I've put on my reviewing hat (which is also my gaming hat, eating hat, and casual hat, but not my showering hat or my night cap). I think I need to tell someone about the Animated Series of Tim Buckley's CAD [http://cad-comic.com].
It's not worth the money. Don't get it, don't rent it, don't even look on the internet to see if someone's mirrored it. I'm surprised people want to buy this.
In short, the quality of the production is what you'd expect of a web browser Flash movie (and I suspect that is how it's made). I'm going to do away with the negative bias and review each part as it comes.
There isn't much there in terms of a musical score, but I find myself humming the title theme at times. Ok, so the title (and credits) music is a little catchy, but it's the only music I noticed in the actual cartoons. Either it is the only music there, or any other songs are dull enough to evade my scope.
The characters of the cartoon are, as one would expect, identical to the characters of the comic in trait, personality, and habits. They all sound like you'd expect them had you been reading the comics. Maybe that is a strike against my imagination, because everyone sounds like they've been voiced by the same VA (yes, even Lilah Monroe (Lilah MacMannus in recent comic plotlines)). But the voices don't sound like they belong in an animation. In my personal opinion, IRL voices do not belong in animation. They sound out of place. Of course, most other cartoons have IRL voice, but they've been well-trained by professionals, and they possess the quality that prevents their acted voice from being ultra-realistic. But you find an 8-year-old girl who sounds like, I dunno, Lisa Simpson, and you let me know.
The animation of the cartoon is smooth and simple. Again, what you'd expect from a decent-quality Flash animation But that there is the problem. Animation shouldn't be Flash-smooth. There is a measure of cleanliness before it becomes uncomfortable. Most TV animation is smooth, but possess a slight harshness. In comparison, Flash (and CAD Animated) is Operating-Theatre clean.
On that subject, if anything above the capacity of a character needing to walk is rendered, it is rendered in a shockingly stupid fashion. I bring to light the 'Jack Thompson' story arc (what else?) of the series. In his attempt to bring down the 'Games Are Bad' billboard (something Thompson referred to as to the effect of an ultra weapon (and, by shocking stupidity, proved to be very effective)), Ethan succeeds (by ramraiding it with a car, I believe) and it simply...falls down. It doesn't crumple in a heap of pyrotechnics, or clouds of dust and debris. It just...falls down, like someone had come in, picked up the animation cel of the billboard, and turned it 90 degrees. And then Ethan appears and raises his fists triumphantly, the only parts of him moving are his arms. Last time I punched the air like that , I had to move my whole body to balance myself. It looked like there were two cels on that scene relevant to this: Ethan, and his arms. A lot of other character movements and gestures are rendered in this fashion.
Next up is the storyline, and MY GODS, did I kill brain cells by subjecting myself to it!! It is cheap, unbelievable (I.E. Completely unrelatable to Real Life).
Ok, so ONE of the storylines was funny (Ethan and Lucas fighting over the controller to Edvard Greig's 'Hall of the Mountain King' and the French 'Can Can' music.) but it was completely unremarkable in every aspect, and you feel no satisfaction whatsoever when the end credits roll. What you're left with is two words that sum up the past few minutes of watching:
And this is the most remarkable storyline of the entire series, all in one episode. Don't even let me watch the 'Jack Thomspon' storyline arc again, please.
I'd like to submit a some of the storylines that I saw:
Ethan and Lucas fighting over the Xbox360, which nearly culminates in Ethan murdering Lucas.
Ethan trying to get out of work and telling Zeke to come up with an excuse for him to return home. The whole episode is about Ethan, waiting around, at work. "How," may I ask, "is that good cartoon material?"
A few Chef Brian skits. These make me cringe on paper, and... I needed to dash to the toilet to vomit because I had convinced myself that I ingested poison to make the pain stop.
Griefing on Battlefield 2 (an entire episode is devoted to this, actually). Again, "WHY?"
The 'Jack Thompson' story arc, which was, from top to bottom, a cheesy rip-off of Star Wars, including the old hermit (an IT store owner) who sounded and acted like Yoda, and Ethan being a prodigy of the 'Force'. The Force was one's ability to wield a Wii Remote to influence the world.
For the runtime of the movie (approximately five minutes), the cartoon is nearly unbearable. If you want something along the same mindset, but actually possessing SOME semblance of funniness, try 'Beavis and Butt-head'
This is a pet production; something to cater to the comic readers. This is evidenced by, in one of the episodes, a picture in the background of Ethan being the bride to a Windows XP box.
I think I'm done here, so I'll finish with this statement:
Don't buy it. Don't rent it. Don't look on mirroring sites for it.
Edit: I'd also like to bring out bad scripting.
Sorry.
