FightingSeraph's movie Reviews on Newgrounds

[SawBlade (Trilogy)]

Entertaining if I do say so.

Even though I haven't seen the original flashes; that will not affect my overall critique.

Animation: You did a great job on the backgrounds, weapons, and some clever usage of gradients. However, the first time we see the characters, they look like a step up from the sticks that were used through out the rest of the movie. Not to mention that that very first part could have been better animated. Now, I don't have a problem with stickmen as long as the movie is good, but I would like to see something like this with fully-drawn characters like the ones used in the preloader animation. In addition, cut down on the blur effects (the more that they are used, the more they make older computers lag).
Sound: You have a nice collection of sound effects, and the music you chose was sufficient, but I think you should get some music from the Audio Portal next time. (Try Xarnor, Xenogenocide, and Nemesis Theory's Show No Tears)
Content: I really dig the fights, but they could have been more creative in terms of attacks, angles, and what not. However, I still do see much potential from you in terms of direction. The story, while not bad in premise, is pretty trite and I think you could look to other flash series for inspiration. (Examples: Keegan's Truck Chronicles Ep. 1 or the Dual Arms series.)

What I do like:
-Solid direction and choreography
-Above-average art and animation
-Interesting plot premise
-Good sound selection

Gripes:
-Not very original
-Could have used more fitting music

Overall: Here's your eight out of ten, and I look forward to you improving.

ToxicAcid responds:

thank you so much for your solid critic Seraph. yes i agree the sounds you recomended from flash audio portal cause it will boost originality in NG as well.
thnx for the plus points in your comment and the negetive ones il keep in mind and work on it.

:)

[Leo & Satan IV]

I'm going to be honest with you guys.

While the first episode of this series was riotously funny, the installments that followed became really tame and boring. Look, I know what you two and your fans will get bent out of shape upon reading this, but Sirus1 is right. Here's my thoughts...

In terms of art and animation, it's still top notch and the scene variety is excellent. However, I would suggest that you go easy on the filters; the more blur/glow/bevel effects used equals more processing power required to render them without lagging really badly. On the other hand, I like how you depicted hell here. When it comes to sound, the voices are still great and the music was fitting, but unfortunately, this is where the good ends and bad begins. Contentwise, this was just droll and uncaptivating. I mean, this is almost as banal as Miss Dynamite 17-24 and all three of the Brawl Taunts cartoons. Look, if you're going have Satan in a comedy; you could have had him and Leo do something downright evil like Rats on Cocaine. The reason why the first episode was funny was Satan going into psychotic spaz attacks, whereas what followed felt extremely watered down. Of course, you tried to bring it back in this one only for it to come off as contrived.

Likes:
-Great art and animation
-Great music and voice acting
-Original to an extent
-The way you depicted hell and those down there was nifty.

Likes:
-Unfunny, I mean the humor in this comes off as forced.
-Could have been more evil at times.

Overall: Oney, unlike you, I'm going to be fair and give you and Sean a six out of ten. Hopefully, you'll take my advice for any future episodes.

Oney responds:

You're coming off like I don't like taking criticism... I'm glad you've given me points to improve on, don't assume I can't take them into consideration.

[Quest of the Manwhore]

This is even better than the last one!

Chris, this is easily your best music video, and definitely worthy of the number one spot on the top fifty. Personally, I think a lot of people should be learning from you on how to make something of exceptional quality. Ass-kissing aside, I'm going to review this pile of platinum.

In terms of art and animation, this even better than the last one with the scenery in this. Truth is, there's nothing that I can complain about the visuals, and you managed to make the subtitles more legible. A major plus in my book. In terms of music, I fucking love it! The instrumentation, lyrics, melody, and you had Gooseman join in the middle. Then there's the content, the direction of this praiseworthy, and plus you are a man of great creativity. As said before, tons of people on NG ought to study this rigorously if they want to make kick ass flash.

What I do like:
-Great music
-A+ Direction
-Top Notch animation
-Creative scenery
-Passable filesize

What I don't like:
-Gets repetitive

Overall: This is, by far, the best music video on this site. Here's a perfect ten from me to you.

Sexual-Lobster responds:

thanks v much!
i have been fretting about whether it would stack up to the first one so its great to hear that some people at least think its better!

[Knock-knock]

I thought it was pretty funny!

As much as I liked Koopa's Revenge, No More Herpes, and Mega Tankman, this has the merit of being original. Sure, people will misinterpret this as racist, but you were just doing this for laughs. Aside from that...

Graphically, it's simple and to the point with a nice cartoon style. However, that black guy could have had his torso proportions reworked. Plus, nice frame-by-frame for something with a small filesize.
Sound: Also simple and to the point-the sound effects fit nicely and the voices were above average for just one man.
Content: As said before, this was pretty funny for something made within a day. As for political correctness; Newgrounds wasn't meant to be PC in the first place, so why bother complaining considering that Marc M and Dean Packis were known for being offensive and they're well respected. Besides, neither you nor I have anything against Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, etc. Plus, I can credit you for doing something original.

