FightingSeraph's movie Reviews on Newgrounds

[Soul Defiance]

Good, but could have been better.

While this may not be up to par with what Egoraptor and Andrew Dickman have posted here, but for what you have here is better than the stuff that Arrogancy, Tyler Gibb, and those motion comic authors have submitted. As for those complaining about the lip sync being off, consider watching this in low quality instead of watching the AVI file. With that out of the way...

Graphically, the artwork looks like Keiji Inafune's style and it looks better than Arrogancy's uninspired art. The character animation may be tweened, but you put them to good use along with flash gradients and 3D. However, when the bullets were fired out of the gun, they were still in their casings, which looks stupid. You need to pay attention to that because people will notice that like a really crappy paint job. Soundwise, you did a good job on the selection of music, even if it's just one song. However, the voice work is bad and really sullies what could have been front page material. Then there's the content, which is also a mixed bag. On one hand, you have a fight that moves at a good pace, and a bit of a story. On the other, there wasn't much of that story and the pace that it went could have been a bit quicker. Now, I know not everything needs to be like Stick Slayer, but slow pacing hurts story and character development. Plus, you might want to learn how to optimize your flash, because while 2.8 megabytes may be acceptable, something like this could have easily been one-and-a-half to two megabytes.

What I liked:
-Original
-Nice art style
-Good animation
-Clever use of 3D and gradients.
-Passable diologue and music selection.
-Good plot so far

What I didn't like:
-Bad voice acting
-Could have used more story development, but that's what sequels are for.
-Uneven pacing

Overall: Even though I liked this, it still needs a few improvements here and there. Here's an eight out of ten, and you might want to get Billy Cass (DragoonFenix15) back here if you continue with this series.

[Astromiau EP 01]

Animated Excellence!

Vinnie, it's been a while since you submitted Gravitaxis, and you finally made a cartoon with a notable plot. Ok, your previous stuff had stories as well, but not as meaty or developed as this. Plus, that interactive part was a first coming from you, and I know a few programmers you may want to check out. Aside from that...

In terms of art and animation; it's still the same style that you're synonymous with, but I really like that part where Renegade Dog and Astromiau were realistically drawn; which was a nice touch. However, seeing that your artwork has been influenced by anime, you might end up pissing off anime haters such as Oney, the Edible Castle guys, TFX, Doug Sauncy, Hans Van Harken, and MCSM Studios. On the other hand, you animated those characters superbly, so who are those guys to complain? When it came to the sound, you have made good use of Audio Portal songs, along with 4mat's chip tunes. Plus, the voice work is excellent, unlike Arrogancy, Tyler Gibb, and a few others who won't be named. As for the content, while it started out a bit dry, it was hilarious when AM started holding his breath in the elevator and managed to stay funny. In addition, your direction skills are also praiseworthy, though not everybody will like this.

What I do like:
-Great art and animation
-Funny
-Good pace
-Well-written
-Original, even though that still takes a backseat to the execution.
-Nice use of gradients

What I don't like:
-Not everyone will like either the artstyle or the premise.
-Huge Filesize
-The interactive part, while well done, may or may not affect the pace.

Overall: How would you like a ten out of ten for this, Vinnie?

[LARRY episode 2]

Hmm, How can I explain this?

Look Jazza, I know that you, Dave, and Zach are going to get upset at me for saying this and your fans will hate me, but it wasn't funny. On the other hand, a lot of effort went into this, so I'm not going to be an asshole about it. With that out of the way, I'll get started...

In terms of the drawn elements (read: art and animation), it's still the usual high end mix of tweening and Frame-by-frame. Plus, you made a smart decision to export the backgrounds and have the blur effects done with Photoshop rather than use the Flash 8+ filters. And it looks much better than most segment-based animation cartoons on here. Plus, I liked the gore effects in certain areas. However, the sound is a mixed bag. On one hand, you have great voices and sound effects, but on the other, the music, while not the flavorless tripe from Arrogancy and Tyler Gibb, feels like it would belong in the Stick Slayer rather than any comedy. Then there's the content, which I also have mixed feelings toward. First, I really enjoyed the fight at the beginning, with its nice, fast pace and spot-on timing. The humor, unfortunately, feels that it was forced. I noticed that you had Daffy Duck in this, as you had Gumby in Episode 1.5; however, their appearances didn't really contribute to it. On the other hand, at least you didn't take the Seth McFarlane route by shoehorning as many jokes as possible.

What I like about this:
-Great art and animation
-Great voice acting and sound
-Decent plot
-Cool fight at the beginning

What I don't like about this:
-Wasn't funny
-The music, while far from deplorable, feels like it belongs in the Stick Slayer.

Overall: I damn well know that I have no right to give you a score lower than what I'm giving you because of the effort that went into this, but the lack of good humor isn't worth a perfect score. Here's a six out of ten and try experimenting with other types of humor some more.

[Ninja versus demon]

As much as I like...

