IGN Co-founder Peer Schneider took to Twitter to whine about why IGN’s Captain Marvel review video is being downvoted.
Schneider’s take on the downvoting is disingenuous from the get-go as he cites the demonstrably false new narrative about “review bombing” when it comes to Captain Marvel. As we pointed out before you can’t “review bomb” a movie on Rotten Tomatoes before it’s in theaters. Even Rotten Tomatoes would issue a statement after they redesigned their website explaining that.
Nevertheless, Schneider writes, “There’s been a lot of talk about concerted rating/review bombing for Captain Marvel. Seems like it’s still a thing? Our newly published (positive) review of the unreleased movie has 3k downvotes to 2.5 upvotes on YT so far, which is VERY different from most videos we post.”
There’s been a lot of talk about concerted rating/review bombing for Captain Marvel. Seems like it’s still a thing? Our newly published (positive) review of the unreleased movie has 3k downvotes to 2.5k upvotes on YT so far, which is VERY different from most videos we post. pic.twitter.com/I6GyHUUTpu
— Peer Schneider (@PeerIGN) March 5, 2019
Schneider would then respond to a user who has their Twitter account protected, but appears to have challenged Schneider’s view by posting another review that had a number of downvotes.
Since you chose to engage with me, let me explain quickly why what you’re saying is actually not connected to what I posted about. First of all, I’m flattered that you had to cite a 5-year-old review to show that you don’t agree with our reviews — we have reviewed thousands…
— Peer Schneider (@PeerIGN) March 5, 2019
of games and movies. Since IGN reviews are very popular (and often highly upvoted on YT), hopefully we’re steering you better with other opinion pieces. Now, if you really liked Alien: Isolation, we welcome that dissenting feedback. Maybe without the “ignbullshit” hash tag…
— Peer Schneider (@PeerIGN) March 5, 2019
negative users being angry about a review and holding them against us for years. That is our charter and our promise as autonomous reviewers. Sometimes we don’t agree. Let us know when that happens — we don’t delete dissenting comments — and feel free to downvote our videos.
— Peer Schneider (@PeerIGN) March 5, 2019
Schneider then tells the people who are downvoting his review video why they are downvoting it. He writes, “the audience isn’t downvoting because the review steered them wrong. They haven’t seen the movie. They aren’t downvoting because they don’t trust us (otherwise every review would look like that). It’s because a group of people has ‘self-organized’ to hit any video about Captain Marvel to downvote it following her comments about how homogeonous movie critics are right now.” He adds, “The video is downvoted merely to oppose, sight unseen. And that’s ignorant.”
In the case of the Captain Marvel review, the audience isn’t downvoting because the review steered them wrong. They haven’t seen the movie. They aren’t downvoting because they don’t trust us (otherwise every review would look like that). It’s because a group of people has…
— Peer Schneider (@PeerIGN) March 5, 2019
“self-organized” to hit any video about Captain Marvel to downvote it following her comments about how homogenous movie critics are right now. So it’s not because of an old Alien game review. The video is downvoted merely to oppose, sight unseen. And that’s ignorant.
— Peer Schneider (@PeerIGN) March 5, 2019
Taking a look at their review for Captain Marvel, as of this writing it almost has 200,000 views and a negative ratio with 5.4k likes and 6.4k downvotes.
If you look at some of IGN’s other recent reviews, Peer is right. The ratio on this Captain Marvel review is significantly different.
However, Peer’s assumption of why people are downvoting the review is questioned when you actually read some of the comments.
While a number of people insinuate IGN is taking money for approaching the review one of the top comments reads, “When you call the amensia trope a ‘fresh approach.'” Which is specifically pointed towards reviewer Jacki Jing’s comments. In fact, the amensia story is not a fresh approach. Alita: Battle Angel just used it last month. Jason Bourne used it brilliantly. It’s not fresh and has been done before.
Others point to the fact, they’ve watched other reviews which have a very different take on the film. And rebut Peer’s comments about people not trusting IGN.
One user wrote, “Jeremy Jahns gave a non biased and honestly, a much better review. Go home IGN, you’re drunk as always.” Another stated, “I don’t trust the people who said Doom 2016 was average.” Still another added, “‘Brie Larson’s performance and chemisty is the obvious highlight’..most people are saying the complete opposite”
Others pointed to IGN’s reviews of past films, “so what you’re saying is that it’s better than Civil War? Yeah sure ign.” Another noted, “U gave aquaman 7.5 and this 8.3 u know sometimes I am really starting to believe in the antiDC thing.”
Listening to the review, I found it hypocritical. Jing states, “The MCU’s newest hero Captain Marvel has entered the fray literally swinging with a cosmic flavored origin story that feels like a much needed fresh approach to the classic Marvel phase 1 formula.”
Later on in the video she says, “Thankfully, for as high concept and cosmic as Captain Marvel’s story engines are, the plot itself doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. Instead it replies pretty heavily on the greatest hits of Phase 1 movies like Iron Man and Thor. The Phase 1 nostalgia does seem a bit jarring though. It’s strange to feel the MCU suddenly pivot back to the pure origin routine after the last two years have been so experimental.”
I’m confused is it a fresh approach on the Marvel phase 1 formula or is it a pivot back to the pure origin routine of Phase 1? It’s quite possible people are downvoting the video for its hypocritical stance on what the film is about.
As for my own opinion on why IGN’s Captain Marvel movie review is getting downvoted. It’s a combination of the hypocrisy found in the review. People not trusting IGN’s review based off other reviews they’ve seen, and Marvel Studios and Brie Larson’s marketing leading up to Captain Marvel. In fact, Schneider’s first sentence in his complaints about why people are downvoting the IGN video is one of the reasons it’s getting downvoted. He’s complicit in the “review bombing” narrative which attempted to label Marvel fans as “sexist trolls.”
Not to mention Larson made it a point to describe the film as an activist movie about “intersectional feminism.” She also made specific comments about not wanting white men to review movies, specifically A Wrinkle in Time, and doubled down on those comments insinuating she wanted less white men to review Captain Marvel and cover the Captain Marvel press tour.
Why do you think IGN’s Captain Marvel review is getting downvoted? What do you make of Peer Schneider’s comments on the video? Do you think I was too harsh in my criticism?