Broken Saints (2001–2003) User Reviews

An interesting experiment but sophomoric and self-important.

[mrmnlpp2 · 7/10 · 6 August 2006]

An interesting experiment but sophomoric and self-important. As Brooke Burgess implies, he has traveled the world and found the truth...now he seeks to enlighten us all with his vision.

The writing is self indulgent and sophomoric, smarmy and preachy. It all boils down to love and God and religion and faith. BS. Just like the ending of The fifth Element, love solves everything. God is in us all. In the end we will see the light (it's all there in digital code), and the warriors will lay down their weapons and the Muslims will join with the Hebrews and Christians and Buddhists and get together and throw one big party. And the lamb shall lay down with the lion, but not without a bit of bloodshed first..,eh.

The artwork is poor graphic novel style; I liked the scenes that were done in sketch work better than the stylized simplistic artwork that prevailed throughout the most of the movie. They call it flash animation but it was hardly animated.One episode of South park has more animation than the whole 12 hours or so of this movie and it's more realistic in the style.

That all being said, this movie does stand up as a sci-fi kind of epic. The character developments are excellent and their interaction is well done especially the dynamic between Raimi and Oran. This was a grand experiment that the three creators conspired to. It is very geeky and was well received on the internet over the 3 or so years it unfolded. I suspect that this has a great deal to do with its current popularity; after all you don't follow a story, released piecemeal for 3 years, waiting eagerly from week to week to see the next segment, and then admit it wasn't worth the wait.

The three creators, especially Brooke Burgess, are all waiting with their collective breaths held to see who will pick up their project and turn it into a movie or a TV series. They can taste the fortune. So much for altruism. With programming in this country (US) controlled by the likes of clear channel, it probably will be. For their sakes I hope that the writer and co-creators can keep their own vision intact, and not have to bow down to the almighty film industry and turn this into a more watered down and more preachy version.

All in all this project was a success. I don't think it was deep and life changing as many would have you believe; but it was entertaining...it had to be to keep me entertained for the whole 12 or so hours.I recommend at least renting this story.

"What would you give to know the truth?"

[Rectangular_businessman · 10/10 · 16 January 2007]

This was simply one of the best web animations that I have ever seen.

Not since "The Maxx" (Another magnificent animation) have I seen such a captivating mystery story like this. "Broken Saints" is something complex and dark, but at the same time, incredibly fascinating, which never disappoints.

Even when the first episodes could be considered a bit slow-paced for some viewers, I personally found the overall result to be so rewarding that I wasn't bothered by the way in which the plot advances, helped with a very nice artwork, a great soundtrack and pretty excellent voice acting.

"Broken Saints" was the first motion-comic that I've seen in my life. And to this day, it remains being my favorite. The use of all the common animation techniques and visual elements from future motion-comics are perfectly well used here, resulting in something unique and fascinating, which even today is still one of the best (If not the best) examples from this genre, showing all the potential and brilliance that it could have.

Taking cues and elements from the most diverse origin (American comics, Japanese animation, television shows like "Twin Peaks" and "The Prisoner" and movies like "Brazil", "The Wizard of Oz" and "Fight Club") the final result is one of the most magnificent examples of what could be done through New Media and how isn't necessary to have a big budget in order to create a visually impressive masterpiece.

To this very day, I haven't seen anything similar to Broken Saints in any other medium. While technology is considerably different now than in the early 2000s, many of the themes from the series are still pretty relevant nowadays, just as the very last message left to the viewer:

"Be the change you wish to see in the world."

A broad web of appeal

[morphion2 · 10/10 · 29 September 2006]

It's a funny thing that in this day and age of internet society through which it was able to take root and grow, the first I ever heard of "Broken Saints" was by old fashioned window shopping. This alone, I think, means that I have missed out on a gigantic part of what made the series so enticing to many; not only that it was completely free but that it stood as a testament to the Internet's fulfilled promise of a global community and prosperous mass medium for independent artists. This was not the first internet series I have purchased on DVD; Rooster Teeth's "Red vs. Blue", an online Machinema production created by independent Texan film-makers, remains one of the most delightful discoveries of my life. However, "Broken Saints" is the first independent internet project I have bought entirely on spec, and this goes towards proving that there is more to the series' appeal than its initial medium.

