FightingSeraph's movie Reviews on Newgrounds

[R.I.P. Steve Jobs]

I did not expect this from...

...the guy who animated Rehab For Fictional Characters.

Animation: It wasn't much, but a nice mix between cutout and frame-by-frame. Plus, I like the style that you drew this in.
Sound: I liked the voice acting, but Oney seems to be an odd choice for Mr. Jobs. You could expand your voice actor roster by looking up Crystal-Jawz, Malamite-Ltd., Psyguy, and Xalkie.
Content: It's nice to see something that doesn't have a massive filesize while being well done at the same time. This is a nicer take on the whole take the piss out of somebody After they died, and I got a laugh out of it unlike Miss Dynamite 19 or any of those other mock the 2005 hurricanes that hit Louisiana cartoons. Sure it may be short, but not everything needs to be long. (Just look at VG Exiles Episode 3.)

What's Good:
-Funny without being hateful
-Nice animation
-Good voice acting
-Small Filesize

What's Bad:
-Not everyone will appreciate the length

Overall: Here's a nine for both of you.

psychicpebbles responds:

Thanks for the review dude!

[The Sugar Claws: F.C.]

A compelling tale!

I have to admit that upon first reading this before I read Cooljaw: Dreaming Darkly, I was quite bewildered and impressed. I also liked Cooljaw's "Vector Game From Hell" style. Why isn't this rated as highly as that is beyond my control, but it's still worth the fives that I gave it.

When it comes to the visuals, I really like the Americana style with selective colors. Plus, I really liked the animated parts that were included in this. I have no problem with people using the rotoscope in order to get what needs to be done, but while I did like the vector game look; the way you animated that looked all jittery. (I heard from the Hollywood Animation Archive is that Rotoscoping is usually done on twos.) I also noticed that the downshots looked rather odd, but considering the surreal nature of this; I'll let it slide. As for the color selection, I think the use of pink--along the occasional use of blue and purple--was nice, but be careful that your linework doesn't blend in with that background gradient.
Audio: Clever use of doornob1's Spring Lullaby for the intro and Magisterial's As Autumn Passes for the credits. As said before, I may have liked Ism-Kidd's Waiting For Tomorrow, but it got repetitive after a while. Of course, I am appreciative of you including a stop music button.
Content: This is what makes or breaks a flash, this makes it. You definitely have the eyes, ears, and mind of a story writer/creator. The story is easy to follow, well-written, and actually makes people care about the characters. There are only a scant few on here that have this sort of talent (rpgsrok and Lazy Mode Comics) and it's not easy to make something that's going be remembered fondly, let alone iconic. The dialogue is excellent and shows that a lot of thought went into this. This is a sign that you have a lot of influences; most notably Kaori Yuki, Alan Moore, and Ralph Bakshi.

[+]
-Well-written story and dialogue
-Original
-Good animation for the intro and credits.
-Nice color selection
-Fitting music

[-]
-The fact that this is a flash comic
-Waiting For Tomorrow can get repetitive after a while.

Overall: Celx, I hope that your abilities as a writer, artist, and director don't end up like Frank Miller. Here's your ten for this type of excellence, and I hope a lot of people on here learn something from you.

Celx-Requin responds:

I feel if you're going to spend a significant amount of time working on anything it should carry some sort of message, what's the point of using your time to create something soulless, one's time is valuable you can't buy it back, so at least in my case I work on stuff I feel carries some significance.

I can't say I know Kaori Yuki, and while I'm Familiar with some of Alan Moore's stuff I can't say I've ever read his comics. Ralph Bakshi on the other hand I am very familiar with, his work while flawed holds a certain reverence to me because it was unique, and pure in it's execution. Coonskin is on my top 10 list of best films, Bakshi had major balls to do the things he did at the time he did them, I respect the man immensely and I can only hope he can find financing to finish "Last days of Coney Island".

If you want to know my influences in terms of comics I would cite Guido Crepax, Brain Azzarello/Eduardo Risso, and Sam Keith as major influences.

I like Frank Miller, he got a really bad rap after making "The Spirit", but I feel the man can recover.

Thanks for the detailed and fantastic review!
Sincerely,
- Celx

P.S. I'm gonna look up Kaori Yuki right this instant!

