section_path: Ceremony information/Critical reviews and reactions
section_name: Critical reviews and reactions
paragraph_text: Critical reviews and reactions
  
  Many media outlets received the broadcast positively, with O'Brien's performance being universally praised. Columnist Adam White of The Independent considered it to be "the best Oscars in years" while Vanity Fair ' s Richard Lawson called O'Brien's hosting as "brilliantly emceed". The Atlantic television critic Shirley Li praised O'Brien's performance, writing that he "understood the assignment" and "looked like he belonged there". Time ' s Judy Berman wrote that O'Brien "nailed the Oscars hosting job simply by being Conan" and that he balanced "impish humor with a palpable love for movies" and Deadline Hollywood ' s Dominic Patten claimed that O'Brien brought "some much needed and sometimes self-deprecating energy". IndieWire ' s Ben Travers graded the ceremony with an A– and added that O'Brien "delivered a damn good show". Conversely, Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter was more critical, citing "too many head-scratching choices and tonal inconsistencies", but praised O'Brien as "a fully capable host" and opined that "some of the writing within the telecast was impressively sharp".
  
  Furthermore, O'Brien mostly kept politics out of his hosting remarks and quips. However, following Sean Baker 's first two wins (Best Film Editing and Best Original Screenplay) for Anora, O'Brien congratulated the film's success and delivered a joke, saying: "I guess Americans are excited to see somebody finally stand up to a powerful Russian", seemingly referring to President Donald Trump 's relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and how Trump is dealing with the Russo-Ukrainian War; the joke was met with laughter, resounding applause, and massive cheers from the audience.
  
  On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 80% of 20 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "The 97th Oscars won't win any awards for brevity, but it earns kudos for a genuinely celebratory mood and the comedic stylings of fresh-faced new kid on the block, Conan O'Brien."
  
  Many media outlets received the broadcast positively, with O'Brien's performance being universally praised. Columnist Adam White of The Independent considered it to be "the best Oscars in years" while Vanity Fair ' s Richard Lawson called O'Brien's hosting as "brilliantly emceed". The Atlantic television critic Shirley Li praised O'Brien's performance, writing that he "understood the assignment" and "looked like he belonged there". Time ' s Judy Berman wrote that O'Brien "nailed the Oscars hosting job simply by being Conan" and that he balanced "impish humor with a palpable love for movies" and Deadline Hollywood ' s Dominic Patten claimed that O'Brien brought "some much needed and sometimes self-deprecating energy". IndieWire ' s Ben Travers graded the ceremony with an A– and added that O'Brien "delivered a damn good show". Conversely, Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter was more critical, citing "too many head-scratching choices and tonal inconsistencies", but praised O'Brien as "a fully capable host" and opined that "some of the writing within the telecast was impressively sharp".
  
  Furthermore, O'Brien mostly kept politics out of his hosting remarks and quips. However, following Sean Baker 's first two wins (Best Film Editing and Best Original Screenplay) for Anora, O'Brien congratulated the film's success and delivered a joke, saying: "I guess Americans are excited to see somebody finally stand up to a powerful Russian", seemingly referring to President Donald Trump 's relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and how Trump is dealing with the Russo-Ukrainian War; the joke was met with laughter, resounding applause, and massive cheers from the audience.
  
  On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 80% of 20 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "The 97th Oscars won't win any awards for brevity, but it earns kudos for a genuinely celebratory mood and the comedic stylings of fresh-faced new kid on the block, Conan O'Brien."