Brooke Burgess' flash creation is one of the most unique works of art I have ever encountered. Consisting of 24 episodes of increasing length (beginning at 10 minutes and eventually running for over an hour), the series uses a fusion of comic narration, flash animation, music and, in the case of the remastered DVD version, voice acting to propel its story, the premise for which is inherently twisted. As the slow reveal is a major part of the series' deep intrigue, I will try to reveal nothing further than might be read in a blurb: On the unsuspecting cusp of a new technological age, four complete and diverse strangers begin to simultaneously receive violent spiritual turbulences; seizures, visions, crises of faith, inexplicable emotions. Strange, disturbing events in each of their lives drive them desperate for answers, and the harder they search for absolution, the closer they come to each other and the higher the stakes climb.

Now what I am about to say is something that really confused me at first: as a story, I didn't like "Broken Saints" all that much. It uses a very David Lynch style kind of linear narration (borderline nonsensical), and although all the vague poetry and metaphors are probably all made clear in the end, this happens in an overly preachy and bombastic sort of way. As a fierce atheist, I actually quite like bold agnosticism in a film, which is probably why I cared enough for the plot to see it through to the end (uncertainty of a higher being is held brilliantly throughout most of the series). But by the end I couldn't help but feel that the collective twelve hours I had spent watching the series had been a ploy to impose some kind of Faith on me. Hey, maybe I'm just interpreting the whole thing in a defensive way.

But what drove me to nonetheless give this series full marks and resolve to watch the whole thing again is really a deep respect for the creators: Brooke Burgess, Andrew West and Ian Kirby. These guys may hold a slightly different opinion to me on a spiritual level (I happened to agree with their politics, though), but they sure know how to argue their point. The sensory impact of "Broken Saints" is quite remarkable; the artwork and music cues (by Tobias Tinker, check him out on Myspace) are some of the most haunting and beautiful I have seen. The genius of this is that it keeps you interested long enough for other things to grab hold; empathy for the characters, intrigue into story development, and all that.

This is why, eventually, you never really hold much against a series like this. "Broken Saints" is a pretty broad web of appeal; if it loses your interest in one regard, it will catch it somewhere else. You don't like the alien culture of Shandala's Fijian islands and Oran's Saudi Arabian deserts then maybe Raimi's dark, post-modern America and filthy mouth will make you feel more at home. You don't like the preachy, new age gospel of the believers, then maybe you'll buy the more understated search for purpose; not necessarily God, just purpose. You don't like the politics, then just enjoy the art. You don't love the art, then respect the history of the project. In the end, whether you've been converted to a higher perception of life or just entertained for a few empty nights, the closing credits of "Broken Saints" will see you, however subconsciously, respecting one of the most finely argued contentions of artistic creation the world has ever seen. Word is Bond ;).

Word Is Bond!

[xeromatrix2000 · 10/10 · 29 April 2005]

What can I first say? It's fantastic? It's amazing? It is the one of the most spectacular stories I have ever seen? This would all be suitable, except seeing is always better than hearing the gossip. I have not said enough about how truly great Broken Saints is. True, I could be making it sound greater than it really is, but that is different for each person. Some people may think I'm full of crap, some people may completely agree, and hopefully some think I bought the DVD, and anyone who enjoys comics, epics, anime,or just plain good story telling ... this is definitely a keeper in your DVD collection. Broken Saints has got it all: A genuinely new style, an epic storyline, good memorable quotes and scenes, one of the best scores to a film I have ever heard, great artwork and technical direction, great writing, good moral to the story, and great characters.

Also when watching Broken Saints it will just give you goosebumps all over. You get that deep awesome (awesome as in awe inspiring, not simply meaning cool) feeling when watching the "freak out" scenes. "Freak out" moments, as I call them, is when one of the characters starts seeing weird and bizarre things. Wheather they are hallucinating or dreaming or just being attacked by someone (that happens a couple of times).

Broken Saints is also good for its creator. Brooke Burgess, writer and director of Broken Saints, is a definitely a good role model. He made the site completely free for anyone to watch, he did not resort to using advertisers and pop-ups to get money for his site (since it would ruin the mood that Broken Saints conveys). After Broken Saints was made big by many awards and made for DVD Brooke had many offers from Warner Bros., Universal, and Fox to convert Broken Saints into a feature film, but one of his characters would have to be changed. An Iraqi mercenary, who is very Muslim and hates Americans. This of course, many big American producers will not like, but they have a load of money. Still, their bribes could not break Brooke's integrity. Also I have e-mailed Brooke once, giving him my thanks and appreciation (since, you can already tell, I am a huge Broken Saints fan). He replied to the email personally a couple of days later and was really nice. Now come on, is there anything wrong here? NO!

