Not too shabby for a first go at Flash.
Good start! Next flash, make your sprites and BGs bigger. All that white space was a bit distracting from your movie. Also, jazz up your action sequences with some classic 16- and 32-bit action, rather than manipulating the sprites to do things they were not meant to do. Next, fill your movie with eye-catching backgrounds, FX, and some of the great music you used in this flash. Keep up a fast pace for the action, so it's not just a boring side-scroller.
Keep at it. I'd love to see those custom sprites. Good luck!