Neophyte-Ronin's movie Reviews on Newgrounds

[StarWars: A New Knight I]

Fun Idea, but where can you go with it?

HA! A nice twist... actually kind of humorous. The highly detailed digital artwork lends a certain crispness to the experience. Still, the cartoon is very short for its file size. I suggest that the next episode run longer, though I am loath to devise how using audio exclusively from the films can hope to create a plot worthy of this concept.

In any case, you tickled my ribs, which happens rarely here at Newgrounds, so congratulations on making life a little brighter for someone.

the-fridge86 responds:

I didn't expect it to be humorous so that's a nice surprise! It is short but and unfortunately, the file size is a consequence of the highly detailed images and the music (I reduced the size of both as much as possible). I agree that it's a challenge to create a decent plot with my limited skill and resources but that's the enjoyment of it for me. The plot is the product of suggestions on the intro clip (http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/vie w/549038) and my blog (http://mustusepowers.blogspot.com/20 10/09/star-wars-new-knight.html).

Glad to have entertained!

[Turing Test]

Surprisingly Profound - A Must-See!

Being based on a story gave Jimtopia an edge in cinema direction and a convincing plot. Of course, if the plot of the base story didn't grab him, he would never consider a Flash.

This is an excellent entry into Robot Day. It should go directly on top of that Robo3000 Flash or whatever (it is about five years old, for one) to represent this year's finest batch of entries. The Turing Test, if you didn't Wiki it, is when you try to gauge the intelligence of an artificial mind. This story is an excellent moral drama that ought to be repeated over and over, drummed into humanity's minds until our compassion for something is not limited to one's estimate of another being's intelligence.

Please stick around Newgrounds, Jimtopia. Even if the Flash is, at its core, exceptionally basic, it speaks far more volumes than anything else that has been created for Robot Day 2010.

Jimtopia responds:

Wow, wow wow wow. Never have I had a review that really made me feel this good. I must thank you sir. It's like you took everything that I hoped people would see in the movie and put it into words. Thank you very much. I'm really honored that you enjoyed it as much as you did, and I'm glad you see what I was trying to convey with my little cartoon.

Also, I intend to stick around Newgrounds for as long as I'm able to keep animating, so don't worry about that. The only problem now is, there's no way I'm gonna be able to top this for next year.

Thanks again!

[Dual Arms Verbatim Part 1]

Finish It

It's disheartening when nobody bothers to finish what they start.

If you recall XIN back in the day, that was good. Dual Arms pushes the envelope of quality even further. Don't even suggest otherwise, even if you despise Anime. It's a style, not a plague.

I know the story and overabundance of dialogue proves confusing and troublesome to keep up with, but that's why there's an action sequence where everything clicks together and you don't need your brain on overdrive to get it. Since there doesn't seem to be an action sequence, as well as a great deal of espionage suspense building up to nowhere without one or two, I'd say this Laser Movie requires the second part so I can give it a far fairer (or more accurate) rating.

So, I say again: FINISH THE DAMN THING!

RPGsrok responds:

You nailed the second part - essentially it does ramp up the action. The original intent, of course, would've been to do Verbatim in one shot, but that was before I realized how insane it would be to try and finish a 20 minute feature, even in 2 or 3 years, alone. Also, the file would probably be too large.

I'm not one to give up on what I start. The fact that I even completed this part, if I may humbly say so, is testament to that. And if such positive feedback as yours continues, I can guarantee I will see Verbatim through to the end.

Thanks for reviewing!

[[2010] REBOOT 11]

It's About Time! Solid, but not Spectacular

This is a long-awaited re-entry to a long-forgotten series... if that makes sense. It's very surreal, like a nightmare in pixels. The voice-overs are inconsistent, however, which detracts from the overall experience. The script could also use some fine-tuning.

Now, while the artwork is crude, it is made of pixels and, in its block-clad crudity, envelops one into a world beyond their own. The facial expressions are what drive the scenes forward; a great deal of affect in their horror and madness. The art style is far beyond the art's technical competence, in other words. The landscapes are okay, but do not immerse the viewer as the characters do.

In terms of storytelling, REBOOT takes liberal cues from the manga scene, so it won't be for everyone. It's long, but I've seen better file sizes for this much content. I'm not sure if optimizing pixels is possible, but try it once or twice and see if that doesn't smoothen things up. I also had a hard time from the start with the processing speed. It was quite choppy without setting it to Low Quality (which doesn't clinically affect the visual effects of sprites or bitmaps in a flash, but smooths just about any animation).

I also noticed you out-sourced your music. By that, I mean you took tracks from sources not related to Newgrounds or, in general, music that is not royalty-free. Before you delve into original content (and you seem sturdy enough to try), consider using the Audio Portal or other such sites. Don't just settle--spend several days perusing many authors' stuff, downloading whatever strikes your fancy, and figure out which tracks make (or break) a given scene.

It's good that you finally rebooted an old cartoon and continued it, so now a few of us will be looking for the next few episodes, particularly when it will end (since it has a feature-length plot to it!). Keep up the good work, and for your next project, consider a different art style for a change of pace.

