Remark, comment, commentate, animadvert are comparable when they mean to make observations or to pass judgment but they diverge in their implications regarding the motive and the nature of these observations and judgments.
Remark usually implies little more than a desire to call attention to something.
Comment stresses interpretation (as by bringing out what is not apparent or by adding details that help to clarify). Occasionally the word carries some hint of the unfavorable interpretation that is often a feature of the related noun.
Commentate is sometimes used as a substitute for comment to suggest a purely expository or interpretative intent, but the verb is less frequently used than its agent noun, commentator .
Animadvert (compare ANIMADVERSION ) implies a remarking or commentating on something that may be based on careful judgment, but this basic implication is often obscured by an emphasis on passing an adverse judgment.