Broken Saints: A great story, with a creator who is not an a-hole! Hurray! So go to

Go to BrokenSaints.com ... so weep and bare witness, for the end is nigh!

Simply stunning

[eched · 10/10 · 18 October 2005]

If you can get passed the gallons of poetry that make this series so hard to understand or fallow, and if you can get passed the plot taking nine whole episodes to get started, then you will find something really grand to behold. By the end you are just like the people searching for truth. You just want to know what's going on, and yes, all the answers are given to you. All is made clear, and you can distinctly hear yourself say, "Oh I get it now." Strong themes of religion and comments on how now a day governments, not just the US, but they get blasted a lot in this, have gone horribly wrong are found here by the gallon full. The main theme seems to be that you need faith, but it doesn't matter what your faith is. You just need to believe in the good of man kind and fight for it. I agree with this theme and it for sure adds to the series.

The artwork is dazzling and at times there are some rather creepy moments. No, it will never scare you, but it is far more dark and chilling then 90% of todays horror films.

It's also funny at times and is full of winks to all of my all time fave films. Kind of hard to believe that the maker of this and myself would like so many of the same films. They are all there. Fight Club, Donnie Darko even Army Of Darkness.

With the dark wit, smart themes, creepy look, likable characters, and all you could ever want in a movie, well baby, it's hard not to like the end effect and you soon forget about all the start grips you had. By the end you only really have one comment to make.

Wow.

Excellent work of Art

[kelvinji1 · 10/10 · 19 May 2005]

I must admit, the first time I laid eyes on Broken Saints on Newgrounds.com, I was struck by the visual beauty and artistic tone of Broken Saints. However, my first impression was that the writers sacrificed an interesting and solid storyline for the artistic writing. Thus, I only viewed about the first 5 chapters.

About 6 months later, I viewed Broken Saints again, this time in its entirety, and found that this was not the case. Broken Saints contains one of the most profound, well-written, well-planned, and masterfully executed story lines that I've ever seen. It also contains well-written characters that are developed, identifiable, and three-dimensional.

Although the first 5 chapters are slow (because these are the chapters that establish and introduce the 4 main characters), the story quickly becomes interesting and by midway through the story (Chapter 12), I was hooked and absolutely needed to see the next chapter.

I must emphasize that this series is incredibly well thought out. Events are foreshadowed from the very beginning, characters change, and mysteries become untangled as the chapters move on.

Fans of The X-Files, Alias, and Lost would probably enjoy this series about faith, fate, and global conspiracies. I've certainly enjoyed the series enough to have bought the DVD (which includes wonderful voice acting). This is a must see and believe me, after Chapter 24 ends, you'll end up in awe and amazement.

Art is good, but the message is wack!

[GobbyTwo · 1/10 · 21 September 2006]

THE ART IS WONDERFUL. There is no question there. These guys are talented at what they do and can tell a good story. These short films are visually assaulting and created with originality that sets them apart from other animation. That said, the message of these films is astonishingly misleading and anti-American. They have paraded extremely anti-American, and terror-sympathetic themes as truth. The worst part is that they are not just extremely left winged liberal Demacrates, but they are not even American. They are Canadian. It is frustrating for me when Canadians try and speak on the issues of America like their own. But alas the goings on of America and its wars have nothing to do with Canada directly. Thanks for your opinion, but no thanks.

The beginning and ending of each section is graced with a quote that is meant to enhance the point the filmmakers are trying to make. Keeping in that tradition I will end this section with a quote of my own to enhance my point.

"Canada is like a loft apartment over a really great party." - Robin Williams

What Would You Give to Know the Truth?

[gunnm-1 · 10/10 · 27 May 2005]

This is the question posed by Brooke Burgess and his band of artistic miscreants from the shores of Vancouver, British Columbia. The truth, it seems, is mired in a web of lies, half truths, deceit and revelations, as 4 complete strangers from the far reaches of the globe are drawn together to seek the truth; about the world, themselves and each other. Things are lost, things are found, souls are destroyed and healed. There are new beginnings and finalities.

Sound like a live action Hollywood blockbuster? Guess again... It's Broken Saints. Now a critically acclaimed epic that started online and has grown to the offered DVD, the history of the project alone is enough to make the casual observer curious. Nevermind the fact that it was originally offered for free (and still is) in Macromedia Flash, and that the creator and his followers went without often to offer it to the world... the question most often raised is "Well, what is it?" The real question is, what *isn't* it? It's anime meeting graphic novel, meeting technology, meeting soul seeking, meeting the questioning of self and motives and the world we reside in today. It's timely, it's epic. It's presented in Dolby 5.1 Surround. It's a labour of true love.