[Pussy Game]

Same Great Music Video,...

...Same great Gosha! You are a master of music videos on this site with your unique style, clever mix between tweening & Frame-by-frame, and excellent direction. It's surprising that you aren't up there with Egoraptor, Adam Phillips, and Krinkels in the most popular artists section.

When it comes to the visuals, I really love your style. It shows that you have:
-A strong grasp of basic drawing skills.
-Multiple influences
-Knowledge of color theory
-A bonafide sense of originality
You are one of the few people who not only mixes tweened segments with frame-by-frame in a brilliant fashion, but also knows how to use flash gradients.
As for the sound, it may not have sound effects, but this is a music video and the music you selected is badass! Plus, it was really nice of Disko Warp to let you use their music unlike the rest of the music industry, which is mostly comprised of bands who are either stale or weren't good to begin with. Then there's the content, which shows that you still have the eye of a director. Your clever selection between perspective shots and simple staging is definitely top-tier and the story that went with the song is well put together. I bet that you do your plots on a storyboard rather than a script.

What's Good:
-Great music
-Excellent direction
-Stylish animation
-Nice story
-Original

What's Bad:
-Could have used subtitles

Overall: James, How would you like another ten? Plus, I would like for you to broaden your horizons aside from music videos.

GoshaDole responds:

Thanks for the really good review/critiques! I really apprieciate it. If you need the lyrics, they can be found here too..

http://diskowarp.bandcamp.com/track/p ussy-game-disko-warp-2011-speedy-mix

I'd like to get into making shorts/series in the near future, just always busy with non-side project work, heh. It's something I'd really like to do though.

[Nap]

Splendid!

For a first flash movie, I have to say that you did an excellent job. Plus, it's a breath of fresh air for those who are tired of the same old shit. Lets get started...

Visuals: Smart choice on the use of silhouette, and the animation was excellent. Plus, Clever use of tweening at that last part of the dream sequence. Did I mention that your color selection is top notch as well?
Sound: Nice music and the non-use of sound effects also accentuated it.
Content: The only problem I see with this is that this wasn't the first flash that dealt with dreams. However, your take on it was distinct enough to separate it from similar movies on here. With that in mind, your direction is excellent and pacing superb. In other words, I look forward to more flash from you.

[+]
-Great art and animation
-Nice music
-Magnificent direction and atmosphere

[-]
-Not the first dream-themed flash movie, but distinct enough to be considered unique.

Overall: How would you like a ten?

Spillkaidah responds:

I will gladly accept a ten :D Thanks for the in-depth review. And i know... dreams have sadly become a dead horse. I conceived the idea for this right before Inception came out so i was pretty disappointed. I knew i'd have to put my own spin on it.

[The Noob Adventures Episode 2]

That was pretty damned funny!

As much as I like your Circuit Skirmish flash, I will not knock you down for doing a cartoon based off of Minecraft. (Although I haven't played it) Now, on with the review...

Graphics: It may be the same as your other Minecraft cartoons, but you recreated the cubic look of that game in flash and that's what counts. Plus, good job on the lip sync. However, I think that you could have taken a few liberties by exaggerating their movements and facial expressions.
Music and Sound: You and your friends did a great job on that, so no worries here.
Content: With the rise in Minecraft popularity, it was tougher on your behalf to make something top tier. Fortunately, you succeeded in that by making me laugh, and the action part was great without overdoing it.

[+]
-Funny
-Great audio
-Nice direction and staging

[-]
-The visuals, while good enough to get the point across, could have been exaggerated a bit.
-Minecraft spoofs may not be horribly overdone, but have become increasingly common.

Overall: Jim, here's another ten from me, and I would like for you to finish up the next Circuit Skirmish.

Falconer02 responds:

Now THIS is a review! Awesome! Everyone take a look and emulate this style!

And yes, I MUST finish CS. It's sooo much work thhhooooo...

[SRM Needs a Roommate!]

That was pretty damn funny!

Cam, this really shows how frame-by-frame makes something good into something GREAT! I've been a fan of frame-by-frame flash since I first came to this site in 2000, and it makes quite a difference. Need proof, take a look at Miss Dynamite 8-16 then watch 17-24 and you'll notice a difference in their quality. Enough of that, on with the review...