It's not worth the money. Don't get it, don't rent it, don't even look on the internet to see if someone's mirrored it. I'm surprised people want to buy this.
In short, the quality of the production is what you'd expect of a web browser Flash movie (and I suspect that is how it's made). I'm going to do away with the negative bias and review each part as it comes.
There isn't much there in terms of a musical score, but I find myself humming the title theme at times. Ok, so the title (and credits) music is a little catchy, but it's the only music I noticed in the actual cartoons. Either it is the only music there, or any other songs are dull enough to evade my scope.
The characters of the cartoon are, as one would expect, identical to the characters of the comic in trait, personality, and habits. They all sound like you'd expect them had you been reading the comics. Maybe that is a strike against my imagination, because everyone sounds like they've been voiced by the same VA (yes, even Lilah Monroe (Lilah MacMannus in recent comic plotlines)). But the voices don't sound like they belong in an animation. In my personal opinion, IRL voices do not belong in animation. They sound out of place. Of course, most other cartoons have IRL voice, but they've been well-trained by professionals, and they possess the quality that prevents their acted voice from being ultra-realistic. But you find an 8-year-old girl who sounds like, I dunno, Lisa Simpson, and you let me know.
The animation of the cartoon is smooth and simple. Again, what you'd expect from a decent-quality Flash animation But that there is the problem. Animation shouldn't be Flash-smooth. There is a measure of cleanliness before it becomes uncomfortable. Most TV animation is smooth, but possess a slight harshness. In comparison, Flash (and CAD Animated) is Operating-Theatre clean.
On that subject, if anything above the capacity of a character needing to walk is rendered, it is rendered in a shockingly stupid fashion. I bring to light the 'Jack Thompson' story arc (what else?) of the series. In his attempt to bring down the 'Games Are Bad' billboard (something Thompson referred to as to the effect of an ultra weapon (and, by shocking stupidity, proved to be very effective)), Ethan succeeds (by ramraiding it with a car, I believe) and it simply...falls down. It doesn't crumple in a heap of pyrotechnics, or clouds of dust and debris. It just...falls down, like someone had come in, picked up the animation cel of the billboard, and turned it 90 degrees. And then Ethan appears and raises his fists triumphantly, the only parts of him moving are his arms. Last time I punched the air like that , I had to move my whole body to balance myself. It looked like there were two cels on that scene relevant to this: Ethan, and his arms. A lot of other character movements and gestures are rendered in this fashion.
Next up is the storyline, and MY GODS, did I kill brain cells by subjecting myself to it!! It is cheap, unbelievable (I.E. Completely unrelatable to Real Life).
Ok, so ONE of the storylines was funny (Ethan and Lucas fighting over the controller to Edvard Greig's 'Hall of the Mountain King' and the French 'Can Can' music.) but it was completely unremarkable in every aspect, and you feel no satisfaction whatsoever when the end credits roll. What you're left with is two words that sum up the past few minutes of watching:
"That's it?"
And this is the most remarkable storyline of the entire series, all in one episode. Don't even let me watch the 'Jack Thomspon' storyline arc again, please.
I'd like to submit a some of the storylines that I saw:
Ethan and Lucas fighting over the Xbox360, which nearly culminates in Ethan murdering Lucas.
Ethan trying to get out of work and telling Zeke to come up with an excuse for him to return home. The whole episode is about Ethan, waiting around, at work. "How," may I ask, "is that good cartoon material?"
A few Chef Brian skits. These make me cringe on paper, and... I needed to dash to the toilet to vomit because I had convinced myself that I ingested poison to make the pain stop.
Griefing on Battlefield 2 (an entire episode is devoted to this, actually). Again, "WHY?"
The 'Jack Thompson' story arc, which was, from top to bottom, a cheesy rip-off of Star Wars, including the old hermit (an IT store owner) who sounded and acted like Yoda, and Ethan being a prodigy of the 'Force'. The Force was one's ability to wield a Wii Remote to influence the world.
For the runtime of the movie (approximately five minutes), the cartoon is nearly unbearable. If you want something along the same mindset, but actually possessing SOME semblance of funniness, try 'Beavis and Butt-head'
This is a pet production; something to cater to the comic readers. This is evidenced by, in one of the episodes, a picture in the background of Ethan being the bride to a Windows XP box.
I think I'm done here, so I'll finish with this statement:
Don't buy it. Don't rent it. Don't look on mirroring sites for it.
Edit: I'd also like to bring out bad scripting.
I know my FPSes, and I'm pretty sure you use BOTH HANDS to CS- your right hand (mouse/Look Analog Stick) to follow your target, and your left hand to move around the target (WASD, Arrow Keys, Movement Analog Stick). Don't contradict by saying you're a Southpaw, because the concept remains the same.Ethan MacMannus said:
Sorry.
