FourSwordsKing's movie Reviews on Newgrounds

['inhaler']

Oh, dear God...

I'm kind of afraid to review this, all by my lonesome. But I'll try nonetheless.

So, to start it all off: I don't know what animation programs you were using and what type of process you used, whether it was just the regular, more to terms today type of animation where you just drawing it frame by frame on your computer or if it was the more authentic version of scrap paper and shipping it over to some Asian country to where the animation is actually done (but in this case, I guess you guys are the Asians). I know the whole point of the movie was to animate something in less than a day, but in 4 hours: a 25 second or less film that didn't even slightly raise my spirits? That's just relentless.

Once the man had sniffed the coffee cup up to his nose, I was expecting some type of punchline from the guy who was staring; watching this guy with a dead-eye look---eyes that could break your soul easy. So I watched for 3 seconds....4....5....okay, so it's at 6, bu- what the fuck just happened? That's it!? I just had as little emotion left in me as the two characters in this short.

Now, although the characters seemed to fail to emote something to me, they were kind of well drawn in this case. I don't know if the whole...what, wrinkled paper? look was what you were going for, but it seemed to add to the bland effect of the short.

Overall, I just wanted more. Now that I read your author's comments COMPLETELY, embarassingly enough, I see that you say this is only part of the animation. I'm not sure if that means there is more or whether you were just lying in general. Some may think my review is a little brutal considering that you're probably using (I'm hoping) a little more advanced things than just regular ol' Flash CSwhatever the hell they're at now. If your goal is to complete one in less than a day, then shouldn't you give yourself a little bit more time to clean it up a bit? You have another 20 hours to go...why not do a little bit of maid service?

Ham-head responds:

Thanks for the review. I'm sorry that you didn't like it. I made it by myself. It is a stand alone thing, my friends animated their own individual shorts. I'm sorry that you didn't understand the humour or stylistic choices. It was meant to be rushed because it was simply just a quick animation exercise we wanted to try, I wasn't looking for beautiful animation here. By the way, from your review it seems as though you have very little understanding of the use of animation for anything other than cheap jokes and internet humour. Sorry.

[~Play~]

Bravo.

You have very well respected the matter of what needs to go on into a friendship, although I do see this as not your necessity for a goal. It kind of breaks my heart, to be quite honest, as the entire thing just shows how much of a pity my life, your life, hell, probably everyone's life is until they actually try to go out and enjoy their lives and live for the moment with friends and family. This just shows how much of a charming aspect the theme is.

Although I am sincerely touched by the scene of heartfelt companionship, I do believe it is in order for me to say that this could you some work. The whole scene of the woods they are running around in, chasing after each other, just looks to be very well pieces of cardboard cutouts that you could buy off any local market that happens to have some for sale on Christmas (give give give, get get get). It's too much of a blur at times that it puts too much of an unbalanced contrast between the characters and what environment they're interacting in. A little avant-garde, perhaps? The trees are basically looking like they have no clutch on a ground-based reality; a 3-D ratio. The background is looking like it's just there to be a pretty little thing.

Also, you left out something (although easily fixed by just right-clicking and pressing play in the bar): a replay button once the movie is finished (for that second-time over audience). Perhaps you left it out just for the purpose of it being a project movie? I don't know. But it's still a matter to be delt with.

Bravo, a second time through. Such a wonderful masterpiece you have commited to this proud community and all the wonderfuly things going on around you. I look forward to seeing what's in store for your next movie.

Cheers.

RiverJordan responds:

Hey lil man! That was an awesome review :)

Didn't realize that play issue, I'll fix that!

Also, as you were mentioning the whole living in the moment, pity peoples lives thing. You should go watch the movie "The Secret", It changed my life, and now every day is better than the last, everything is perfect!

:D

[The First Christmas]

Left out a few things.

I do agree with VoxDeo on all things. The audio needed some cleaning up obviously, and the entire deal sort of actually gave me a view of religious tolerance among beings (of course, I follow the same biblical sense as the animation showed above). The only thing that I think you had off was the whole story. If I remember correctly, it was an Angel that came down from Heaven, telling the 3 Bishops to go to Bethlehem and give gifts to the child of God. Also, I think that it was a star that guided them there, not just the Angel or God (whoever you were picturing) telling them to go to Bethlehem and somehow they find their way there through the pitch black darkness of the night. You got the message across to me though. I salute your efforts and, throughout these hard times and countless endeavors of our nation, wish you a "Merry Christmas."

DvorakStudios responds:

I have heard many different versions of the story. One involving a child finding his way into a cave one night to find Jesus (or the Saviour) sleeping in a carved log of wood, another involves three angels trying to find a gift for Christ to give him on his birth. The animation above has the version of several shepherds (I have three but a number was never given) being informed of the Saviors birth by an angel and visiting him that night. Later in the story, it reads that Wise men (again, no specific number given) visits Christ two years later by fallowing a star to give him three gifts. I might do that second part this year. Thanks for your version, though! :D Were did you here it? It sounds very similar to another religious story I read... Thanks for your review and Merry Christmas!!!

[Hammer & Fail]

Mind-blowing.

You sure out-did yourself with this project. Although, god, I REALLY hate to be doing this: just a few things.

Here we go...(not quoting Bud Light)....

