Reviewed by Ben Lee

This review contains some spoilers.

'Oh no, not another retarded chain movie?' was what I was thinking just seconds before I clicked on Play. I mean, come on, look how utterly stupid the sub-title is! It doesn't mean anything, surely? I have seen a couple of movies made by Jpro and Mr. Mong, and they are both talented, so unsurprisingly I was extremely cautious about Hatboy. The thought that this was only the start of the series scared me more, but oddly enough, I was surprised. It may not have entertained me throughout the whole movie and it may hold many features a chain movie has, but this can be an enjoyable watch.

The animations were pretty solid for the majority of the movie, and although the direction was pretty dull, the two directors have obviously spent quite a bit of time making this movie. And after gathering my thoughts at the end of this, there were some memorable moments, my favourite being the Countdown bit. Countdown? Yes, Countdown. The one with Richard Whiteley and Carol Vorderman to those living in the UK. I have been known to watch a couple of Countdown shows before, and so I found this little stint funny. Unfortunately though, I was not amused by the whole blob thing. I just found it quite dull and pointless, as it turned into, what seemed like, a movie which is dependent on mayhem and action, like a pathetic chain movie. We don't get told why the blob has come from nowhere, and why it is wreaking havoc. Oh well.

In the audio department, Hatboy is fine, with voices clear and the music, ranging from Countdown to System of a Down, more or less picked well with a couple of exceptions. Overall, I have mixed about Hatboy Ep. 1. With an extremely retarded sub-title, and with plenty of chain movie elements, I feel quite saddened that Jpro and Mr. Mong have wasted their time on this. But on the other hand, releasing this was probably a good idea, showing off their animation skills and their talent. Funny in some places, dull in others, my main worry after watching this episode is how many more will they do. I really hope they don't spend too much time making so many episodes. Their talent would be wasted.

Score: 61/100