When it comes to the animation, this and your music game spoof are a whole lot better than the old segment-tweened cartoons that you used to do and I love your use of perspective. It may not be up to par with Adam Phillips, Sunny GOES, or Ferguson Winston, but gets the point across. However, I think you could learn a few things from old cartoons that were made in the '30s up until the '50s to help up the ante. The Audio is also great seeing that you went as far as record your own sound effects, and Xander did a great job on the music. While the voice acting is good, they could have been a bit more expressive. Last, but not least, the content of this is well-done. Your direction and staging are excellent, and the script was really funny. In addition, it's nice to see another SRM cartoon with an original plotline. (Note: I don't have a problem with the parody/skit ones as long as they are good.) What's next? SRM and Mel performing abortions on celebrities? (Okay, that may be too salacious for your taste.)

[+]
-Great direction and staging
-Nice animation and perspective
-Funny
-It's nice to see an SRM cartoon with an original plotline.
-Good sound

[-]
-The animation and voices, while good, could have been more expressive.

Overall: Here's a nine out of ten from me, and I look forward to more of SRM.

Battosai810 responds:

Glad you liked the toon, and some good comments here!

I'm not going to get Adam Phillips good unless I end up working at Disney, but I hope to keep getting better the more toons I make. I should look into more old school animation; Max Fleischer cartoons are an inspiration of mine but something I need to look into further. Noodle arms and such are a lot of fun, and really fit with this aesthetic.

What about the animation wasn't expressive enough? Not having pupils hurts how much they can express themselves a bit, but now that they're not symbols I'm moving their eyebrow/lids around a bit more. I'd love to hear any suggestions to make that aspect of my animation better, since it's pretty important!

Also, thanks for the comments on the story, staging, and writing. If I really wanted to, I could write lazy videogame parodies all day like some bizarre talented version of Tim Buckley. Unfortunately that's what a lot of folks want, but I'm glad you appreciate more original stories like this one. Your idea is a bit out there for my stuff though!

I'm glad you enjoyed this, and look forward to more SRM in the future!

[Simple Tests]

Funny, but could have been a bit better.

I personally HATE meme humor, but I found this to be kind of funny. (You're not the first or the only one who hates that shit.) Truth is, I think that you and Jake (Lazy Mode Comics) are incredibly talented and deserve to be up there with Adam Phillips and RobsH66. Now, on with the review...

Animation: I really dig your style, which is a nice throwback to '90s cartoons and newspaper comics. Plus, the animation is just excellent (it also helps that it's frame-by-frame). However, I suggest that you use the Flash 8+ filters as little as possible since they can cause older computers to lag significantly.
Sound: Great job on the voice work, music, and sound effects. Next time, rather than put a link to Ebonyte's voice demo, add him to your portal buddies list.
Content: While I did chuckle a bit, this tended to drag. I suggest that rather than write out your jokes on a script, you draw them out on the storyboard. On the other hand, you have a good sense of direction, which is important in animated cartoons. Plus, it's also original, and that's good when the idea works.

What I do like:
-Mildly funny
-Great art and animation
-Nice sound
-Original
-Good direction

What I didn't like:
-Could have been funnier
-The blur effects were unnecissary.

Overall: Dave, here's an eight from me.

ScaredyDave responds:

Thanks for all the kind words and feedback! I actually don't know how to make Kevin (Ebonyte) credited correctly >.>' Truth be told I thought I was doing it right, but just recently figured out I wasn't. So if anyone wants to help me out with that, that would be superb!

[The Sugar Claws: Iiii-vii]

Surreal and sublime!

I'm usually no fan of flash comics due to the slideshows known as Thamesis, Broken Saints, and Faux. However, rather than go the 'motion' comic approach, you chose to make it more like a regular print comic. A wise decision on your behalf, Celx.

