MarikBentusi's movie Reviews on Newgrounds

[The Dreaded Play Button]

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Okay, one point for the "preloader", but you know I can't give you much more, right? :P

I think it's a cute idea and ideal if you wanna do a stick movie with a similar style. For everything else, it's too empty, simple and white and this simplicity is what stick movies are famous for, right?
However, it takes too much time until something happens, at least for me. I tried to click on it and when I saw it didn't work I thought "maaan, another retard that didn't test whether the buttons work or not", but then I read your description and looked at it again - but you can't all people expect to act like that.
How about you try this: Make a real button, only it doesn't play to movie. If you click on it, the button will change it's shape a bit to show the user that he "successfully clicked on it". You know, just like clicking a button on your OS, it changes it's shape a bit then, too, right? And then, after clicked, around 1 or 2 seconds after that, let the button trigger the stick-animation. If you can do that, of course xD

I hope that was a bit helpful! The stick looks cute, make sure you put a lot of effort into your movie :D You've got to practise, practise, practise! If there's a new version, feel free to send me a message and I'll take another look at a more progressed version (If you think my advice was helpful that is :p).

Sothleks responds:

Oh trust me, I think that responce was VERY helpful. Like I said, this is my first flash, and I'll take all the advice I can get. The main problem I have is I'm not fluent in flash speak, as it were. I don't know everything there is to know about it, nor do i think I'll learn any time soon. I agree that the button takes too long before anything happens, and that was actually something I planned. I've been in the same position, "ahh some retard..." and thought that it would be something funny that most people would get. Plus, it's something that allows the stick guy to do. Fix the button. which is what he'll have to do.

Again, I'm very greatful for your advice, and I could use all the help I can get. thank you for watching!

--Skeel

[I Like Chinese!]

I like this movie

I guess 6 stars is enough for a cute little submission like this one. :) Higher ranks are reserved for bigger, more serious projects so don't be sad :P

Yes, it was cute. What I really liked was the catchy tune of "I like Chine~~ese". I guess there's nothing really about the content nor the technique to say as it is more like a quick small entry. ;)
But wasn't chess invented by some Arabic guys? Oo I know there is an Asian version of chess, what is it called... Shougo or something like that? ôô Can't remember. I shall seek wisdom on google. But those two sorts of chess can't be really compared, can they? At least they don't have the same figures of horses etc you showed in the entry. Just a small advice. n_n

Anyhow, nice work done. Could have been much worse ;P

[The Last Fight]

Nothing New

meh, I'm a harsh critic, so don't be upset I don't throw around with 10s. Indeed, a 5 means you did quite well.

But.
(You've gotta love this silly word)

- The story wasn't very imaginative/creative. It's the good/bad(/corrupted) twin brother concept we all know from dozens of games and movies. Nintendo alone made all their good protagonists have a "demon side" within them.
--"Every 16 years we prove we can still kick butts" sounds like a really lame excuse to present a battle to the watcher.
-- There was no real build up of the brother's character. I didn't feel sorry for him in the end because I don't know what kind of person he was. Maybe he threw stones at ducks when he was small, who knows? I want to say there was no character build up and that makes all characters really flat. Even the "bad mad scientist" (stereotypes, anyone?) didn't have any background at all. He didn't even have a "real" reason to do what he does. At least give him a bad childhood xD
-- I think you wanted this to be an epic battle, but now battle is epic when there's no story behind the characters so I can cheer on my favorite. Also, the fighting wasn't that exciting.
- You reused on of the brothers standing in a flashback. That's a no-no :S At least his pose looked just like in the beginning of the movie.
- The only real thing that seperated the brothers' appearance was the hair color, right? You need some time to figure out who's the "bad guy". That's bad. :S
- The subtitles were REALLY disturbing. Not only because I wanted the music to explain what I see or at least support the atmossphere, it looks like you couldn't decide whether or not include voice acting (or you didn't want to do any and so subbed it). You could have made up the action so one can naturally think of what the characters say. Like "There She Is!!" steps for a prominent Newgrounds example.

-Graphics were okay. Not top-notch, but not disturbingly bad
-The music and the pics matched, the lyrics hm-hm.

I know a complex opinion cannot be represented by numbers. But let's just say I didn't think your movie was a bad or low one. In fact, I think you really put thought and effort into this piece, but you can do much more if you work on your movies. Maybe let someone else write a script for you if you're not good at story-writing. Books are turned into movies because not all blessed movie-makers can be blessed book authors, too.
Keep up the good work! I hope I'm gonna see some other work from you in the future. :)

[the way of my madness 1p]

Well done

I don't throw around with 10s, so don't be disappointed :S

I think you could work a lot on your shading and lightning. The quality of animation sometimes was really good and sometimes almost crappy. Don't be impatient when doing your work. The time you invest WILL pay off, definetly.
What you need now - in my opinion - is just practise in drawing.