What I do like:
-Funny
-Having the balls to do something politically incorrect.
-Original
-Mostly Good art and animation
-Nice voice action

What I don't like:
-The black guy's torso could have used a bit of work in the proportions department.

Overall: Here's a nine from me to you.

Lambtaco responds:

Thanks. The trouble with creating something original is getting people to watch it. As derivative as A Koopa's Revenge is, it gets a billion times more views than my original games (okay billion may be stretching things, but it's literally tens of thousands). I did digitaly alter the pitch for the voices, I have to confess.

[Friday by Bob Dylan]

That was pretty funny and catchy!

Jeremy, I never expected you--of Sloth TV fame--to make something so minimalistic and hilarious out of a YouTube video. Most of the time, when a fad gets started on YouTube, it becomes nauseatingly bad (YouTube Poop for example). However, I did enjoy this little gem that originated from there. Aside from that, I'll give my two cents...

Visuals: I like how Bob, the dead woman, and the guitar were drawn in this considering the minimalist graphics this had, and the lip sync was above average. However, the guitar playing animation was jerky, but something like that is hard as hell to make it look good.
Sound: The guitar solo was quite nice and I also liked the vocals as well. They may not be up to par with Evil-Dog, Druox the Shredder, or Xarnor; but that would defeat the point of this.
Content: For a novel concept, I found this to be pretty funny at times. Unfortunately, it tended to drag at times due to the spartan graphics. Of course, this didn't need to be like the Stick Slayer, but a change of scenery or a different angle could have helped.

What I liked:
-Novel idea
-Nice drawings for something that's bare bones
-Funny and catchy
-Good guitar solo

What I didn't like:
-Tended to get redundant
-The guitar animation was jerky and could have used a bit of easing.

Overall: It may not be your best submission, but I still enjoyed this regardless of that. Here's a nine from me to you.

JeremyLokken responds:

Thanks old NGer! My apologies that I didn't credit the musician more clearer. The song was not by me, but by another guy who parodied the original song, so I'm just offering something more interesting to look at than a youtube image. His name is Mike Bauer, "HeyMikeBauer" on youtube, a link at the end of the loooonnnnng flash video or in the NG credit section. A fair review, I will take it! Thanks again.

[Gang Mentality]

Highly underrated!

With a traditionally done, drawn-on-paper animation such as this one, of course a few mistakes will be made during production. However, I applaud the effort of such a submission when done right. Plus, I have no problem with people uploading video submissions on here as long as there is actual effort put into it. Now, let me get started...

In terms of art and animation, I really like the style used and the colors that were chosen. As for some of the pencil drawings being hard to see, which most have complained about: I suggest that you consider getting some fine-liner/multi-liner pens in which you would "ink" them akin to what was done throughout animation history. That way it will be much easier to see things next time if you ever made another of these. When it comes to the sound, I think that the music selection was a winner and enhanced the mood that you were aiming for. Even though I'm not into Aphex Twin, I won't hold that against you. Then there was the content, which blows Notorious* out of the water. I found this to be quite touching and the direction is excellent. (*=If you want examples of bad direction, try watching Cupid vs. Hate Demons or Lethal Injection.) The pace may be fast for something so dramatic, but that didn't affect the enjoyability of this one bit.

What I liked:
-Original
-The fact that you drew and colored this on paper.
-Nice tone, story, and direction.
-Clever use of Aphex Twin's music
-Great art and animtion.

What I did not like:
-The fact that flash zealots will trash this for being a video submission.
-Aside from a few drawing/animation errors, I think you could have used a fine-liner/multi-liner pen to make it easier to make out. On the other hand, that would have lengthened production time.

Overall: Oscar, how would you like a ten from me?

OscarBaldwinStudio responds:

In a word, Epic. The nicest review I've ever gotten. Thanks so much :D I really want to make more cartoons like this actually. Been concentrating on Flash mostly at the moment but I'd like to combine the 2. Do some things that can only be done in Flash, print each frame, trace it and paint it on paper. I like the idea of containing changing textures within a solid form. My ultimate aim in animation is to combine all the different styles of animation to make something that looks new. Thanks man, very encouraging :D

[Phase 9 Episode 3]

I say that this isn't bad for what it is.

While I haven't seen the other installments of this yet; I will say that I see something with some potential behind it. I have also noticed that you uploaded this as a video and to be honest video submissions should be treated like regular flash cartoons and games. However, I think that you should check out either Swift 3D or Milkshape 3D since those programs allow you to convert 3D models into vectors. Aside from this...

In terms of graphics, while far from the worst visuals on here; the style used in this is rather bland and uninteresting. I think you could look elsewhere for inspiration outside of anime, such as old cartoons. (It makes for good animation practice.) On the other hand, you do have a nice desert setting for your backgrounds. When it comes to the sound, I have to agree with Neophyte Ronin on the music. It just doesn't fit the seriousness of the plot and also worth noting is that there is better music in the audio portal (try some of the songs by Maverlyn, Box-Killa, and Nanashi). Plus, don't rip sounds from YouTube videos; it's unnecessary and the quality isn't worth it. As for the voice work, it gets the point across, but could have been done better. Then there's the content--interesting plot so far and the diologue is passable. However, the pace could be ten percent faster, but this isn't the Stick Slayer. Considering that this was based off of a novel, I don't mind derived projects as long as the actual product is good. On the other hand, I have gotten somewhat weary of them due to certain flash cartoons that had great animation, but turned out to suck hard dick.

