Bezman's movie Reviews on Newgrounds

[Trapped4!]

Some wonderful ideas.

[You know, for a moment there, I thought there was a new 'Trapped' game and got all excited. Then I noticed it was a movie and watched it out of curiousity.]

selected aspects (rated from ----- to +++++)
(note: I'm not rating everything or trying to break the flash up into constituent parts. Just indicating how much each adds to/detracts from my enjoyment of this.)
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+++: the slapstick comedy is brilliantly timed. Even when watching it a 2nd time, you had me chuckling away at the stick hitting the stickman.

++: graphics are rather attractive. Various styles used to good effect. I like the spot where his leg breaks and the point where he 'powers up' with the stick and the kanji appears. (What does the kanji say, by the way?)

++: the fact that the 'cage' opened was a surprise.

++: the ending was satisfying and brought some thought-provoking elements to a slapstick comedy.

+++: Wasn't lengthened beyond its natural lifespan, so to speak.

++++: Music was brilliantly chosen.

-: The gun doesn't really match other graphics, with its thin fiddly outlines.

-/2: the square 'stop' symbol in the playboack thing should be a 'pause' symbol.

-/2: Whilst I'm niggling, I think the fwd/rwnd buttons should continue to advance/reverse through frames whilst the button is held down - not just on (press).

-: I'd have liked to see the whole ending explored a little bit more.

--: When we see the stickman crying, it looks strange and a little crappy.

-: The 'victim' could be more expressive. Consider using a simplified and stylised character , but one that has facial features. You do a really good job with the motion, limping and whatnot though. And maybe if you used a dude with facial features, we wouldn't be able to project our own selves onto him... maybe a stickman is better...

overall
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Really, this is brilliant. A laugh followed by a bit of thoughtful reflection. There's parts I can niggle at but this flash is going to haunt me forever.

The stickman struggled to break free of his cage. I personally thought all his attacks were being mirrored and perhaps a possible answer would lie in pulling it, so it pushed itself out, or something. In any case, the attacks were reflected, to comic effect, until the surprise ending, where he does indeed break free, but we realise that we never questioned what was beyond, just as the stickman never did.

Fucking hell, man, I've been trying to work out what to give this - 8, 9, 10... as I wrote the last paragraph, I realise.

I hope you realise I don't give out 10s lightly.

This is gonna stay with me as a concept and an image probably for the rest of my life.

Bonzerelie responds:

Blooming 'eck! not much yto go on! First off then, thanks! This is so far, the most helpful review i have got :D

1.I agree, the gun looks out of place, but i just had it as a flash file, and thought, oh what the heck, so i didnt really put much thought into that.

2. I dont know the actionscript for making fast forward buttons. Thats a good comment actually, ill try and find out.

3. I think if i had gone into so much depth at the end, it would have gotten too long, and i wouldnt have been able to synchronise the animation to the music so well, but i suppose i could have put something in the comments.

4. As for the tear, i know EXACTLY what you mean. It's too short, there's not good reflection, and it doesnt move very well. This is because my wacom tablet driver broke, and i have to get a serial port from somewere to fix it >:(
oh well.

4. Finally, the last thing i can say, is thanks for the 10, the thoughtful comments, and most importantly, im glad you enjoyed it :D

[Ball Battlefield 2]

Nicely done, though not my thing mebbe.

how I played this
==================

selected aspects (rated from ----- to +++++)
(note: I'm not rating everything or trying to break the flash up into constituent parts. Just indicating how much each adds to/detracts from my enjoyment of this.)
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+++: lots of fast action.

++: Fairly short - not artificially lengthened.

++: humour of screaming dude.

-: 'balls' aren't very expressive. It'd be nice if they had faces, or if their eyes changed for expressions. Maybe zoom in a bit into the characters. Let us see them surprised or angry or frightened or whatever.

--: Background/grassy landscape looks a bit lousy. Spend more time on that, seeing as we're gonna be seeing it for quite a while.

+: The lava part looks fairly nice though.

+: I kinda like the way that blue 'defeated' red.

overall
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A cool movie. Way better than I expected from the starting few seconds.

I'm not too keen on these 'minimalist killfests' though. I'd like some story, expressive characters, motives...

But I respect what you've done here.

Keep at it. Keep improving.