...Xionic Madness and Miccool's stickman flash, this takes them down a few pegs simply due to the fact that the characters happen to be fully drawn. Truth be told, this reminds me of The Takamori Legend and The Final Task for several good reasons.

The Art and animation may not be up to par with Arthur Larsen (Fjernsyn), Ryan Khatam (Johnny Rocketfingers), or Adam Phillips (Bitey of Brackenwood). Oh wait, it is up to snuff with those legendary animators. Plus, the way they summoned their weapons was pretty nifty. Not to mention, that you didn't go overkill on the filters, unlike some people. The sound effects may not have had much variety, but they fit perfectly and nice use of one of Nemesis Theory's songs. Of course, that pales in comparison with the content, which I really enjoyed. This really shows how fight scenes should be done in animated films. Of course, the same could be said about the stuff that Proxicide, Alvin Earthworm, Ben Spurgin, Doug Sauncy, Yungjazz, and Mindchamber have done in the past. The only problem I see with this is the file size, which is rather big for something like this.

What I do like about this:
-Excellent art and animation
-Top-notch choreography
-Good sound effects and music selection

What I don't like about this:
-The filesize seems a bit too big for this.

Overall: For a mere test, this is better than most people's test animations. Here's a ten from me and I would like to see more stuff from you when you get the chance.

[Xmas Day at Doctor Who's]

This site needs a Doctor Who collection page.

Even though I live in Louisiana, I happed to be familiar with DW and have seen a fair share of the new episodes, but only two of the old series. With that out of the way...

In terms of visuals, I like that newspaper cartoon style that you did this in, which complemented that soundbyte that was used. On the other hand, there wasn't much in animation, but considering that this is comedy, I'll go easy on you. The sound may be a clip from the Dead Ringers, but the quality is passable. However, for future flash cartoons, you may want to consider subtitles. As for the content of the toon, it may not be original; people on NG have been making cartoons out of existing sound clips for years, but I thought that this was pretty funny. What's next, you making a cartoon that deals with the various incarnations of The Master?

What I liked:
-Good art
-Good sound quality
-Funny
-Underused subject

What I didn't like:
-Unoriginal
-The filesize could have been smaller

Overall: While this did have its flaws, it is still a good effort and a nice little throwback to older flash cartoons when people weren't concerned with what a bunch of snotty ass pricks had to say. Here's an eight out of ten for you.

Moon-manUnit-42 responds:

Thank you very much! :)

[Xionic Madness 3]

The only thing that could destroy this...

...movie's ass would have to be Stick Slayer 9, and it's a damned shame that Ben Spurgin died because he would have given you at least a seven for this. Notorious may have talked shit about you on his profile, but who is he to criticize you when he has no real direction skills to speak of, and he has what? Fifty-six cartoons under his belt, but with no real improvements. As much as I like Krinkels' Madness stuff, you along with Sto0g3 have added a denser, more complex plot. With that out of the way...

In terms of art/animation: Unlike most fanmade Madness cartoons, you took the liberty of adding color and more perspectives to the mix making this more dynamic. Plus, your tech designwork gets a stamp of approval from me. As for the animation; if you keep going at this rate, you could have a cult following at your disposal. The sound department, while it has a few quirks, is excellent. The first problem is the voice acting; while some of the voices are good, others, such as Omega, had next to no emotions, but I'm willing that was intended for him. The music is a pretty badass selection of Audio Portal music that definitely hit the nail on the fuckin' head! The only problem is that it was event synchronized rather than streamed, which the only other minor gripe I have with this. As for the content, the story and the pace it went was excellent, but left me with a few questions that need to be answered. On the other hand, you're probably saving those answers for future installments. The direction and choreography are excellent as always.

What I do like:
-Excellent art and animation
-Great direction, story, and pacing
-Top-notch music selection
-Badass fight scenes

What I don't like:
-The voice acting, while not bad, could have been better
-Music went out of sync in one part.

Overall: Here's a ten out of ten for you, Xionico.

['Kite']

This would make Adam Philips and Leafworthy...

...ecstatic. As for the comments you wrote, I see where you are coming from; I signed up back in 2001, got flash in 2004, a tablet in '05, but haven't made anything worth submitting yet. It's also an achievement for you to keep the file size under five megabytes. With that out of the way...

Visually, I really like the art style used and animation was excellent. Now, I believe that flash cartoons don't need the best art and animation; just enough to get the point across. On the other hand, I respect the effort that goes into these types of movies (even if the end result turns out to suck dick). In terms of sound, there may not be any music or voices, but something like this doesn't need it. Plus, the sound effects were fitting enough to tell the story/set the atmosphere. As for the content, It was really nice to see a flash movie that sets an atmosphere rather than tell a story or a joke. And the directing is also laudable for something that didn't have much of a story. Plus, this is way better than anything Notorious has ever done (examples: Lethal Injection, Cupid Vs. Hate Demons). Not to mention that 4.7 Megabytes for something that has such animation is something other authors should consider when it comes to optimization.

