James Rolfe (the AVGN) and Plinkett (RedLetterMedia guy) both generally excel at reviewing films because
they actually understand how films are made. Even if the films they actually make aren't always that great, they know more than enough to actually break something down in an entertaining way.
Off the top of my head, Plinkett's review of Star Wars Episode One displayed a great deal of competency in...
-
Pacing: Not one bit of the review feels rushed or drawn-out, despite the fact that it's deliberately divided into ten-minute chunks (often EXACTLY ten minutes) to be compatible with Youtube's formatting policies.
-
Characterization and Set Design: Plinkett's character never really talks about himself, but we have a good idea of how he acts and how he lives from the brief glimpses we see of his home (no way is the guy's living room actually that messy) and the general manner he puts on. We know very little that's quantifiable or concrete, but we know who he
is fairly quickly and we never question any of his actions as being out of character.
Basic Acting Ability: Plinkett's gravelly monotone delivery doesn't come across as nearly as smug or grating as, say, Yahtzee or Spoony, which is pretty impressive considering that they use what are arguably their real voices whereas Plinkett's voice
is straight-up taken from a cartoon character.
-
Editing: Goes hand-in-hand with pacing, really. Worth noting, though: I'm pretty sure that not once has he ever done the tired "repeated zoom on stupid thing for effect" gag.
-
Cinematography and Screenwriting: Just worth noting: given how much attention he pays to this sort of thing in the films he tears apart. He addresses a lot of plot holes, dialogue issues, characterization issues, and make heavy notes addressing things like framing a shot (remember the bit about the Imperial Star Destroyer?) and the limitations of CG in filmmaking. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he has a formal specialization in something of this sort.
The Nostalgia Critic, on the other hand,
has terrible acting skills and a sense of comedic timing so bad that it makes me physically cringe.* By the time he "reviewed" The Room despite it being the exact opposite of nostalgic (it's not old and nobody has fond memories of it),
I gave up on the guy ever doing anything other than taking cheap potshots at films the audience already knows are terrible.
*Also, is that supposed to be a hospital, or is there a doctor and a nurse just chillin' in his hallway?