For the sound, nothing really to say. The music was decent, overall fitting but not really special. I didn't really have the feeling music and animation were forming an ideal hybrid masterpiece, but they didn't bite each other either. I can see you put in some thought like in the scene where Hank enters the building and opens the doors like in the lyrics (so he did it literally? lol!).

I'd recommend improving your graphics because the gap between some scenes in their quality were drawing my attention more than the storyline or action sequence.
Look at some tutorials, maybe check out the devianArt community. Don't give up. This movie was standing out of the masses of crappy movies that enter the flash portal every day. Good luck on your way, buddy!

Never stop, always keep going and improving!

[There She Is!! final step]

The End

A 10 isn't given out lightly, so let me explain why. This piece was extraordinary.

Of course it's always a bit of fearsome for a fan of a series when a new part is released because we don't know if the author will continue the series like we would like to. However, "There She Is!!" never even once disappointed me and always sticked to its unique characteristics that made the series to what it is now.
First, the graphics. "There She Is!!" never relied on big effects to pull us in, rather than very smooth and fluid animations that go perfectly hand in hand with the choice of music. Even without the lyrics the music had somehow a message being so well interwoven with the graphics the subtitles were a hindrance to enjoy the atmossphere.
The graphics seem to be very basic, without much detail and only with little colors, but this is a very mighty instrument. This way colors themselves can transport messages or be an eye catcher, just for an example, take the green scarfs. What is very amazing is how fluid everything works together and how fluid the animation is. Just look at how well done the intrance of the logo "There She Is!!" was done.
Sound is also important. There is NO voice used, not even once, there is just the music somewhere between fore- and background, and mostly the characters and what they do, sometimes text. This makes the piece quiete remarkable and it's amazing how well the technique worked. Not even little, but no dialogue was capable of transmitting a complex story to both head and heart. Which leads me to the next point.

The story. Absolutely the core of the series without which all the stated pros would never have led to a 10.
It's not only a japanese remake of Romeo and Juliet. It's too amazing to be just that, let alone the character development and the struggles from first to final step. Also, the title "There She Is!!" or the meaning has greatly changed from the first step to the final one now, you've got to see the series as a whole. The plot is very touching and it makes you strongly wonder about the meaning of love.
Aside of the main story, the characters used are very charming. For example, I totally like the "rough bunnies" and the behaviour of the leader who appears to be "just rough" at a first look, but indeed, he's just as lovable as any other "good" character, in his own way. Aside of faceless actors that "symbolize" a crowd or so, the helping characters were very well developed and it was really touching how in the end everyone pulled all strings possibly to make the wonder and paradise happen: "Everything's possible", that's one of the main messages of this piece in my opinion.

"There She Is!!" is a series that has never disappointed me and now delivered a final step we were all waiting for. It had a great plot, amazing characters and was very well and with much love executed. It is definitly a flash animation that is extraordinary and I recommend watching to each and everyone, it's simply a must-see.
It's also one of the view ends that didn't leave me with a "awww it's over D:" in my head, it's a round final step and now I can enjoy watching everything over again. It's amazing from first to final.
I hope we all will find a story like this sometime and will be able to call it our own. It's a beautiful piece of animation.

Thank you for your hard work and effort you put into this piece! Thank you very much for sharing!

[There She Is!! step4]

Very well done

I give you 10/10 because I think this is a very good movie, but I don't believe a opinion can be described by one of ten numbers.

And I don't think the change of drama and comedy was a bad thing. Actually, this just shows us the two sides of the medal.
Your style is very fitting the situation. I always was a fan of those people who manage it to describe something by pictures (and maybe some background music) alone and don't need talking characters.
Shine on and build something that goes far beyond Romeo and Juliet.

[Do you have a waffle]

As expected

The end was great! :)

[2 - The Story of Khale]

Another Step towards the Right Direction

Do not think I give out 10s like I feel good sharing them with people. But this submission deserves the highest score? Why? Find out by yourself:

I already went into raptures reviewing the first part, but this younger brother is not inferior in any category. It was made with love for the characters, setting and every detail you see. We all know love sometimes is not enough, but this entry has already exceeded the title "enough" by far. Let me explain what I am talking about

The Use of Graphics
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This is a perfect example for what you can drain out of flash movies. Of course there is space for improvement, but this high standart I see here right before me does not need any further work. If someone wanted to edit it I would be afraid it would get worse from what it was before (With one exception, read below).
But the second episode of "The Story of Khale" was not simply drawn and somehow glued together. You see an already very professional work before your eyes which has definitly the potential to become something very big, maybe it will even run on TV, either "The Story of Khale" or one of its successors. For example, watch closely the usage of black stripes at the ends of screens when the film begins. See what I mean? This was not scritly made from A to B, it was overthought again and again, more details, more work, more heart blood until you got what you were seeing.
Very detailed, full of love and messages. It gives the atmossphere an important chemical element, you might say.