Stay funky,
- Bez

OrigamiNugget responds:

Thats a great idea. I'll try my best to incorporate emotions into the caharacters faces. But if you read my previous reviews you would have learned that I made a full lenght cartoon of this style with hair, faces, and backgrounds and everything but it failed miserably. I keep getting better though. I'm not sure how to thank a person for giving me the lowest review score yet, but thanks for the constructive criticism and insight.

[Apartheid]

I'm not sure what your aims were here.

selected aspects (rated from ----- to +++++)
(note: I'm not rating everything or trying to break the flash up into constituent parts. Just indicating how much each adds to/detracts from my enjoyment of this.)
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---: When you got to the title screen, I thought that was the end. I closed it on first viewing and when I decided to watch it again, I just kept it open whilst I checked the definition of Apartheid. (I admit - I wasn't sure.) Only because of that did I see the rest. I think you should make the pause shorter, or have something go on whilst text appears, to show the movie's continuing.

------: The movie starts automatically. No play/replay button. Very irritating.

---: The story seemed kinda confusing. Black dude looks into white family's window... goes hom, checks his colour, we see some forms discrimination, then we see the birth of apartheid? It's not really a cohesive story to stick in our minds and I don't know what you expect us to get from this. That it's bad to segregate folk? Surely we all know that already?

++: I actually kinda like some elements of the graphics. I like the sort of scribbled style.

+++: The music fits very well.

overall
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Have you ever seen Phil Mulloy's films? You should definitely check them out. Specially his 'Intolerance' and 'Intolerance 2' films. They're kinda similar thematically and I consider them great artistic acheivements.

It seems you have some lofty ambitions here, but you don't do a great job of expressing yourself.

I come away somewhat baffled.

[Clay Hockey]

Made me chuckle slightly on first viewing.

selected aspects (rated from ----- to +++++)
(note: I'm not rating everything or trying to break the flash up into constituent parts. Just indicating how much each adds to/detracts from my enjoyment of this.)
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+: the plot is somewhat interesting.

+++: it's kept short and sweet. No 'padding'.

-: the clay people aren't as expressive as they could be. Maybe exaggerate their postures a bit more or use faces to take it to the next level?

+: The hockey game is smooth and fluid.

-: When you're showing the clay folk, the way you hold some frames of animation is kinda jarring.

-: Voices could be more expressive.

+++: When I first saw the 'cheating' escelate to the extent it did, I chuckled.

overall
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I chuckled when I first saw it.

[Snakes on a Plane]

Made me smile.

selected aspects (rated from ----- to +++++)
(note: I'm not rating everything or trying to break the flash up into constituent parts. Just indicating how much each adds to/detracts from my enjoyment of this.)
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++: lip synching at start was good.

+++: Basic premise was mildly amusing.

++: I like the way you kinda slow down the song just before the word 'snakes'.

---: once you see the first few seconds, you kinda know where it's all heading.

++ The song is kinda catchy and has a cool tune.

-: The song kinda resembles the Ultimate Showdown.

---: At the end, you have a link to your site, but no replay button.

overall
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Cool thing. I find that whilst the animation not making me smile any more, the song's definitely growing on me. If you released it as an MP3, I'd enjoy listening to it.

The animation made me grin the first time and on subsequent listens my smile got lesser.

But it's a fun little piece. Nice work.

Congrats on front page btw.

[Burnt Face Man 6]

I laughed at the 'points of view'.

selected aspects (rated from ----- to +++++)
(note: I'm not rating everything or trying to break the flash up into constituent parts. Just indicating how much each adds to/detracts from my enjoyment of this.)
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+++: the writing of the episode was an interesting 'gimmick' to focus on. Allowed for some interesting jokes.

+++: A few unforseen twists.

++++: The 'points of view' made me chuckle.

-: The fact that BFM was merely ATTEMPTING to write the episode was a bit confusing.

--: Many of the jokes were a bit obvious.

overall
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Enjoyed it to a small extent, but I suppose this series just isn't my cup of tea. I won't bother watching the series.

[Sci-Fi Guys 7]

I don't think the format works here.

selected aspects (rated from ----- to +++++)
(note: I'm not rating everything or trying to break the flash up into constituent parts. Just indicating how much each adds to/detracts from my enjoyment of this.)
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---: Sounds often play twice at start of choices. (Kinda skipping.)

+++: The basic idea of a 2d planet and things having the 'qualities' of x dimensions is an interesting one.