Broken Saints (or, "BS") began as a vision and a journey. 3 long, hard years have seen fruition of this. This is not some "direct to video" work where the producer puts the product out and hopes for the best, this is a work wherein the creator monitors and assesses each and every turn of his endeavor.... And not for the money. It's a testament to see who's "getting it". Who can absorb the creator's vision and understand it. Who responds and if they respond in a forward thinking and positive way.

The DVD 4-disc set was put together with haste, but it doesn't show. You would think that better part of just over a year was invested to bring this vision from the "small screen" of the computer to the small screen of the living room. The voice actors were chosen on merit and what they could bring to the project. The music, done by Tobias Tinker, Burgess' cousin, is haunting, uplifting and right on target for each scene. The art was reworked for the first parts of the storyline by Andrew West, illustrator extrodinaire, to bring it up to par with the later segments.

If you want to know the truth. If you are tired of seeing Hollywood schlock foisted at every turn, touting itself to be the "next big thing", If you want to support small scale, homegrown, quality endeavors and you think that the people who sweat, toil, worry and bleed over their projects and worry more about the message than their bank accounts. if you want to experience a rich story tapestry that often leaves you wondering what happens next; what twist is around the corner, and doesn't use Hollywood "formula" to insult your intelligence and become another predictable travesty, I urge you to check out Broken Saints.

Profound Would Be An Understatement!

[benjamin_lappin · 10/10 · 19 October 2006]

Quintessentially brilliant. Broken Saints is a profoundly thought provoking work of art, a rarity in recent times, yet this more than compensates for the lack of intellectually challenging, mind moulding and deep philosophical moments in the medium world of film. Utterly encapsulating.

Merging styles from varying art forms, notably Japanese anime and fusing it with a free-flowing comic book/graphic novel style it is utterly unique. Not all may appreciate its subtle movements and intense patient build up, in fact some may find it devastatingly annoying, but then, these are the people that would be missing out. Yet it's format is the least of things that make this series so undeniably fascinating.

The plot and storyline drive this series, for in a ten hour plus epic, whereby there isn't an overly active presence on the screen, the narrative is paramount, and it certainly is. Building slowly over the first handful of episodes (disc 1 for those with the DVD set) we are introduced to our Saints, as slowly their plight is introduced to us. I think most people developed a natural affinity with Raimi, straight off the bat, yet as each characters story develops we ingratiate ourselves with them in ways that at first seemed implausible, and this is the brilliance of the series. It challenges us in ways we never thought possible. It tackles misconceptions, stereotypes and ignorant views, it liberates your mind in a manner of The Matrixs first installment to the nth degree, and I always enjoy and wait with anticipation to see what quotational gem appears at the beginning and end of each episode, really driving home its philosophical impact and connotations.

There's so much to go into with this series, but be patient with it. Once it gets going it truly is impossible to stop selecting "next episode", you must put your judgemental attitude to one side not only when it comes to content, but to style as well. For those that do, it's just what you've been waiting for. I would wish to say "I hope you enjoy it", but that would be detrimental to a series which is impossible not to get sucked into. Watch with the Lights Out, Your Jaw Locked And Prepare To Know The Truth.

One of the best animations of the recent years.

[a05102267 · 10/10 · 23 July 2008]

If you like mystery, sci-fi and horror, you should take a look on "Broken saints" a unique and surreal animated series, being thrilling and emotional at the same time. After I saw the fist episode, I was captivated by the style used by Brooke Burgess: the music,the voices, the atmosphere, the use of colors, everything on "Broken Saints" fits very well with the dark tone of the series. The animation style is quite interesting:Like a comic, characters on the most part remain in static poses and dialogue is indicated by speech balloons. However, rather than exclusively using sequential panels, animated sequences are used to switch scenes and help advance the story, while some music and sound effects are included, lending a more cinematic experience than one would ordinarily achieve with a comic strip alone. And the result of all of this is "Broken Saints", a series that deserves more appreciation that it actually receives.I recommend this tittle to every animation fan.

Be Ready To Think

[Krin-san · 10/10 · 27 May 2005]

This series whispers quietly in the back of your head long after you finish watching it. The series is beautiful and deeply thought provoking. It just might change the way you see the world forever.

Seriously, it's that deep. I would advise those who watch the series to appreciate the slow pace of the series. There's much that is said through inferences, shadowy speech, and innumerable symbols so the slow pace allows you to study each word and facial expression carefully.