What I liked:
-Interesting plot, characters, and diologue.
-Nice backgrounds
-Passable animation

What I didn't like:
-Bland art style
-Derived project, but as long as it remains good I'm not going to bitch.
-Unfitting music
-Voices could have been better.

Overall: Here's your seven, and if you do decide to continue this; consider doing the drawn animation in flash.

Kel-chan responds:

i wrote the the book this is based off of =D

I'm putting it out as anime because...frankly people dont read these days- when i went to the publisher thats exactly what he said- I write kind of wordy and its sometimes overly descriptive and the pace is quite slow...i had to correct the draft but i never got back to him so it never got published

[Troll Game]

Pretty entertaining for a compilation.

As much as I loved Morphemon Duelists; This was better animated and directed. Even though I haven't read your comic, that didn't detract from overall enjoyment.

Visually, it may not have the best graphics, but enough to get the point across. Of course, I like the style that was used, but the frame-by-frame looked rather stiff and jerky. I'd recommend that you look up Preston Blair's animation book sometime. The use of rotation tweening was kind of nice, but it shows that it just isn't your cup of tea. In terms of music, I liked those two songs that were used and personally have no problem with using music from your CD/MP3 collection provided that it isn't the only kind of music used. Then there's the content: As I said before, it was pretty entertaining for a compilation submission. I mean the direction, timing, and choreography is assloads better than what usually gets submitted here. Music videos may not be original, but there are times when generic can be a good thing.

What I liked:
-Great direction and timing
-Nice song selection
-Nice use of rotation tweening
-Original

What I didn't like:
-Stiff frame-by-frame

Overall: Here's a nine out of ten, and aren't you glad that you got the front page?

PiGPEN responds:

My goal in fbf is to be able to properly convey motion and weight with as few frames as possible.
I don't know if the "Stiff frame-by-frame" is just your personal opinion of using limited frames in general or that i didn't fully convey the motion and weight i should have with my frames... in any case i'll continue to try and do better in future animations (except when Morphemon2 comes out since i did all the animation in that already).

[Luminiscense]

Magnificent!!!

It's great to see a flash drama that isn't a motion comic, and even better for it to work in the best way possible. Even though I have been harsh on Kirbopher for Nin10doh, Brawl Taunts, and the Parody Rangers Movie; I still like him as a voice actor. With that out of the way...

Artistically speaking, this is up to par with Bitey of Brackenwood, Story of Khale, Ninja vs. Demon, and most Spike Valentine flash. The character animation is excellent and the color selection is top notch. In other words, this deserves to be rated higher than what's currently in the top ten flash. In terms of sound design, most of the time the Audio Portal usually doesn't have what people want, but those songs that were selected fit perfectly. Plus, the voice acting is superb and I wouldn't mind seeing Nowacking in more flash movies. Then there's the content, which is excellent in my opinion. The cinematography, direction, and pace would give Hollywood a run for its money. This is worthy of an award or two in that category alone. The story is also very good when compared with most high-end, high filesize cartoons on here, which usually turn out to be badly written and/or directed. Plus, the mood was perfectly set.

What I do like:
-Great art and animation
-Great voice acting and sound
-Excellent music selection
-Original
-Top notch direction and writing

What I don't like:
-It was kind of odd to choose WWII for the setting, but that's not affecting your score.

Overall: Here's a ten out of ten!

keepwalking responds:

Verry appreciated review! :)

[Entanglement 2]

A marvelous take on a done to death idea!

If there's something that I've noticed since last year is the revival of stick figure flash on Newgrounds; and I don't have a problem with them as long as the movie is good. However, I would like to see one of these with fully-drawn characters since you guys can only go so far on stick figures.

Firstly, the art and animation may be generic stick figures, but they were excellently animated; which is what counts in my book. Plus, I like how the filters and gradients were used with discretion. Therefore, the special effects were really clever, and also worth mentioning are the top notch background and weapon art. Nicely done in this department. Second is the sound, which is one of the two faults that this movie has. On one hand, you have excellent sound effects that were used, but the music, while not bad, could have been better chosen. I think you guys could have used some of Xarnor's music or Show No Tears by Nemesis Theory. Last, but not least, is the content. As mentioned before, the concept behind this has been pretty much exhausted, and yet it was superbly done. I mean, the direction, timing, and choreography is up there with Proxicide and Alvin-Earthworm.

Approval:
-Great art and animation
-Excellent sound effects
-Top notch direction and timing.

Disapproval:
-Unoriginal, I mean it isn't that much different from similar flash released from the last decade.
-Could have used better music.

Overall: In spite of the this flash has, it still is one magnificently made flash. Here's a ten out of ten, and I would like to see a movie from you guys with fully-drawn characters next time.

Miccool responds:

Yeah, I thought there would be a lot of people that wouldn't like the music, but it seems okay so far. Thanks for the review!