Galneda's movie Reviews on Newgrounds

[Shower Products for Men]

lol! Hilarious!

It's great you even have a scene select in this! It was all around very funny and entertaining. Yeah, yeah, a little Power-thirsty, but completely it's own parody. Sometimes I feel like some of those hygene products advertisements aren't too far off from the truth ever since Old Spice started doing their absurdly ridiculously hardcore advertisements...hell, if Idiocracy is any indication, we may very well see stuff as hardcore as the "Shower Hammer" or "Badass Aromas" in store! (no offense to you, of course)

All it needs is a soundtrack. Hit up the Audio Portal and throw in some music into this, because that's all it really needs! I laughed out loud at a couple of the visual and dialogue gags, including, but not limited to the facial expressions and the idea of getting shaved by a space-ship/razor with jetpacks. The pace started waning out around the Genie Soap skit...what I mean by that is by the time it got to the Genie Soap, you're just kinda like "Eh...come on." ...like, I don't know how else to explain it, other than something needs to happen around that transition to break up the pace, otherwise the audience is just CONSTANTLY being bombarded by manlyisms. Yes, that's the point of the animation, but something to switch it up would've been good just to give the audience some breathing room, and to prevent the entire flash to seem like one giant run-on sentence...much like this paragraph. lol

I have to ask, what program's did you use to animate this? Was it ALL in flash? Additionally, what part of the flash did you have the most fun doing, and what was the most difficult part for you?

Thanks, and good job! Voted Five

Chag responds:

Awesome Review man, much appreciated =]

I'll defiantly work on pacing and things like that next time around, it's been mentioned a few times. (or everyone just has really short attention spans)

Music I considered as well, but decided against in the end for a couple of reasons... Something I may reconsider later on.

All the cartoons were done in Flash and all the Typography in AfterEffects, that's why it rendered out blurry... Which was a shame, I just wanted to take a crack at assembling an entire film in AE really.

Most fun part? Probably the Lightspeed 3000 ad. Particularly because the entire segment came together in one massive 18 hour sitting. Draining, but interesting to be so completely focused on just one project for so long

Most difficult would have to be right at the beginning of 'Shower Hammer' for some reason I hit a block there and just didn't get round to working on the movie for about a full 2 months.

Thanks again! =]

[Madness :: Smoking Kills]

That was impressively creative!

The beginning had a slight chop to it, but the familiar scene was spiced by the creative license taken in the goon's death. When it bullet-time reversed through pivotal scenes in OTHER Madness episodes, I grinned from ear to ear! :D

Not only was it impressively executed, it looked great too! The sounds were all around well-chosen in further making the badass sequence more spectacular.

While I would've been quick to point out the inconsistency that, though it was just established the shot went through a tree AND through a train car before reaching the goon at the building, from the perspective of his scope, none of those obstacles can be seen...but when he centered on the two near minuscule flicks of the lighter, and took the shot, I started cheesing again because let's face it...that was so awesome it makes up for the inconsistency...at the very least because I perceived a nod to a Brock Sampson quote.

Great job! I'm jealous with how seamless and smooth your 3D looks in this! Keep up the great work, and happy Madness Day! Voted 5!

io3creations responds:

I'm glad you enjoyed it so much! :D

Yeah, I know about the inconsistencies you mentioned. The sniper shot in "Wanted" inspired my little movie. At the last minute I decided that it might be a good idea to do a 'forward' shot at the end. Only did I realize later, as you also mentioned, the train might block the view near the time of the shot but by then I didn't really want to change things. This is MADNESS after all! :D

[Titanomachina]

Holy shit! :O

Hands down, this is the most impressively detailed and animated mech flash I've yet to see!

It could've used some burly, chunky sound effects to help spice it up; Crunches, grinding, whirr's, and metallic cable-whips and the likes...actually, really, ANY sound effects. Helicopters, stomping, car's hauling ass across the desert, etc, etc...

The music could've been chosen better too in my opinion...something more action-packed or heavier, and less like a jazzy hookah bar; I can understand the lumbering pace parallels with the giant, lumbering titans in this, but it shouldn't be calm and serene yoga soundtracks while a giant robot is BLOWING SHIT UP and obliterating a gigantic rock monster into kitty litter with it's cable fists. In the beginning? When it was still establishing the beast, and he was just moseying down the dune? That would've been a perfect fit. But the audio needs to keep up with what's going on visually...which, incidentally, the visuals were awesomely flawless.