JMartin97 responds:

Thanks for your comments, I'm going to take a lot into consideration. When someone is respectful and writes like this it really helps.

A lot of this cartoon was animated two years ago, I've gotten a lot better in that time. Hopefully that will be apparent in 12. Episode 12 will be spectacular, I promise!

Thank you!

[Shared Food Tastes Better]

Shared Flash Looks Better, Too!

Pretty Spartan cartoon if you ask me. Not that this detracts from your vision.

It's nice to know that an author is unafraid to showcase a sweet cartoon once in a while, especially one with a moral message. In terms of Newgrounds, it's like trying to master a second language. Actually, this might actually spark a trend, provided that an admin or other such figure posts it onto the Front Page for a good length of time. Considering the big problem down in Haiti, this is as good a message as we need.

Good job. The Flash is simple from a technical perspective, but far-reaching in its scope. I hope you're never a stranger to Newgrounds like, ever!

jackbliss responds:

Thanks for the honest and detailed review and I'm glad overall you thought it was good :)

[How Morons Stole X-mas]

Not Stellar, Possibly Buggy, but Okay

Sometimes it would stop for no reason. I had to click forward and click play for it to resume. It did so with the Japanese Overlord line and practically every other line thereafter. I suppose it might be because it is still under judgment, but I don't believe in coincidences. I reloaded the thing and crossed my fingers.

This is just messed up, however. It's great when it works (the second try worked). Anyway, there is a plot, barely, but the voices are muffled, mixed poorly, and the voice-overs' range is horribly limited. Still, it isn't portal trash, and perhaps the beginning of someone who could work his butt off and get into the animation industry somehow.

It's okay. Not stellar, but okay. Keep up the Flash, and consider purchasing a microphone.

Shi-Gu responds:

Thanks, yeah, our voice acting wasn't good and since it was all made in a week it didn't make it. Next time I'll start two months before -.-

[Computer Croc]

Crude, but Accurate... Oddly Enough

You make me inspired to submit something... anything... and not in a good way, either.

This thing is crude... literally. It could use some spitfire polish, or sound effects, or a script. A series of stills with no dialogue, except one poorly mixed voice-over, make for a disenchanting romp.

On the other hand, you did encapsulate the Newgrounds experience. It looks more like the storyboard for an animation that someone with greater aesthetic polish would likely remaster. Nobody here will argue that some people get enraptured by the faux glamorous fun experienced at this site as to strive to become part of it, only to be scoffed at and have their computer crash under Flash's weight. It's not easy being a flash author.

Still, this animation gives hope (in an ironic, tongue-in-cheek fashion) to people who are hesitant to submit material, fearing it might get chewed out. But this doesn't immunize this Flash from how poor it is; its reception on YouTube will likely be as icy as it is here.

On the other hand, it isn't bad like "OMGUSUXX" bad. It's the mark of someone who isn't afraid to showcase what he has. In other words, don't knock it completely folks. As crude as it is, it reflects upon a typical Newgrounds experience. Keep practicing daily and you might just have a breakthrough. (That goes for everybody here!)

Blackrhinoranger responds:

I worked really hard on this project. To prevent stress from coming. I had to do very little animation

[Left 4 Speed 2]

No Need to Play the Game or Watch Zombie Movies!

Left 4 Speed 2 is the bastard daughter of Left 4 Speed, an Awesome-styled spoof derailing the current title in the Left 4 Dead franchise... and it is far, far improved over the original. There's a far more cohesive plot and theme to the parody as they describe the futility of the survivors' efforts to escape another ridiculous zombie apocalypse. This is Oney at his finest, folks. I sincerely doubt anybody can top this (except him... maybe).

I might sound hypocritical because I derailed the sheer stupidity of the previous spoof. The fact is: it was far too random and lacked cohesion. Also, it featured a great deal of utter crudity just for crudity's sake. Though this one is technically a sequel, I will rate this one higher for two reasons.

First, this spoof has a true straight man. The straight man is the serious one who makes an intelligent, concerted effort to guide his cohorts toward a positive resolution. Such a character archetype is applied as the necessary foil to denounce the settings' absurdity, as well as other characters. Modern examples include Thief from 8-Bit Theater and Dante Hicks from Kevin Smith's Jersey movies. Without a straight man, this lampoon would fall apart.

The ending is where I laughed the most; without the straight man, I would have rated this one rather lowly. While it ended to my satisfaction and surprise, the similarity to the previous spoof's end warrants notice, as the notion that repetition erodes creativity is among the myriad reasons why Hollywood movie sequels are frowned upon by the critics.

Still, the fact that it is a sequel doesn't erode the technical quality, of which this one is clearly superior. That brings me to the next reason why this Flash surpasses its bastard father: Oney has palpably improved over time. Take his "Grand Theft Awesome 4" Flash. However crude, it was simple, funny with flawless timing, and comprehensible. In Left 4 Speed 2, however, the use of multiple voice-overs, an extensive script, cohesive verbal jokes, and overall aesthetics each demonstrate how far Oney has gotten with his stuff. Reveling at the cartoon's polish alone is worth the price of blowing ten precious minutes of time. It is remarkable how you can gauge the guy's evolution from his old stuff to the current Flash (anybody who hasn't, please look up his Flash catalog and be prepared to laugh).