~Animation~
Sure enough, you pushed and pulled until you got this project out of the gutter. I'm getting surprised almost every time you put out a new piece of work for the general audience of newgrounds. What I mean by that is that every time you do this, you seem to be shockingly better than any other submission that's put out on the day. The affect of it wares off, shure enough, but you leave a lasting impression to about a month's worth of work.

~Voice acting~
Jesus, I mean...this just made me blink like I was paralyzed to the screen in a slow-motion Matrix scene; mind-blowing, to say the least. All of you guys; Edd, Eddache, Chris, Harry---all of you have definitely put some work into this (although I don't know if I should be putting Harry in on this, considering he was listed under the "Music" contribution).

~Artwork~
Simple, compelling, different---the three words that describe this work. Yes, the styles that you use is what I would like to see change from time-to-time, but I'm guessing that I'll have to deal with what I can get. So, whenever you get a chance, break free of this cartoonish bond between your drawing utensil (guessing you use a tablet) and form a few different bonds with other styles of art.

I'm trying to obliterate the useless-ness of this review by getting through to the main criterias of a movie. That's what really matters I think. Don't remember to tinker around with the different techniques that are used all around newgrounds and godspeed to you, dear sir.

Overall: 10/10, 5/5.

eddsworld responds:

Woah, thanks for the big review! Glad you liked it :D

[Animation Kills]

Well, a few quirks, yes...

When there's a basic black & white movie like this, I just knew that it just couldn't be perfect. I wish that I could say that it was perfect...but no....just no.

First off, the artwork itself wasn't that great. Yeah, it's definitely better than mine, by far. I was expecting more though. I could tell that you were using symbols by what was there in the different parts of the character. The head, body, etc.

Now, the animation also applies to what I said above. You were becoming too reliable on the symbols. For instance, when he was bending his knees, you could definitely tell when the lower legs and upper legs seperated. It's a very sad fact indeed....

Also, please, I beg you, PLEASE add music next time. It's just annoying when you listen to just sound effects over and over again.

Good job overall. Please work on this in the future.

Overall: 6/10, 3/5.

Soupcat responds:

Neih...It was just something quick to get me animating again.
It's gonna stay like this forever.

[Tankmen Memories]

Pretty good.

The concept of the story was overall pretty good, but I didn't really get was going on at first. With no voice actors or anything of the sort, I just couldn't really get what the hell what was going on. I finally understood a little bit later.

The artwork need a hell of a lotta work on the living man....or just the characters in general. There shoulder's were way to broadened out for their body size and it looked like it just cut off to their necks. Not to mention the background could've used a little bit more work. I know the entire idea was probably something like sepiatone or black&white, but still. A little more effort would've been appreciated.

Pretty good though.

Overall: 8/10, 4/5.

DisobeyMe responds:

Yeah, black and white people really is my thing. xD

[Luigi's Castle Calamity]

Ah, yes. The fan works.

I'm sorry, but I'm not so much a fan of these kind of works at all. They're just rip-offs of what could be full-blown potential of a talented animator wasting his/her time on the little things of, "what other fans care about" or "if he/she did this, then I could." You know what I classify this as?

Complete. Bullshit.

I mean, I don't see what the big deal is with these kind of things. They're just over-shown works that show no originality at all. These all pique my curiosity, yes, but they all end in the same result: as boring as the original was the 3rd time watching.

I'm sorry man, but this is just wrong. I'm sure that there's many more regions of imagination to explore than just fan-work.

5/10, 3/5.

JosephAS1 responds:

Read The Description... dick! ¬.¬

[The KH Chronicles 1.2.]

Loading Bar broken?

Is it me, or is the loading bar for this movie broken? It didn't even get half-way through the entire bar and it said it was loaded. Ah well. I don't think that you'll be able to fix it now. But, other than that, since it's just one tiny little error in there, this was overall a pretty good movie. I liked the concept and the writing throughout all of this. The humor could've been a little crude and not as funny at times as others, but it was overall great writing. Good job.

8/10, 4/5.

RiverJordan responds:

I think its cuz i stretched the NG loading bar a LOT longer than it should've been, many of my older movies were like that :P

[Patchman: Robo-Rival]

It's different.

It's not really what I expected at all. Of course, I suppose that you were pressed for time. Were you wanting to keep pushing this forward or was this original plan in the first place?

Anyway, the idea is pretty cute. Simple Mario Kart reference, and a robot wanting to kill patchman in the end. Although, I know it's the whole point of the entire movie, but just one stab on his shoulder (or so it seemed to LOOK like his shoulder)....don't you think that's just a little.....over-the-top stupid?

The artwork's amazing though. It didn't really make me laugh that much though. I just chuckled a few times. So, humor's not really in there for me.

Overall: 4/5, 8/10

RiverJordan responds:

Patchman is over the top stupid, all of em are!

[Dental Appointment]

Pretty good.

Not your best by far. The voice acting seemed to be a bit awry, like there's not enough experience there to play the parts of the dentist, the tooth, or the man himself. Also, it was sort of short (I know it's only been a month or longer since your last long animation but still). I would've liked to see just a bit more effort put forth into this.

eddsworld responds:

Don't look too much into it, i'm working on other stuff. Also Harry's voice acting kind of overshadowed us guys, haha. But, this was only intended as a side thing. Hope you got something out of watching it though!