Fived and Faved! Way to go in bumping up the standards for Robot Day's here on out at nose-bleed heights! :D

[Burning Gundam v.s Barney]

OMG

I appreciate this so much more after have taken Maya. Last semester I took Rendering 1, this semester I did Rendering II and Animaton I, had to drop because I completely overloaded, and was lagging behind in my 3D classes.

I mean, I had difficulties texturing geometric furniture in a "Render a room with desks and shit" assignment...let alone something as complex as a Gundam, with noticeable glossy eye lenses, completely changing Gold, or something as organic as the Barney model. The city in the background wasn't too complex, but it didn't need to be. The premise was hilarious enough on it's own, and that probably goes BOUNDS beyond your classmates, who would likely pull off incredibly simplistic, boring, minimal animations.

I APPRECIATE shit like this...even if G Gundam was my least favorite of the Gundam series (08th MS Team ftw, but they probably couldn't decimate Barney as effectively XD)

You're very skilled! Keep up the great work, and pump some polygonal iron! Voted 5!

Chakra-X responds:

Thank you very much! This was my first time taking 3D and it's incredible how much work goes in to it even though there are much less drawings than traditional animation. And thanks for pointing Barney out too, I actually spent a decent amount of time trying to get his face right, but since he's not as detailed as the Gundam, people think he's not as "good" for some reason? Keep up the 3D work!

[Steamboat Pico]

It was alright.

Steamboat Willy was animated by a little under-appreciated GENIUS animator named Ub Iwerks. What made the original Steamboat Willy so monumental, though, was it was the first film, let alone animation, to ever implement sound effects with the musical score.

By no means am I comparing this to it apart from the fact that it's a parody; in fact I loved Pico's overreaction to Nene...but I'm sharing the bit of trivia because, ironically, the LACK of additional sound effects hurt the flash.

It wouldn't have been the hardest thing in the world to distort the sounds of sub-machine guns, rocket launch, and explosion on it's own. Without the additional sound effects, the additional animation doesn't sync properly with the existing sound-track, weakening it's effect.

It also could have been longer, but for TWO DAYS of work, this isn't all that bad. I was still entertained, and I think the premise of an oldschool, post-Great Depression Pico should be built upon...I mean, if you really took a trip back in time and saw how Mickey behaved when Iwerks was at the helm, he was kind of an adventurous asshole...sort of like Pico! lol

Voted 5. Happy Pico Day!

[Operation: Graveyard]

Very well animated!

It could've used sound effects. Voice overs weren't necessary for this, as the dialogue was pretty brief, but the dialogue could've been written better; it was very redundant. "Get her!" "Get rid of her!" "Take care of her!" "I'll summon the demon!" "and now I'll summon the demon!" "Summon the demons!" y'know what I mean? Could've been more creative.

Also, the initial fight scene with all the goths was choppy. Watch it's pace and you'll see what I mean...the fight doesn't have fluid progression, it's just very paced...one action, stop, another action, stop. It didn't seem to be very human OR very choreographed. It's just something to keep an eye out for that I don't think any other reviewer is going to point out because they're overwhelmed by the sheer quality of the animation. Don't get me wrong, it's fantastic! But you could benefit more from criticism than slurp-slurps.

There were moments of spectacular animated sequences in this, and it gives Nene justice...another Pico Day submission well-done!

[Madness Combat 6.5]

Less Mustard N' Ketchup, More Madness! I love it.

In the last one, my criticism was mostly that Madness had gone so out of control that it lost it's routes; the humble beginnings when there was just the nameless protagonist against an assload of people, ripping them apart with an array of weapons all in the name for something silly. The mutation thing was just a little too "wtf" and I feared it was about to go downhill from lack of consistency.

Instead of resolving what happened to scorpion-armed-resurrected-Hank and the giant "Devil" figure, we're introduced to two seemingly all new counterparts against the nameless evil antagonist entity.

...and oddly enough, it's kind of better that way.

I mean, yeah I still want to know how that showdown ended. And yeah, I wanted to see how that "Devil" figure fought against mortals, as he gave Jesus a bit of a hard time...but these characters were lively and a little more interesting. What was the turning point that really made me come around to them was the goofy scene where they were trying out clothes; they just stop in the middle of all this carnage and just start shopping, and trying stuff out! It was whacky, and I think it was closer to Madness' roots where it isn't taking itself so grotesquely seriously.