Egoraptor's Awesome series obviously inspired Oney's spoofs. It also inspired their foibles. Like the Awesome series, you have similar complaints: racy and oftentimes utterly asinine subject matter. It is hard to incorporate a thinking man's sentiment into such ribaldry, and Oney's efforts to split from the norm are barely lukewarm. He operates according to what he does, in fact, laugh with, as well as what the general Newgrounds population will laugh at. My personal misgivings about such subject matter notwithstanding (don't assume I can't stomach this stuff--I nearly died of laughter, okay? I am not above admitting to that!), the jokes work... but I still wish that we could just grow up and approach a phase in Newgrounds' history where other kinds of wit (e.g. dry) get their proper dues in the Flash scene. The overuse of stereotypes (again, big issue here) will eventually bite someone in the butt, fairly or unfairly, and it would be nice if Oney could also demonstrate any ability to change up his routine every now and then.

But I won't spoil the mood (or the end) for all of you. Oney and his stellar cast (couldn't tell who performed what without the credits; that is a good sign if you perform voice-overs) has perfectly ripped a popular game asunder, once again. One of these days, we will grow out of our fixation on boobs, rednecks, lasers and gore, but once we do, we'll secretly run a search, find this cartoon, and play it fifteen times in a row, laughing our sorry butts off. After all, the chuckles are a great laxative when you're ancient like your mom!

And yes, I voted Five. Who wouldn't?

Oney responds:

DAAWWW Thanks Bucko!

[Independence]

Decent, if Just a Storyboard

Since the art was kind of flaked (much of it was back in the day, to be utterly honest), this won't get the greatest accolades, but it is ironically an excellent storyboard if a collaboration decided to remake it. Because it was an early music video, the sequences are rushed to the point that you cannot fathom exactly what is going on. Perhaps if the flash extended itself beyond the short running time of the music, things could have been fleshed out more.

While it possesses an unusual potential to become the next big action flick (or a short indie piece), the insane chopper/aerial sequence could only happen in a cartoon. This would never be live action, unless United Artists checks it out and integrates it into the next Bond movie. Remember: this thing has "Laser Movie" potential written all over it. Somebody in this day and age could remaster the whole thing from the beginning.

Sound is another issue. You cannot hear the voice-overs over the song because nothing was ever mixed, or mixed well for that matter. That made things harder to understand.

In any case, maybe someday Independence will be remade; compared to other ancient submissions, this one looks like it could be reborn. I might not hold my breath, but for its time, Independence was among the early music videos on Newgrounds that transcended the stick figure stigma. That's got to be worth something.

MadFLeX responds:

it's being remade as we speak.=) i couldn't let the last image people knew of madflex be a horribly drawn chick with a dude's 6-pack. haha

[School Project]

First Efforts are Always Roughshod

Your first shot into Flash is objectively good--the typical first try--and by that, I mean this thing looks crude and roughshod compared to everything else! Unlike most "first Flash" attempts, however, there is a structure and a level of quality above and beyond the typical dabbler; obviously, your entry into the foray is serious and with some prior discipline, thanks to your art classes.

As for the Flash itself, it is supposed to be a promotional piece for an animation/design studio. Typically, these should snappier in terms of speed, or cut down. When Greasy Moose made "Captain Planet Goes to Copenhagen" (Captain Planet Strip Club, as Newgrounds knows it), they got an Australian television program to air it. To do so, however, they were asked to slice off twenty seconds from its running time.

Don't feel awful about slicing out bits and pieces, because even Chris Voigt has to do it on occasion. Some things in your Flash could be cut out completely--the red & yellow balls, for instance, didn't come out so well--while others could be elaborated upon, like the mouse animation. Another animation caught the corner of my eye, but it was so brief that I couldn't really gauge its quality. Still, I wouldn't bother replaying the movie just to see that one flash of animation, because from my guess, it looked too crude to bother with. The attempt had detracted from the overall vision. Despite this, presenting the "Animation" and "Graphic Design" terms in scrapyard junk was a nice touch.

The overall theme for this Flash, therefore, appears terribly gritty and uses many dark colors, which plays against an advertisement designed to extol any product/service's better virtue. In other words, even though it is called "Scrapyard Animation" (a moniker that would work for you, incidentally), there should be brighter colors to counteract the dark and depressing overtones of the piece. In advertising, white flashes are often used because the color suggests tranquility, able to settle the audience like warm milk to an upset stomach.

While it isn't anything exemplary, this Flash reflects well on your present skill... which transcends anybody else who has yet to craft a Flash! Thus, you are in decent standing, believe it or not. Push hard to polish those stones and soon your scrapyard will become a respectable recycling agency. One can only hope.

foolishcharacter responds:

wowwe, what an encouraging and intricate reasponse! I'll make sure to consider these points later on, as I continue working on more personal projects in the future.