothing from this one. It was just lazy insults, probably just to please certain parts of their fanbase. Something they also did with The Last Jedi review. Really their only valid point was the tone problems, the rest is the same garbage complaints from angry fanboys on Twitter or even the Star Wars forum here.


No, as a fan of RLM I found it lazy. I even liked their earlier reviews of DIscovery, despite Rich trashing it because they at least put thought into it and Rich is still funny. This was neither of those. It's the first RLM I've stopped before finishing because I didn't want to waste anymore time. I just hope this isn't a sign of more to come and they return to their usual quality.

And no, I'm not uncomfortable nor are those valid criticisms.

You articulated the disappointment I felt and the reasons why far better than I did.

 

[Awesome Possum]

Let's face it, the only reason anyone posts review videos like this or the Midnight's Edge stuff is that they are so desperate to prove the show sucks that they look for anything that agrees with them as if that means that it is coming from some voice of authority on the matter and anyone who disagrees with them is wrong. In reality, the opinions of Mike and Rich mean as much as anyone here. It's just that, an opinion. Discovery isn't terrible, some people just don't like it and are upset that others don't agree with them because they have some desperate need to be right about everything including subjective opinion.

 

[Warp Core Breach]

But what if the show actually does suck?

 

[Tuskin38]

But what if the show actually does suck?

That’s an opinion, not fact.

 

[Warp Core Breach]

That’s an opinion, not fact.

So was your reply.

 

[fireproof78]

Discovery isn't terrible, some people just don't like it and are upset that others don't agree with them because they have some desperate need to be right about everything including subjective opinion.

It is highly saddening and amusing (in an odd way) that in a franchise that espouses diversity and working together that there could continue to be a need for tribalism.

 

[Maurice]

I'm not a big fan of RLM's stuff, but this was on point.

 

[Awesome Possum]

But what if the show actually does suck?

Unless the entire universe (including the show) only exists in your head, that's just an opinion like everything else. All "art" is subjective. Some people honestly love the Star Wars prequels, are they wrong? I can't say. I don't like them and have many reasons for not liking them. But they have reasons for liking it and since I cannot judge their thought process I can't say they're wrong. So no, Discovery does not suck, it just sucks to you. I happen to enjoy it and look forward to seeing season 2. That's my opinion and it holds the same value as yours. Yay me. Yay the fact that we aren't a hivemind.

Now can we actually talk about the show and the characters? I'm tired of this endless waste of time of a bunch of angry fanboys upset that the show isn't exactly what they wanted and for some reason they feel they are entitled to get a show that they wanted. Go watch TNG or DS9, it's on multiple media platforms and shouldn't be hard to find.

I just want to talk about how much I love TIlly and the design of the ship and a thousand other things.

Note: Since someone will be snarky and will point it out, no Discovery is not art. But that's the quote.

 

[Tosk]

But...isn't this thread about the RLM review?

 

[Awesome Possum]

But...isn't this thread about the RLM review?

Yeah and it has brought nothing to any discussion on Discovery. Just hey, some other randos on the internet hate Discovery.