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RonaldRaven

135 Movie Reviews

18 w/ Responses

2 reviews are hidden due to your filters.

cool

you got some nice things going on, here. though a little rough around the edges, I think you succeeded in creating a coherent style that was able to adapt to the various elements at play. it is evident that, as you said, the style you were going for, including the use of colors, backgrounds, music, etc. was the raison d'ĂȘtre for the work, and you do great in this regard.

I suppose there are a few things in the animation that I could point out for improvement here and there, but nothing too big. and I could also bring up that a lot of the underlying themes and story dynamics have been done before--the idea of aging before your time, getting stuck in a place when your true nature is to be free, being brought back from the brink by a so-called "manic pixie dream girl," etc.

however, a lot of these things didn't really come to mind immediately as I was watching this movie for the first time. subconsciously I was willing to forgive what my more cynical side might see as shortcomings simply because there was a lot of creativity on display here, and you brought a fresh take to some of these tried and true ideas. the whole puzzle shoe concept itself is quite interesting, and I think could have even been expanded on. there were some other cool things, too, like the way the characters gained color (literal and figurative) in their lives by smelling the flowers, eating---experiencing things. and the music was just some good fun and worked well with the story. like I said, as short as this was, you put a lot into it. and in any case, due to the experimental nature of this piece, I suppose any critique I give may be irrelevant at best.

of all the artists on Newgrounds, yours is some of the work I look forward to the most because you really seem like you are one who is deliberately and skillfully trying to improve your work by pushing your style to the limits. these kinds of experimental pieces that look so different from your other animations just seems to confirm this belief. so no matter what anyone says in a review, good or bad, I know this was a good learning experience for you, and you will likely be better off for it. so what more can you ask for, and what more can I say?

keep up the good work. peace.

CCC!

it's been a while since I've seen a new Vinnie Veritas original, and they are always a welcome sight. the concept here was very cool and kept me wanting to see what would happen next. the pacing had a good mix of fast and slow moments and, as always, the animation and music worked very well together.

what's great about these is that everything about the worlds you create just seem so light and appealing--like you just want to be there living in this crazy dreamscape.

it was great taking another wild ride through CCC-city, and I hope to do it again, sometime. peace.

you've done it

you've tapped into something that few people can find inside of themselves. the very darkest recesses of the mind are on display here, and yet it all comes across as being oddly light and funny.

it's hard to describe, really. many people would look at this and believe it to be just sheer randomness, and maybe in some ways the elements that work here might have been unplanned at the time you made them. but I believe that there is a lot more at play here, even if it comes down to just sheer artistic instinct. I look forward to seeing where those instincts take you in the future.

hmm...

where is this strange school where no one does anything but make crayon drawings, all of the students look and act as if they were anywhere from the ages of 8 to 18, and people speak in words only occasionally? it must be a curious and magical place, indeed.

Bobert-Rob responds:

Quite really. And it's an art class, so they should be working on whatever assignment was given to them. Probably involved crayons, but not just random doodles. Of course, Glenn and Annie aren't working on their assignment, as Glenn's a slacker and Annie is too fixated on Glenn. Glad you enjoyed it!

indeed

it's rare these days to see an idea that seems to come out of nowhere. very creative stuff, here. and beyond the wild characters and such, there's actually quite a bit of social commentary, as well. my only crit might be that some of the pacing seemed a bit off to me, but that's a very minor point, and I guess I can't really judge, since it may have been intentional. I'll be looking forward to seeing what you do next. keep it up.

that's the stuff

that was great. a few scenes left me wanting a bit more, but very consistent style and pacing throughout. and it all came full circle in the end. keep up the good work.

marking the passage of time with animation...

after seeing this animation, I rewatched some of your earlier forays into the Brackenwood universe. it was quite interesting to see the progress in how much you've improved from what was already a very high quality animation set in an intriguing mythical setting, with a despicable and yet somehow likable protagonist.

as I was admiring your craft, I was suddenly struck by the fact that it has been over three and a half years since the first Bitey of Brackenwood film was posted here. this made me realize not only how much time has passed between installments of the series, but also how much time has passed in my own life. I can still remember quite clearly the initial enjoyment and inspiration I received from seeing Bitey for the first time, and in addition realizing that you were also the author of my favorite chapter of a book about Flash I got some time before then. it didn't seem that long ago, and yet, three and a half years have passed.

around the time I saw Bitey and hitchHiker, I was in the midst of trying to create my own Flash animations. I wasn't that good or anything, but I was eager to learn. I had been using Flash for a long time, but I did not have much actual animation to my name. looking back at the past few years, when I always made excuses, saying I was too busy to animate, I realize that some things could have been done differently. I wonder, if I had been as dedicated to improving, creating, and practicing as you clearly are--how much would I have improved in three and a half years? ah, perhaps I'll never know. but, just as Bitey inspired me so many years ago, "Waterlollies" has reinvigorated my interest in animation once again.

there are so many things in "Waterlollies" that I haven't seen before in hand-drawn animation (except maybe your own)--caustics, detailed liquid ripples, interesting ways of using gradients, glows, and bevels, scripted swarms--along with the usual solid character animation and lush background drawings, but of course kicked up a few notches. as you mentioned, the music and sound did help to create an even richer atmosphere for the film. and, yes, the story is slightly more complex and helps to carry the film. it establishes some story arc for the entire series, as well.

as one who perhaps aspires to do something in the realm of animation, perhaps seeing this film is just what I need. maybe I will take this feeling of inspiration and turn it into calm resolve to create something of my own some day. only time will tell. however, the entertainment which I received from seeing this animation is irrefutable, and I think I can be satisfied with that.

anyway, this is probably the weirdest review I've ever written. I just figured that you've probably "heard it all before" as far as the typical praise of this fantastic animation. so I thought I would take a step back and reflect on what this animation meant to me personally. not sure why anyone would find it useful, but here it is. thank you for continuing to inspire us all, would-be-animators and "civilians" alike, with your hard work and imagination.

fun

that was a nice music video. I really like your simple, graphic design-ish style. there were a few places where it seemed like the staging and timing could have been tightened up a little, and maybe a little more variation in color palette would have helped, but on the whole really excellent work. keep it up.

very nice

that was a fun, cute little animation. it was very professional work all around. you are a great character animator. I liked the design of the squirrel. also, in the short time you had you created a complete story with some character development. the sounds and voice-acting were also done well and matched the mood of the piece. keep up the good work!

crazy slick

wow, that was really well put together. the lighting, special effects, and interface were amazing to be sure. definitely looked better than the original games themselves. the sprite animation was among the best I've seen, and the fighting was well-paced and managed to stay interesting and intense despite how amazingly long it was. the ending and the whole Akuma-Ryu relationship was kind of sappy, but it didn't really bring down the movie, in my opinion. a lot of hard work clearly went into this, and it came out great. keep it up!

ra-ven 1. A large scavenging bird (Corvus corax) having glossy black plumage and a guttural croaking cry. It is generally found in arctic and temperate climates in the northern hemisphere. Can be taught to mimic human speech.

Male

Rabbit Hunter

Middle America

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