What I do like:
-Original
-Excellent art and animation
-Great direction and atmosphere
-Clever use of sound effects
-Passable filesize

What I don't like:
-People with compare this with Adam Phillips, Leafworthy, and Arthur Larsen.

Overall: For a first flash, this is way better than most people's first submissions. Here's a ten out of ten, and I would like to see more from you.

Pierson responds:

Thank you so much for taking the time to write this awesome comment, means alot to hear something so positive! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and i'm also glad you got a sense of atmosphere from it, kinda what I was aiming for! Cheers for watching!

[24 in 24]

Not bad, but I wasn't impressed.

James, Hania, I know that you're not going to like what I'm going to say, and I know your fans will hate me for saying this, but I have mixed feelings towards this. Truth is, even though I liked your Popstar cartoon, everything you've done after that wasn't that great. However, unlike PiGPEN, I am going to be fair...

In terms of art and animation, it was cute, but didn't as much the personality of Will Arbuckle's flash movies (i. e. Edible Castle, Busker Branford, Whitmore, etc.) There was some nice use of tweening mixed with frame-by-frame, which I consider a good idea if done right. (and it was) Then there's the music, even though I don't like your music, I will admit that it fit the segments and it's much better than most of the shit on Mtv and Vh1. Of course, there's the content: It suffers from a mild to moderate case of style over substance and quantity over quality. Truth is, I'm all for something new and different, but only if the idea works. The segments, while cute, just weren't funny. On the other hand, at least it's not the following:
-The Metal Gear Collab
-Street Fighter Club
-Legends of the Black Book
-Miss Dynamite 24

What I do like:
-Good art and animation
-Fitting music
-Original

What I don't like:
-Wasn't funny and...
-...wasn't as inventive as Will Arbuckle's cartoons.

Overall: As a animation demo it succeeds, but as a sketch comedy cartoon, it's lacking. Here's a seven for the effort.

[Hamburger Moon]

I'm all for Sailor Moon parodies, but...

...This simply wasn't funny. (Especially when compared with Proper Chief by GuitarMaster X7 or Sailor Moon Giving Head by Vic Viper.) However, I will give you a fair review...

In terms of art and animation, this is the only thing that this has going for it. Unlike most Sailor Moon spoofs; the graphics are all drawn in flash, and they're well done at that. To be fair, you are good at drawing and animating, better than me although I am improving. Soundwise, I have mixed feelings towards this. On one hand, I like how actual music from the anime was used. On the other hand, the voicework is terrible, and it reminds me of Throwback the Duck with the whole intentional bad acting gig. Plus, it doesn't help that I don't like General Ivan at all. As for the content, as I said before, I'm all for Sailor Moon parodies, but your attempt at a sight gag is painfully unfunny.

What I do like:
-Underused subject
-Great art and animation
-Nice use of the original version's BG music

What I don't like:
-Bad voice acting.
-Not funny, trying to mock a bad dub with the aforementioned voice acting doesn't work. It didn't even work for Girl-Chan.

Overall: I damn well know that I have no right to give you a zero, but the lack of proper criticism towards this is nerve-wracking. Here's a five out of ten for the effort.

[Super Mario Second Chance]

You have the eye of a Director!

I see where you're coming from regarding the comments you wrote; I've signed up back in 2001, got flash in 2004, a tablet in 2005, and I have yet to make something worth everyone's time. (Though, I have done several test animations since '04.) For a Mario flash, this is a whole lot better than most of the flash with that plumber. (Fun Fact: Most Mario flash usually get Blammed or receive low scores on here.) With that out of the way, on with the evaluation...

In terms of art and animation, it consists mainly of photographs, but I won't hold that against you. In fact, it reminds me of Ralph Bakshi's movie Heavy Traffic. Of course, the actual animation isn't anything special, but the direction compensates for this. (More on this later) I also noticed that you submitted this as a video file, and I also won't hold that against you because I believe that video submissions should be treated like regular flash cartoons/games. In terms of sound, I really like the sentimental music you chose, which fit the mood that you wanted. Sure, the only sound effect was that rainstorm, but that was all that was needed. In terms of content, I really like the story and that sad mood you set; a nice little departure from the comedic/action norm. Plus, you sure did a great job selecting those angles. However, the only problem with this is the lack of a preloader. You may want to use the free NG preloader for future submissions.

What I like about this:
-Nice mood
-Great direction
-Clever use of photography
-Fitting music

What I dislike about this:
-Overused subject (Note: I don't mind this type of flash as long as it's a good one.)
-The art and animation, while not bad, could be better.
-No Preloader

Overall: For someone who has been on the site for years, this is excellent. Here's a nine out of ten.

mendoza0089 responds:

thank you for pointing out the areas i need to improve on. i actually didn't know how to put a preloader on so i left it how it was on deviantart. i will look at tutorials on youtube and make the characters original next time :) thank you again.