Broken Toy is an ambitious darkly comedic sci-fi series. Matt Clouston plays a medically engineered super-soldier who has gone haywire. He is the Broken Toy. While this may not be the most original concept, it allows for fun action scenes and interesting character development. Additionally, the comedy helps keep it fresh.
The first episode left me a bit unsure about the series. Chris Burgon's cinematography is good. The special effects are effective and thorough. But the character interactions and the tone felt a little iffy.
Fortunately, the series hits its stride over the next few episodes. The comedy is used better to reveal character. Different locations, new characters, and surreal moments keep us intrigued. The emotion of the scenes also comes across better.
The creators really committed to this project and it's clear that they were trying to stretch a limited budget into something cinematic. The good news is they succeeded. Now, if they could just start releasing episodes a little faster... 5 episodes in 18 months?!
Watch Broken Toy.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Legend of Neil: Season 1 Review
Legend of Neil conquers the essential challenge every web series faces by creating an entertaining, simple premise. Also, by parodying the popular Legend of Zelda video game franchise, its premise is pre-sold. If it seems like this show might be some kind of illegitimate offspring of The Guild, that's probably because Sandeep Parikh, who plays Zaboo in The Guild, is the creator of Legend of Neil.
Legend of Neil combines a fan-fiction level of knowledge of the Legend of Zelda with crude irreverence. Penis jokes and Tourettes grace this magical world. Tony Janning portrays an anti-hero version of Link, teleported into the game through your typical mix of alcohol, masturbation, and asphyxiation.
Occasionally the jokes feel a little dumbed down, but usually they're well-timed and plentiful. The series' main limitation is that its jokes will mostly appeal to fans of the Legend of Zelda, but it targets this demographic successfully.
Legend of Neil combines a fan-fiction level of knowledge of the Legend of Zelda with crude irreverence. Penis jokes and Tourettes grace this magical world. Tony Janning portrays an anti-hero version of Link, teleported into the game through your typical mix of alcohol, masturbation, and asphyxiation.
Occasionally the jokes feel a little dumbed down, but usually they're well-timed and plentiful. The series' main limitation is that its jokes will mostly appeal to fans of the Legend of Zelda, but it targets this demographic successfully.
Legend of Neil Channel
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Friday, March 25, 2011
The Bannen Way: Season 1 Review
The Bannen Way won Best Drama at the 2010 Streamys. But drama at the Streamys is kind of like comedy at the Oscars. It's not the main event. So, how well does The Bannen Way compete on the grander scale of potential things to watch?
Well, it certainly makes a strong visual pitch. The Bannen Way has been compared to Ocean's 11 and Smoking Aces for its sexy visual style. This flashy look allows director Jesse Warren to create a fun mood that works both as a web series and a feature film.
The main character, Neil Bannen (Mark Gantt), is a thief who dislikes guns. He's not a bad guy, but he simply can't resist playing ball with bad people. Naturally enough, he's indebted to a crime boss 150 grand. He wants to pay off his debt and quit the game, but he doesn't know whether he should turn to his his police chief father or his crime boss uncle for help.
While everyone loves a mischievous anti-hero, it has been done many times. In fact, the "attempting a heist to repay debt" storyline has been done many times. But for fans of the genre, The Bannen Way probably gets away with it by switching up just enough.
Part of the fun of a series like The Bannen Way is seeing how they are going to cleverly give us what we want. The series introduces a beautiful assassin who is known for killing her victims in the throes of passion. She meets Bannen and they begin to get intimate. Previously, Bannen's technical friends installed a camera in Bannen's glasses for heist purposes. Now, they accidentally tune into the unexpected show. Suddenly, they realize who the woman is and rush to warn Bannen before it is too late. It's a unique moment that also advances the plot.
The Bannen Way is good at creating interesting story arcs in just a few minutes. If it were solely a feature film, it would be less memorable. While The Bannen Way offers some twists to stay fresh, it doesn't topple the classics in its genre like Snatch.
Watch The Bannen Way.Well, it certainly makes a strong visual pitch. The Bannen Way has been compared to Ocean's 11 and Smoking Aces for its sexy visual style. This flashy look allows director Jesse Warren to create a fun mood that works both as a web series and a feature film.
The main character, Neil Bannen (Mark Gantt), is a thief who dislikes guns. He's not a bad guy, but he simply can't resist playing ball with bad people. Naturally enough, he's indebted to a crime boss 150 grand. He wants to pay off his debt and quit the game, but he doesn't know whether he should turn to his his police chief father or his crime boss uncle for help.
While everyone loves a mischievous anti-hero, it has been done many times. In fact, the "attempting a heist to repay debt" storyline has been done many times. But for fans of the genre, The Bannen Way probably gets away with it by switching up just enough.
Part of the fun of a series like The Bannen Way is seeing how they are going to cleverly give us what we want. The series introduces a beautiful assassin who is known for killing her victims in the throes of passion. She meets Bannen and they begin to get intimate. Previously, Bannen's technical friends installed a camera in Bannen's glasses for heist purposes. Now, they accidentally tune into the unexpected show. Suddenly, they realize who the woman is and rush to warn Bannen before it is too late. It's a unique moment that also advances the plot.
The Bannen Way is good at creating interesting story arcs in just a few minutes. If it were solely a feature film, it would be less memorable. While The Bannen Way offers some twists to stay fresh, it doesn't topple the classics in its genre like Snatch.
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