I can get behind some straight-faced action, mind you, but when the violence is to this much of a scale, I think it works best with a little tongue-in-cheek. And as far as primary weapons are concerned, a grenade launcher + Bren gun combo is goddamned beastly...so much so that I think these two are the cleanest getaways in going in, fucking everyone up, and leaving alive.

Team-work has been a focal point of the series for a long time...kind of odd when it used to be just one man, but I kinda like this new emphasis; It's healthier for the series in my opinion. But what isn't healthier for the series are dispensable protagonist.

At least these guys lived, mind-you...but what was their motivation to start ripping people apart. They had lively, visible personalities in how observant they were, or in the aforementioned shopping scene, but why are they there, and who were they coming from. Perhaps we'll find out where they'll be flying to later...Maybe even get names to accommodate these surviving badasses; Hank, although dying several times, probably could use some additional manpower.

If a cast is being built up, I think I would love it more. I'm having difficulty connecting consistency between this and....Ohhhh 6.5...as in, before 8 and 9. So these were the same guys that kind-of came in out of nowhere, with the meat-hook guy, and released "The Hanken" (Titans joke) and... Ahh. This would've been very useful before the release of that episode, but whatevs :P

Still, it's got good pace. It's not going outside of it's own style, but it isn't pushing any boundaries; there's nothing new really thrown into the mix. The two protagonists here are still pretty interesting to watch...and based on the beginning of the latest one in the canon, they still have to somehow acquire a truck and a meat-hook. I'm looking forward to the next prequel, but I'm also looking forward to closure with the Weirdness that will inevitably be addressed, that is the mutated Hank and the giant evil one with the Halo.

What kept it from being a 10
-Nothing new/No boundaries pushed

I don't mind non-linear storytelling, I was just confused early on, that's all. Still voted 5, keep up the great work that you do!

[Katan]

Phenomenal!

I recall seeing a video on youtube of the frame-by-frame sequencing of the scene where they were building the temple; pointing at the map, as the perspective beside the temple pans upward. Even then it looked like a fantastic animation, and I wanted to see more. When I saw the 46x46 icon at the bottom in place for the Daily 1st (gratz!) I thought I knew what to expect.

What I DIDN'T expect was all the epicness that ensued, with the theft of the skull, the traps, and the adventure of the lone worker.

The animation is smooth, and pro-grade! I'm relieved you took your time on it...with delays after delays, the flash is a testament to the product of patience. It all went with the music very well, it's well-crafted all around.

Moreover, something I've been expirementing with lately, you keep it language-less, which breaches international boundaries. A very broad audience could appreciate this character's interactions, and the ancient subject matter/setting makes it easily accessible for the audience.

I can't find any faults with it. Maybe a little more INITIAL exposure to the deity that gave the artifact it's importance could have been valuable, but it's not necessary. It progressed smoothly, gained a conflict, and had a brilliant resolve; the good guy came back on top despite his selfless sacrifice, and the villain got what's coming to him.

Great story! Great Animation! Looks phenomenal!

Keep it up, no matter how long it takes. That thing ain't gonna animate itself, y'know? Fav'd and Fived.

[Super Smash]

The bad reviews are just unappreciation of TALENT!

The animation style is impressive and phenomenal! Because you took such creative license to each character's designs, you could easily get away with adding this to your portfolio, and rake in some professional work.

It was an epic super-hero comic sprung to life. Bowser looks imposing and threatening, and by increasing his size to an almost Godzilla magnitude made the fight that much more interesting to watch.

There were many uses of gradients in this, and not a one of them were bad. The best use, in my opinion, was Bowser's blackened face to red mane. As we're accustomed to Bowser's face abundant with features, the black void starting from his snout to all around his face adds emphasis to his whitened eyes...definitely one of the coolest versions of Bowser I've seen. Instead of fireballs, he shoots particle beams, for Christ's sake. How can anyone not love it?

Luigi has had quite a bit of justice done to his design as well. From just a background, under appreciated side-kick in the past, risen to almost offensively gay in recent years (cite: Luigi's Mansion, Super Smash Bros. Brawl), but the image you've depicted is redeemable for him. He contrasts with Mario completely, and you've given him an incredible amount of character, all without using any dialogue whatsoever...which, in itself, is an impressive feat. The pointy ears wasn't a trait that I outright loved, but I can deal with it.

