BaconisGood4You's movie Reviews on Newgrounds

[Toonimated Shorts]

On the right track, but not worth watching 2/5

You've got some nice shorts, but they are not worth submitting like this.

The directing and concepts are decent, nothing great, but not bad. They seem not like stand alone shorts, but practices that you did to work on your timing. They also did not fit together at all, in theme, pacing, etc. Not a unified piece at all.

The art, obviously, is great. You've got a real nice cartooning style that feels classic but also modern. Like a mix of Merry Melodies, Luis, and Joe Cartoon.

The animation, on the other hand, is pretty primitive. There is little understanding of weight, timing, or the principals of animation. Not too sound to harsh, of course, but it can use alot of work. I recommend the Animators Survival Kit (buy it, don't just take it out from a library), and if you own it already, take your time and read through it and have it as reference while you're animating. Basically my criticism is that you just draw every frame as it would look in reality, you don't squash and stretch or break characters. You don't cushion movement (move your finger forward, see if you just instantly stop and don't pull back), etc.

I really, REALLY, want to see a well thought out piece from you, not something just slapped together. A real cartoon, not a series of unrelated and disjointed practices. I also see so much potential in your animation, you've got a great sense of how things look in 3D space, now just make 'em move with character.

Toonimated responds:

Well I've read most of the book, Animators Survival Kit, but due the fact I was just practicing, I didn't want to make every single frame; therefore animated at 16fps, so squashing images and stretch would look far too exaggerated. Anyhow, I did this for fun :| and don't you people overuse the finger example from Mr. Williams XD

[Coleoptera Bibliophile]

3/5

Well, I have to warn you I'm very biased against this film, but I'll try to do my best to review it objectivly.

The cinematography, art, and music is great. Really catchy stuff. Animation could obviously use some work, but that was not the focus of the film.

Now, my biggest fault with this is that it is just so obvious. I mean, you could have been a bit more subtle than sticking a dead elephant on Glarg. While I understood your message, that the Republican party is dead/tortured/mutated, that George Bush will become a dictator (may be an exaggeration), that the cochroach Christians will regret empowering him, and that he will be loved for his crimes, it came off to obvious. It did not strike a chord or make me think, it just was flung in my face. You made it to easy (especially with the tsunami and social security on the newspaper). Very poor.

Lastly (not part of objective review), why the continued portrayal of Bush as Hitler or any other dictator? He is just as bad as any other recent president in his push against freedom (his attack is on social while Democrats have attacked economic and social (affirmative action)).

hatrobot responds:

I appeciate your critique. Although it's true that I am not particularly a fan of Bush, this cartoon is not about him so much as it is an essay on how idealism metamorphosises into patriotism and patriotism into nationalism and millitarism. Glarg is not nessisarily Bush, but a composite of several prominant war time leaders. The beetle is patterned after Gregor Samsa, who despite his best intentions has created a monster. Does that make any sense?

[Vamp ep. 5]

3/5, very close to 4/5

Art: Amazing; the colors, style, and overall excellence was astonding. I am just alittle dismayed that you changed the look. I much prefer the browns and style of Vamp 4.
Animation: Very poor; way too few frames, little understanding of weight, anticipation, etc. But much better than your armless motion tween days.
Sound: Music was fine, dialogue was horrible; It was the exact opposite of what I expected them to sound like and speak like (although the sniper was alright). Writing tried to use a large vocabulary but did not fit and was wrong.

Just put alittle more effort into keeping the animation smooth (that means dropping your amazing art for action). Or do very little and rely on panning (although this is lazy), because better to have no animation than jittery animation. I would have given this a 4 if not for the audio.

Overall, good work, but needs tweaking and polishing.

Michelangelo responds:

i do consider myself more as an artist then a animator, though ill take your critism...even though the idea of putting less detail into the look to ensure smooth animation does sound better...also kind of foriegn to me. the reason for changing vamp so many times is to find the right balance for the series and only through doing that can i perfect it.

thanks!

[Undestructable]

Very nice, good to see a serious short.

Animation: FBF was average, nothing impressive, BUT much better than sticks/tweened. Wiggly stuff gets on my nerves.
Art: Once again average, did not make or break.
Direction/Cinematography: Very good, cuts were engaging and meaningful.

Although I am sick of serious shorts with death as their theme (it is just so cliched, overdone, and poorly done), this was much stronger and above. It seemed to me that the theme was about life more than death, that it was about the constant dieing we endure. I don't know if that was what you intended, but that is what I recieved, and that is art my friend.

This is closer to a 3 (because of the art and animation) than a 4, but I'll push it up. Have a good one.

4/5

GuitarBrdArounO responds:

yes... it was more about life... the end message says it all

[The USSJ3 Brolly Saga 3]

2/5

All you did was trace the characters and duplicate the shots and dialogue. I assume you traced because the effects were not good.

There really is little animation here and NO originality. Don't steal others ideas and copy their work (especially ina much worse form).

Majin-Ryan responds:

Whats it gonna take to get through your thick little head, I-DON'T-TRACE! and this isnt anybody elses idea, since when did this happen in DBZ?

[The western ending]

Very ambitious, but falters.

Very cinematic approach. I saw you tried very hard to keep it interesting and some scenes were great (bullets in revolver was cool). Were this falters, however, is the animation and art. It simply just was not very fluid and there appeared to be MANY corners cut. The art is understandable, but it was inconsistent (some sticks some half sticks).

Music was good, but I don't think it was really appropriate, it just did not feel right in the context.

Also, looks like you wanted to finish it were the end was very bland (graves were horrible).

Altogether, good job, it was interesting because of the direction, but improve your animation and art.

3/5 (very generous, but it is something I haven't seen on Newgrounds, I'm sick of cliche action)

pvt-blasto responds:

ok......... how does the music NOT fit with the context? fuck that

[1984 Average Morning DVD!]

Lacks direction/point.

This went no where in my opinion. A few scenes that do little to explain 1984, poor animation, weak humor, and the sound did not fit. DVD features were not really needed since the bonus could have gone in the description and a scene select was not really needed. Menu was fine except the big hand which did not disappear.

packow responds:

The big hand wasnt supposed to disappear...

[Vamp ep. 3]

3/5 very close to 4/5

I really hate giving this a 3/5 because it just has so much style. I love your characters, art, and directing. The problems I had with this were that you ruined it with dialogue and the animation was below the art.

The dialogue just took me out of it because it just isn't a talking character and that is not talking music. The animation, while good, could have been better. It was choppy, some special effects felt out of place, and you relied on motion tweens in the begining. I want to see this in full frame-by-frame so badly. Also, give the guy some arms :D, you did so much with the rest of him, he needs arms.

Can't wait 'till Vamp 4, I really hope it gets a 4 (or even 5 ;) ).

Michelangelo responds:

NOO!!!
why god why?
no, but thanks, i
need good reviews in
order to be showcased,
also recognition helps
fuel me to make more of
these. if it make you
happy the next instalment
is fast paced and he will
get new arms and appearence
in ep. 5. also next one will
have fbf animation, this is
my first time working with it.
glad you liked it.