DocMonster's movie Reviews on Newgrounds

[Sonic Blind Hero 3]

Needs Work

The Good: The sprites and sound! The sprite customizing was done pretty well and the backgrounds looked great. When there was sound and sound effects, they worked well.

The Bad: Animation! In the opening scene, there are two moving sprites, but they float a bit too much. Find a solid anchor point for them so when they're supposed to be moving in place, they stay in the same spot. There is also hardly any real animation to be found in this piece; there are too many static figures which makes it boring to look at.

The Ugly: Pacing! This piece would also benefit a great deal from voice acting. The story drags too much and becomes very boring. Having to space bar between all the dialogue only makes it worse. Even if you don't have a mic, check the Voice Acting Club in the Clubs and Crews forum. They'll be able to send you sound files you can simply add to your cartoon once you send them the script with some direction on how to read the lines. A good voice actor could help make your cartoon more interesting.

I can appreciate the effort and the story you're trying to tell, but this piece falls short. I wish you the best of luck on your next project.

LukasSTF responds:

Thanks for the review, yes i do have a mic but voices will be a change in the flash and most people may not like it.

[Megaman X OLB ep.5]

I'm Judging On A Sprite Bias ...

... mainly because I like WELL MADE sprite cartoons! This entire series is an excellent example of that!

Time and time again you prove your directorial superiority by telling an excellent dramatic story visually. Your use of slow motion, close-ups and filling the scene with action truly sets this series apart from most sprite toons on NG.

Your choices of music truly carry the scenes and add another level of intrigue that augments the visuals. My one crit on the music is that it cuts out one too many times. Try adding a fade when segueing between scenes.

Your voice actors are EXCELLENT! Their voices truly drew me into the characters. They conveyed the emotions well and are truly a GREAT asset to your work. The only minor disappointment was that the music made them hard to hear at times. When they are speaking, drop the volume a few ticks so they can be heard. Also, there were long gaps in conversations. Try to tighten up the reaction times in the dialogue to make the story and the scenes run more smoothly.

Overall, this was an EXCELLENT episode! You told your story, you told it well and it didn't feel too short, rushed or overlong. You're a talent worth keeping an eye on. Just don't forget us li'l folk when you become one of the popular authors on NG! ;)

Kaosboy85 responds:

DocMonster, the man who influenced me to reach for greatness! I truelly have to say that I couldn't have done this without you. Yeah, I would have improved with time regardless, but your comments made me want to achieve that next level, whether or not I have even gotten to that level yet, staying at your level of expectation keeps my drive going. And when/if I ever do become a popular author on NG I def wont forget where I came from... the good ol sprite club!:-p Talk to you soon!

[Megaman X OLB ep.4]

Solid Vote 5 Material!

Your natural ability to balance drama and humour never ceases to amaze me. There were some great one liners coupled with raw, tense moments. Your sense of visual storytelling is second to none as quintessentially demonstrated in the flashback scene that ends with the close-up of the eye. Awesome! I feel I've finally crossed-over from impressed professional to hardcore fan. As long as you keep producing Flash projects, any Flash projects, I'll be sure to watch them. I wish you all the best for Ep. 5 and beyond! Cheers!

Kaosboy85 responds:

I thankyou as always Doc, and that complament about your cross over means alot. I'm also glad you liked my moments of levity to lighten up the tension. If you keep watching I'll keep producing!

[Megaman X OLB Trailer]

Now THAT'S A Trailer!!!

Most folks on NG create "trailers" because they think they're easy and don't require a lot of skill or storytelling. That's why most fail.

This trailer does what any great trailer should do - it builds anticipation. I find myself needing to know how these rules come into play, who's going to break them and who's going to restore order. By your previous installments of this series, anyone who has watched it knows you mean business and the much anticipated Episode 4 WILL be out on the 25th. I wish you nothing but continued success on this exceptional series. Cheers!

Kaosboy85 responds:

As always thankyou for the support doc. Though it may not show in the scores, I'm very happy with the way it came out and am glad that you and the others with a valid opinion are happy with it as well. I hope to get a good turn out on the 25th.

[Sw_whine 0]

Another Madness Tribute

For the million or so Madness tributes that have been uploaded to the Portal, this one is the most impressive. The animation is slick and the sound effects are spot on. The use of close-ups really spiced up the visual storytelling. There wasn't much of a plot, but then again, when has Madness needed one? It's all about wholesale slaughter and this piece delivers.