If you go beneath the surface and scratch at the truth behind the story, it really could change you. Like the opening menus on the DVDs say, "What would you give to know the truth?"

The Definition of Artistic Perfection

[SamiCybertron · 10/10 · 2 September 2008]

What is flash? When people first think of flash they go to Newgrounds, where these days the only flash they have is just childish, immature & pointless specks of Animation of Singing dog turd, beheading celebrities & south park, It seriously looks like any form of Animation has no point anymore.

Until...

First came along something remarkable & unspeakable, something beautiful & outstanding beyond any measure. Around 2001, an outstanding achievement of perfection & dedication came along, a true figure of beauty and truth, and that was called...Broken Saints. The story of 4 strangers from the quiet corners of the planet, who receive an apocalyptic vision of a dark city in the west, where they have to then come together and bring forth the light and discover the truth of why they are summoned...Thats just the main plot, watch the rest and find out more.

Brooke Burgess (the Creator & writer of the series), Andrew West (the lead artist) & Ian Kirby (the visual effects supervisor) have seriously brought together a masterpiece, a double sided piece of artwork with no flaw whatsoever and will bring the ultimate questions of life to a complete full circle... Why are we here? Does God exist? Where are we going? What is the meaning of life? Where are we from? When you watch this series, you would only need to do one thing...Think. About you're life, the people you know, what you have done and what you believe in and what you follow in life.

You might think this is something tripped out, you might think you would need to take an absurd amount of drugs to watch this. When the truth is, you have to watch this and have a huge look at you're life and the world...Think. This is nothing well known, nothing too big and certainly nothing short of popularity...But this is special, and something you will need to watch. Also with an outstanding soundtrack composed by Tobias Tinker, the music shall provide the perfect mood to match the perfection of this double-sided piece of artwork.

Along with the quotes and passages from some of the greatest authors, teachers, philosophers, musicians and scholars that the world has been blessed with...Each one of those passages speaks the word of truth.

The voice actors also give the ultimate performances of their careers to bring this epic story to life, so that also shows that this is a special form of entertainment.

I strongly advice you watch this series and you will learn something from its characters, homages to movies, Depth of brilliant writing & brilliant artwork...and Answer the ultimate question...

What would you give to know the truth?

Profoundly beautiful and surprisingly moving

[spaceboy_x · 10/10 · 3 August 2006]

This is unlike anything I ever experienced. A new medium if you will. By the time you realize the depth of the story and characters it is too late for you too turn away. You will be hooked and changed forever. I have never felt compelled to write any words for a film or such but the fact that this production was done so under ( out of ) the Hollywood radar and succeeds on so many levels makes it a compelling success. Give it a shot. There is a darkness that holds this piece together in the beginning but it ultimately redeemed. Anyone feeling the pangs of coping in our auto-destruct, auto-pilot society will feel that they are not alone, indeed they have a friend and a voice who understands. The voice overs are brilliant .. try to pick out the Smoking Man from X-files. I would really love to experience this in theaters.. especially the ending in the cathedral.. check out the old flash web site for a taste I guess.. give yourself some time. This isn't a Hollywood adrenaline fix but rather the real deal Peace

you should be forced to watch it

[welsh_ker · 10/10 · 1 November 2006]

it made every word sound like it meant something and you understood it. one of the most amazing arts iv ever seen and i think that every person on the planet should see the future of what this is. as i was doing my best not to get distracted when i watched it its not that hard to take every thing as you do because you want to no whats going and you don't wont to miss a frame. i think that it gives a big twist on life and will make you think differently on every thing. when you watch it you will have your own theory but you also agree with every one els's. the art work is amazing and how the hole thing is set out they've done thing that have never been done before. in my case I'm so glad that it wasn't band because i could see on haw it could be.

Not as amazing as the Flash version, but worth the watch

[IrateTyrant · 10/10 · 14 January 2023]

I had to buy this set when I saw it, but I found it to be very different than the original version of the movie. Broken Saints began as a video made on Flash software for the internet and was intricately drawn and illustrated by an amazing team of editors. It was groundbreaking and stunning and reminded me of an even more innovative version of the illustrations in the original Watership Down. The redo of the movie is still interesting to watch but falls more in line with its contemporaries as far as illustration. The original also didn't have voiceovers, but I was surprised to find that this remake's acting was above average. The story is surreal and unique and is long enough to be satisfying during the long runtime of the movie.