Mario went from fat to ripped badass, and it totally works! The mushroom tattoo was a great touch, and he ditched the overalls for bare-chest brawling like a MAN. The facial hair for both characters was well-chosen, though I personally would've kept some form of mustache thicker than what was chosen, to truly pay homage to Mario's trademark man-stache. The detail never stole my attention away from the fight, I'm just nit-picking.

Toad was designed well, and through his body language, has a character that parallels closer with the content they're based on than any of the other characters in the animation. Still, he's noticeably different, and serves as a compitent, and necessary assist in the fight.

Peach, in my eyes, is, and always has been a bitch. Sure, the first time she was a damsel in distress, and may have genuinely needed saving, but when it happens time after time after time, you begin to suspect that she either gets something out of the attention, or is enticed from the fact that Mario has to put up with a tremendous amount of bullshit to save her...or in an even deeper end of the spectrum, sort-of likes it when Bowser bones her against her will. Especially since it's demonstrated that she can fight, and hold her own VERY well in Smash Bros. I laughed out loud when she was cast aside in mid-cling, the slut.

I remember scoping out some of the negative reviews in here, bitching about it ain't Mario, because the "real" Mario uses a hammer instead of a wrench. He's a GODDAMN PLUMBER. The wrench was a good call.

The backgrounds were detailed incredibly well. Gritty with texture, and colorful. In the middle of the fight, it effectively broadcasted the illusion of depth and immersion. Was every single background imported through Photoshop? Combined with intensive frame-by-frame vectors, THAT probably took up a hefty amount in the filesize.

I'm surprised you didn't coordinate with Tom Fulp to see if he could allow you an increased file-size cap for this submission, like what he'll do occasionally for Adam Phillips (Bitey of Brackenwood author.) Then you wouldn't have needed to sacrifice audio quality, preloaders, or credits.

In fact, it's those qualities that keep me from giving you a perfect 10 in the review. Additionally, sound effects could've added a deeper sense of immersion for the audience, and there were many, MANY opportunities to do so. Explosions, stomps, crashes, crumbling, clangs...I could come up with onomatopoeia's all day, but you get the point.

Even voice overs would've been a great addition, but they weren't necessary. I support the absence of dialogue; it let's the audience become international.

Voted 5!

[Hitchhiker Helen Animatic]

Right-on, it's good you're conceptualizing.

It's always a good idea to have a rough outline of what the final product will look like. Storyboards are one way to do it, through visual medians, but animatics can explain certain actions better than a storyboard at specific times; it's all situational.

Since we, the audience, don't have a script, storyboard, or anything else to work with to know where the story's going, I gotta ask...is that how the animation will end? Rock abruptly stops near edge of the cliff, and the force of inertia catapults the bunny into the adventurer girl propelling them both into the body of water?

We got the conflict, but that's sort of a weak climax...I feel like I watched the first 1/4th of a short animation. Although I was prepared for corners cut in the visuals, I wasn't prepared for corners cut in the content.

If you just wanted to show your friend the animatic, you could've uploaded it to NG's dump, and sent him the unique web address through a PM or an email, but since you uploaded this to the flash portal, I'm assuming you're looking for constructive criticism.

Music's good. Sound effects are acceptable. I would revise the bunnies extreme-close-up paw, and make it look less carnivorous and more like a bunnies paw...or if not that, make it more cartoony and anthropomorphic..I would just ditch the emphasis on the claws (yes, I know they have claws IRL, but they aren't like cat's claws)

Moreover the woman's shrieks were shrill and sure annoying. Huffing while running, while occasionally looking over her shoulder with an "OH NO!" "shiiiit!" or just the OCCASIONAL scream would suffice; all things in moderation. Plus, you'd think if she was sprinting ahead, screaming at that CONSTANT RATE would exhert too much energy. Again, it's a cartoon, so you got room to be whacky...I'd just tone it down a bit for the sake of being less annoying.

Additionally, you could up the funny by having the Bunny scream only when exposed from the rock. "AAhh!!-...aaAAAhhh!!-...aaAAAAhhh!!-
..." Y'know? Like a merry-go-round of PAIN.

Good effort; submit the finished product when you're done!