Overall, I think you did a good job with this. Keep it up!

WelliHousu responds:

Thanks :)

[Hunter Zero Ep.1]

Exceptional!

There are only a handful of amazing sprite animators on NG and you're one of them! Your sprites are clean, the animation is smooth, the backgrounds are SHWEET!, you're pacing is excellent and the story is compelling. You've hit all the right beats to make this one awesome piece of work! Keep it up and thanks for the entertainment!

CheveLoco responds:

No, thank you for the review!. It seems like most people liked this flash, I'll work harder in episode 2 to get it out as soon as i can and make it way better than this one. Thanx for the review!

[Tomato's Sombrero]

Better Than Most Beginners

This piece really isn't too shabby. You animate well with Flash and your artwork is slick and pleasing to the eye.

Next time, be sure to add a background. It will give your cartoon more depth and a more professional look. Also, your sound quality is a bit hammered. Try increasing the bit rate and / or the kHz to make it sound clearer.

Overall, I think you did a pretty good job. I look forward to watching you improve. Best of luck!

juggmo responds:

What you've said sums up what everone else has pretty much said. Thank you all for the encouragment and helpful tips. I've messed with photoshop forever, I guess I just carried it over to flash.

[Megaman X OLB ch.1]

In A Word ... EXCELLENT!!!

I'm truly at a loss for something to write! For a series that was great to begin with, you've made vast improvements on it and have really outdone yourself! Not only did a great deal of time and talent go into this, but so did a great deal of thought.

The chapter selection screen is second to none I've seen on NG! The brief description boxes that pop up when a button is rolled over are slick and give a tight synopsis of what's to be expected. Brilliant! Though not technically a "game", I also liked the sprite click 'n' stick! Well done!

There's nothing more to be said about your story and its execution that I haven't said in previous reviews. It never fails to entertain nor does it lose the audience's interest! You impressively balance your visuals with your text which shows a great knack for direction.

I see you becoming a legend on NG! Keep making us proud!

Kaosboy85 responds:

Hey doc, i've been leaving my response to you for last since at this stage I think your review can be considered one of the most important ones. Thank you for unyeilding support with my flashes and for being an inspiration to keep that flash fire alive in me. Of everyone on NG I think you have had the most chance to watch and see my abilities grow, and I thankyou for that. With yours and everyone else's support I hope I do become that legend you speak of that will make you all proud. Thankyou as always for your comments and don't worry I'll get a real sprite game up there once I learn actionscript instead of fake it:-p

[Flying Rocks]

Good Stuff

It's not often there's a satisfying short on NG. I found this funny in its random acts of violence. The fact that the rocks just come out of nowhere is what made me laugh out loud. I think the sound effects were spot on and the animation wasn't too shabby. The lack of holding lines made the artwork look pretty slick.

The walk cycle was off. When the left arm swings forward, the right leg is supposed to swing forward and vice versa. This had the left arm moving forward with the left leg and so on. Also, you don't need to have your copyright info up on the cartoon the whole time. It's distracting. The best place for it would be the screen where your play button is. If you feel you must have it up on the screen the whole time, place it at the bottom right of the screen where it's not such an eyesore.

Overall, I thought this was a great effort and worth watching a few times. You've got talent and a good head for comedy. Best of luck on your next project!

DemonEye responds:

Guh... i KNEW there was going to be something wrong with that.... Walking animations are REAL pain in the ass.

[Megaman X OLB ep.3]

"Oh shi ..."

That line from the piece sums up how I feel about this latest installment. You never cease to improve on these episodes and you already started with high marks on the first one! I thought this particular episode started off great with a bit of humour and really worked on creating a feeling of hopelessness without becoming redundant with the battle scenes. The ending leaves the audience hanging which is the bread and butter of episodic storytelling. I'm very impressed with your work and look forward to seeing this story unfold. Excellent stuff!

Kaosboy85 responds:

Thank you very much Doc! Coming from a talented flash artist like yourself (I've checked out your site) your review put a smile on my face and makes me feel good to know that at least one person is able to understand the atmosphere that i've been tring to set with this flash. Thanks again for your time and I hope I can raise the bar again in my skill with ep4.