The Use of Music
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Again, "The Story of Khale" does not only build on graphics and natural noises. A very big part is the soundtrack that dominates the episode. Until Khale entered school, the drums and the music played when Khale and his older brother were brought to school, gave me the feeling of a new day, new chances before me, a new chapter of a beautiful, lifeful world.
This was what we already knew from the introduction. This time, there is not only one song used to describe the world. This time it is also used for Khale's feelings. You maybe didn't notice (But if you were so caught by the atmossphere, this is the greatest praise for the author!), but remember when Khale entered school? The music stopped and became nothing but a scary wind. This atmossphere was also transferred on Khale's face and with one hit, everything gets serious. But when the speaker laughed slightly, the music came back and Khale's smile, too. This is the magic of harmony of picture and sound fitting well together.
A thing that could be improved was the lip synch which was still a bit stiff.

Atmossphere
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Alive. Elfin. Energetic.
That would be three words which can barely describe the wonderful world of Khale. The guess we had from the first part deepened here, but the strong contrast and Khale's destiny is already foreshadowed in the mother's newspaper (Go and look for yourselves!). Again, I have to mention that even when drawing the newspaper, there was much love to the detail. Who of us doesn't know the feeling when he sees someone in an official position making easy mistakes? My little sister for example, she is 14, always shouts out when she spotted another grammatical mistake in a book or magazine. This is lovely character building.
It is the small things that make the world of Khale so lovely. For example the purple flower that plays music or the funny persons we see running, talking and enjoying life on the streets of a mysterious wonderland. Yes, this spreads the feeling of being happy to be alive and I am very sure we will find ourselves someday caught in an episode of Khale where we will have the opposite feelings with the same intense and maybe we will ask ourselves: What has become of the fantastic land we knew? And Khale will ask himself the same thing.

I dearly hope this series keeps its high quality standart and will not end before episode 42. This truly is art. This is "The Story of Khale".

[1 - The Story of Khale]

A great Introduction

Do not take it given that I hand out highest ratings, this is totally deserved.

Let us begin with the graphics. I think this usage of flash animation is top notch. The whole setting is drawn with much love to the detail, every creature, plant and part of the landscape. Of course there always is room to improve, so I am not going to call a thing perfect, but when someone told me he/she wanted to improve this submission, I would doubt I would notice the difference without forcing myself to scan every pixel. The shadowing, colors and perspectives all fit together. The bright colors support the flowing action and the music, which is my next point.

There is no use of speech in this movie, the music carries the story aswell as a foreshadowing of the future you can guess from the second episode. An overview of "The Story of Khale" can be watched in the trailer submission.
The soundtrack is quite soft and therefore supports the atmossphere. The vocals however are about begin, end and rebirth and what matters in life. I am sure during the series I will keep this first episode in mind and I think it would be good if you watched this episode after the end of "The Story of Khale". I am sure it will make everything very round and immerged fans of the series will be crying in nostalgia and opposites.

The atmossphere developing is one of the strongest you can see on Newgrounds. It begins with a dark spot turning into a sun reflexion which already carries a lot of the meaning. You can feel Khale's emotions very clearly through the style of art and the music. He lives in a fantastic world with freedom, he is happy. This becomes very clear and not only because of various smiles.

We learn a lot about the world and its main character together without a speaker. We feel the information flowing over sound and graphics and that is a wonderful thing. "A picture can say more than a thousand words", well then this animation is worth a book.

If this project is keeping its high quality standart and its lovely character and universe design aswell as the messages, I am sure this will be a great success for the author. Let us hope all 42 episodes will stay outstanding and be worth to be rewatched again and again and only if you want to play with your own imagination with your eyes closed and listening to the music.
I think this submission has already surpassed the Brackenwood stories in its flow. Maybe this is just because my taste differs a bit, but I strongly prefer Khale. The meanings and feelings flowing through the screen are far more living, but by that I don't want to insult Brackenwood or its fans. Brackenwood sure is a great thing, but still I can better feel with the story here. It is almost asif I would run through the woods and breath the air of freedom, playing with the skies and be happy to exist on this day.

[Somewhere On Madness Day]

Happy Madness Day!

The submission wasn't perfect, but hey: Happy Madness Day to everyone! :)

MarcyVF responds:

YEAH! That's the spirit :P