When it comes to the art, I really like the style that you drew this in. It's really whimsical and a fresh breath of air in a pool of anime/Ren & Stimpy/Simpsons imitators. Plus, I also like the use of subliminal text in the background, along with the 'one color, multiple shades' approach. However, I suggest that you increase the contrast between values because the panels can be hard to read at times. Also, I bet if you teamed up with someone who is really good at animating, this could end up in the Top 50. The music was well chosen as it helped set the mood that you were aiming for. On the other hand, I think that you could have used a few more songs from the Audio Portal. (Try Arnas, Helbereth, AukeSam, and Obsidian Snow.) As for the content, it really shows that you have the mind of a storywriter. I haven't checked out Cooljaw, but this series has a sense of originality and the presentation is excellent. Surprisingly better than many of those flash cartoons that have 4.00 scores, but have terrible plotlines.

Likes:
-Original
-Nice art style
-Clever music selection
-Great atmosphere
-Well written

Dislikes:
-Needs stronger value contrast.
-The fact that this is a Flash comic.
-Could have used a few more songs.

Overall: Celx, as said before, I bet if you teamed up with a really good animator, this will have a much higher score. Here's an eight on my behalf. (I originally was going to give this a seven, but you get a one point boost for something that was a great read.)

Celx-Requin responds:

If I ever do a DVD of my comics they will be motion comics, but yeah I feel the best way to experience my stories is at one's own pace. I'm trying to iron the contrast issues out as I approach the end of the series.

The final product will use one extra song from the audio portal, additionally the story is heavily inspired by music, and each chapter title is that of a particular song that directly influenced the story.

For example chapter four's title is from the song "Black Swan" by Thom Yorke, and the chapter has a few of the songs lyrics hidden in the background.

Lastly CoolJaw is drastically different from this comic in the sense it has a different artstyle, and is more graphic, violent, and "darker".

I think most people who've seen Cooljaw were expecting "The Sugar Claws" to be very similar, which may have been detrimental to my score.

It's sad because if you were to view the two side by side in terms of content I think "The Sugar Claws" stands strongly on it's own merit.

Anyway thanks for the review!
Sincerely,
- Celx

[The Devil's Bones 1]

Not bad at all...

I usually hate these flash/motion comics because aside from being static; most of them have digitally painted slides that are slowly tweened and are badly written in the dialogue department. On the other hand, you were smart and chose to let people read at their own pace, which is a bonus for various reading speeds. As for the art: still top notch from one of ConceptArt.org's best. You have a knack for great setting selections, and I think people on NG should consider making their own Steampunk/Fantasy flash (although it has happened already). Of course, that takes a backseat to the content: So far, so good. I read the whole thing through, and kudos for not taking the G/PG route. Truth is, if violence is ok in animation, so are sex and swearing as long as it's done right. (And in your case, it was.) You must know a thing or two about story writing, in addition to your already-magnificent. The only problems I have with this are that it could have used some ambient sounds in the background, some small bits of animation to accentuate the panels, and could have been a bit longer.

[+]
-Great drawings
-Underused setting
-Original
-Great story and dialogue
-The fact that people can read at their own pace

[-]
-The fact that this is a flash comic
-Could have used some bits of animation for the individual panels, along with ambient sounds.
-Plus, it was a bit short.

Overall: From one CA member to another, here's a seven out of ten.

Hyptosis responds:

Thanks, CA unites! :D

*Go team venture!*

[Ashtray Humour]

Hmmm...

Judging from what you said to Rocket-Scientist; I suggest that you consider downgrading to an older version of Flash, such as MX (2004) if you're using CS3+ and are having technical problems. Keep that in mind when you make any more cartoons as it will save a lot of time and frustration.

In terms of graphics, it may not be the best animated thing I have seen, but the style used is fresh, which is saying quite a bit.
Sound: The music fits and so did the voices, but the latter could have been done better.
Content: It's original, and that has some merit. However, I think that your joke delivery/timing could use a bit of work. Plus, a preloader would have been nice, but I'm willing to bet that you weren't able to use one due to technical problems.

[+]
-Original
-Nice art style
-Fitting music
-Something different

[-]
-The voice acting, while not bad, could have been done better.
-Could have used a preloader, along with better joke delivery.

Overall: I'm going to be fair and give you a seven.

ToliveAnimations responds:

Thanks very much for the review. I shall bear that in mind (using older versions of flash) as I'm using the CS5 version.
If it wasn't for my major cock-ups, this would have been quite a bit longer, but it is going to be split into different parts now if I can indeed be arsed.
Cheers
Tom