Oscars 2022 Review: 7 Ups & 8 Downs

5. The Show Was STILL Insanely Bloated

Despite all the promises that this year's show would be the most entertainingly fast-paced Oscars in years and clock in at a reasonable three hours, it was ultimately just the same old slog it's always been, and maybe even worse.

Even with only 15 awards being given out live, the show still got dangerously close to the four-hour mark, padded out as it was with cringe-worthy skits, tangential montages, and a musical performance from a song that wasn't even nominated (Encanto's "We Don't Talk About Bruno").

We also had commercials for the Academy's fancy new museum, a new look at the Pixar film Lightyear, and a bizarre series of Crypto.com ads expressing support for the people of Ukraine.

And yet, the producers had the nerve to try and play numerous winners off the stage, such as Drive My Car director Ryusuke Hamaguchi while picking up his Best International Film Oscar, who thankfully weren't having it for the most part.

The Academy's attempts to produce a more dynamic and free-flowing show backfired spectacularly, and it'll be interesting to see how next year's show is organised in response.