+: The idea of multiple choices has some potential...

--: But I don't think it really works in this context. It doesn't really feel like we're in control, rather it just ends up seeming a way of keeping us away from content.

--: I didn't find the jokes all that funny.

-: Some of the voices (robot at start; 2d creatured when you lick and choose for something good to happen) are a bit unintelligible.

overall
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I don't feel the multiple-choice format works here and it's not that funny. Some of the ideas touched upon are interesting though.

[Valhalla Knights]

Excited to see where it goes.

my experience
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I've probably watched this maybe 4 times, and each time I always think that it's just the fighting - just an action sequence - and then I see the rest. This time I remembered though, as it's not been long since I last saw it. But I wonder if anyone closed it during your 'credits' at what is the start of the movie.

selected aspects (rated from ----- to +++++)
(note: I'm not rating everything or trying to break the flash up into constituent parts. Just indicating how much each adds to/detracts from my enjoyment of this.)
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++: Some nice graphics. The flips and spins at the start looked great. All artwork was fantastic.

-: In the intro, some of the backgrounds (specially the wall and the table) sit kinda uneasily with the rest of the animation.

--: Some animation for the more subtle movements (i.e. in the intro when she kinda shifts before she darts away, Wolf's nodding head)

-: The first guy Ken walks past in the station looks kinda incongruous with everything else.

+++: Lovely use of silhouettes in the death scene

++: and I really like the ghost walking away there.

++++: Well suited music throughout.

--: Ken losing his job for being late seems a bit far fetched.

--: The whole 'cop who does stuff his own way' is a bit cliche.

--: We don't really have a handle on Ken by the end of this.

overall
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As it is, Ken isn't as interesting a character as he could be, and we're uncertain of his motivations.

I'm rating this as if you'd never make another episode. A lot of set-up here and the series has yet to fully pull itself out of cliche land.

My favourite part was probably the death-bed scene. Whilst I wasn't too keen on the voice for the younger ken, the graphics you used, combined with the music, tugged at my heart strings.

I do think you did a brilliant job of setting up the series and I eagerly await episode 2. This has the potential to be an awesome series.

[SuperPope Episode 1]

I'd like more characterisation...

selected aspects (rated from ----- to +++++)
(note: I'm not rating everything or trying to break the flash up into constituent parts. Just giving you an idea of how good/bad I consider the points I mention.)
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-------: I /HATE/ the automatic starting of music when a movie has loaded. If we're watching something else (or listening to something else) and having it load in the bg, it's an inconvenience that just needn't exist.

++: Quiz - very thoughtful. And I like the comments you make when we answer correctly.

-/2: Maybe it'd have been nice to have had a tally of correct answers and wrong guesses?

+++++: Highly competent, stylish graphics. Very simplified, with some nice detail (birds at start), near-flawless animation for the most part and interesting stylish effects (like the water).

---: I couldn't make out most of the speech. You could have had optional subtitles, maybe?

---: I understand it may have not been the intent of the original movie, but I'd have liked a bit more characterisation.

--: The whole religion thing was barely touched upon.

++: I liked the poking at the end.

overall
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Really, I felt the stylish graphics carried this piece. They were very nice, but I'd have liked some story and faster action as well.

[Say Something!]

Fun. But should have been faster.

selected aspects (rated from ----- to +++++)
(note: I'm not rating everything or trying to break the flash up into constituent parts. Just giving you an idea of how good/bad I consider the points I mention.)
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+++: the graphic of the guy turning red

--: the slow shot as he turned red.

+++: the above guy and the idiot-clicking section brought some story to a thing that might have otherwise seemed repetitive.

--: animation is a bit minimal e.g. above bit, part as smileys fall out of truck...

++: way the smileys multiply near to the start.

++: the flashing colours and bg patterns suit it v. well.

+++: song is very 'clever' mix and explores both the over-crowding of those smileys and the irritating aspect, whilst staying slightly funky.

+++: I like the explanation w. original samples.

overall
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I'd have liked the animation to be faster throughout. Even more multiple mc instance at once, more animated during the truck-scene and first angry scene (you could have zoomed into different parts of the dude or something, shown his throbbing vein...)

It was enjoyable though and overall it made me smile.

rtil responds:

i made it in 2 days and had no idea how big of a response it would get it was a minor project and nothing i was going to strain the details on