Ebonyte's movie Reviews on Newgrounds

[the Last of the Dashkin]

Beautiful As Always

Music, sound and animation are, as ever, all top notch. I'm a huge fan of the series. The presence of a humanoid, for those who have complained about such, is nothing new. Let's remember the creature harvesting waterlollies, and the sprightly little man relieving himself upstream as Bitey took a gulp of water. We've never seen female of that species, so this is hardly beyond the pale.

That being said, while I can appreciate the narrator's lovely voice, one of Brackenwood's charms has always been it's ability to tell a story without resorting to straight exposition. The inherent understanding of emotion and motivation allows the viewer to form their own bond with the setting, imagining the all-important "why" to their own questions. Putting a narrative explanation amidst it, while not ruinous, robs it of one of it's primary strengths.

For the future (and I am loathe to deny another voice actor work), it might be best to reserve the narration for promos or extra features, a behind-the-scenes narration explaining Brackenwood to those who want it. For the primary storytelling, however, your historical use of empathy and demonstration of intent with action and non-linguistic verbals might be best. You've demonstrated great talent in pulling at our heart strings by transcending language thus far. It would be a shame to abandon it.

chluaid responds:

Good articulate review, all noted, thank you. I'm grateful and flattered that so many people are disappointed by the use of narration because that tells me they care.

However (and my fingers are blue from explaining this stuff) I'm not abandoning anything about the existing Brackenwood. I'm enhancing it with a plot and I can't fathom why anyone would imagine that's a bad thing.

The previous shorts have little -to- no plot so they don't need a tonne of exposition. They were simple. Brackenwood and Bitey's past though are complicated and, while they could have been told without narration, I don't feel it would have been as effective, interesting or economical if not told in the storybook style that I chose, especially for people who are new to the series OR had a problem with the lack of emotional depth in the previous episodes.

For me, what WOULD be a shame is if Brackenwood continues along on the same old plateau for all time, entertaining nobody but hardcore fans.

[Happiness Apotheosis]

Actually, really funny!

Damn good parody! I'm not one for dick jokes, but hey, everyone has different tastes, and this had so much perfect parody that it's got something for any Madness fan. Well done.

[Resurrection of a Clown]

Fantastic Style

You've got great art, the atmosphere is great, and anything that uses Justice for the soundtrack is on the right path already. Well done!

[Wilson Beard's Cannons]

That's... really AWESOME!

I don't generally laugh out loud at flashes, but this is worthy of Adult Swim, perhaps Robot Chicken. Seriously. Well done. Good animation, great voice over, but AMAZING writing. Well done!

[Gravitaxis ++]

Still the Best

Good to see you working with new ideas and methods. Your syncing with music, your unique style, and the emotional attachment remain as strong as ever. You remain one of NewGrounds' finest. Good to have you back.

[Junior]

Awesome!

As always, very well done. You can always tell an HDD cartoon by the animation style (which never fails to please), and the brand of humor (Never too far, but dancing on the edge at all times).

Great job tying up a couple loose ends, too. :)

Once again, awesome job. Can't wait for the next one!

[Bedtime Story]

Entirely Enjoyable

Fine animation, good use of music and sound. The strength here is concept, which is simple, straightforward, and entertaining. Well done. I look forward to what you'll produce in the future.

[Yoyo vs FLLFFL]

I Forgot How Much Fun These Were...

Sonic Yoyo... genius. :D

Stick fights were how I first discovered flash. This was a worthy addition to the legacy, and a welcome bit of nostalgia for me. I look forward to seeing more from you. Well done.

[Twilight: The Broodening]

Funny

While there probably wasn't very much work put into this, as DarthNebula suggests, it was pretty funny. :)

As for the comments that it is immature... well, it created what some writers call a Mary-Sue: a character with no drawbacks. A character with no real weaknesses makes for a boring story, whether it's a hero or villain. Vampires make for interesting characters because of their weaknesses offsetting their strengths. They are glass cannons, and thus must take care. Removing all of their vulnerabilities makes them... well, humdrum. How could ANYONE find vampirism to be anything but a blessing, given these circumstances? No need to sleep -ever-, no fatigue, no weakness short of being physically ripped apart.

My question is, if their only "vulnerability" is being revealed for what they are in the sun (and who would make the glitter/vampire connection is beyond me), can't they just use shine-reduction makeup? They look like they're wearing makeup anyway. And they don't need to worry about the time it takes to put it on in the morning, seeing as they don't sleep. Or they could claim a sensitivity to sunlight in their family, which requires copious amounts of sunblock, or something. It's like moving to low country because you have a limp. A cane would probably do the trick.

Forgive me for ranting. It's a hot topic in our Fiction Department. Well done, Jones.

[HOSUE [sic]]

Extremely Ren and Stimpy-esque

The voice over might have been a bit better... but aside from that, outstanding.

TmsT responds:

Yep. Wanna audition? I need voice actors!