That should be obvious, but in case it isn't, here's why. He loves Game of Thrones and dogs. The live-action Fullmetal Alchemist tries to jam too much of the story from the anime and the manga into the film’s 135-minute runtime and it’s just too much to digest in that amount of time. Fullmetal Alchemist screened in Japan and at the Anime NYC convention. Fullmetal Alchemist is a live-action adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa’s manga series by the same name.. Arakawa’s manga is one of the most successful titles of the 2000s, selling almost 70 million copies worldwide. And live-action movie versions of big-name manga rarely work out. Fullmetal Alchemist Review Reviews The Fullmetal Alchemist live action movie adapts the beloved anime about bonkers alchemy and brotherly love with mixed results. on February 21, 2018 at 8:25AM PST. I LOVE Fullmetal Alchemist! There is something in there for a large audience to enjoy.”. Fullmetal Alchemist film review: With all long rich story adoptions you are going to lose a lot when trying to fit it into a 2h film. The film didn’t waste any precious time on unnecessary romance scenes or include bizarre moments. There are no featured audience reviews for Fullmetal Alchemist (Hagane no renkinjutsushi) at this time. The movie's ample CG effects, from alchemical spells like rippling cobblestones to a goopy army of groaning golems, look so bad you'll actually marvel that this was made last year and not in the late '90s. Someone early on marvels at Ed's ability to do alchemy "without a transmutation circle," but characters throughout the movie snap their fingers to summon fireballs and perform other unexplained feats. There are some things that simply seem less plausible in live action than in an animated format, and Fullmetal Alchemist seems eager to brush past as many of them as possible. With a compelling cast of characters, awesomely constructed plot, and spectacular visuals, it’s bound to have a special place in my heart. It's extremely violent, with everything intensified due to the fact that it's live action rather than animation. In life, there are certain unshakable truths. If you’re an anime fan, you’re used to being disappointed by live-action adaptations of your favorite stories. Netflix’s new take on “Fullmetal Alchemist” appears to be no different, alas, as reviews of Fumihiko Sori’s adaptation have been mixed at best. There’s a juvenile streak running through the entirety of director Fumihiko Sori’s adaptation that boosts the broad comedy but absolutely batters any moment trying to be deep and sincere.”. Despite its high profile and fan hunger, Fullmetal Alchemist is everything wrong with live-action anime adaptations. There's only 51 episodes, a movie -Full Metal Alchemist and the Conqueror of Shamballa- and a couple of games so it won't burn too big of a hole in your pocket. It was cool to see how they adapted it for live action. Unfortunately, those sensory elements are poorly imitated as well. Al's suit of armor looks good in most scenes, Jams too much in while still feeling boring. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Edward is the… Mike Rougeau is GameSpot's Senior Entertainment Editor. The movie's issues start immediately, as it brushes over the Elrics' origin story in a weird hurry to get it over with. There's one extended fight scene between the brothers themselves that manages to simultaneously make no sense, feel completely pointless, have no bearing on the story, and break the already vaguely defined rules of this world all in one. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. March 2, 2018 F ullmetal Alchemist is one of the most celebrated and recognized Japanese fiction properties in … As kids, the brothers became disfigured after an alchemical ritual gone wrong--Ed loses an arm and a leg, and Al his entire body, his soul coming to rest inside a hulking suit of armor. Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Ditto Kaori Shoji, who reviewed the live-action adaptation for IGN: “The narrative often suffers from a lack of coherence and sequential breakdown. The movie uses multiple early scene info dumps to lamely get its core rules across: Alchemy isn't magic, despite looking like it, because of the "law of equivalent exchange," which doesn't seem to have an actual definition except in rare instances the plot requires it to. You will be redirected back to your article in, Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. Parents need to know that Fullmetal Alchemist is a live-action, subtitled Japanese fantasy movie based on one of the best-selling manga (Japanese comic book series) of all time, which has also spawned two animated TV series, video games, audio books, and more. The plot features brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric who, after attempting the forbidden technique of human transmutation, suffer the consequences. And to add to the confusion, it's the adult version of the character--not the child--who loses his limbs and strikes a deal to get his brother's soul back. Say whatever else you want about last year's Ghost in the Shell adaptation, which pissed off most fans by changing the ending and allegedly missing the point. Editor’s Note: This review for Fullmetal Alchemist may contain near complete to complete spoilers for the film, as well as potential spoilers for both the manga and its two anime adaptations. 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Resident Evil Village Release Date Is May 7, PS4/Xbox One Versions Confirmed, PS5 Restock Updates: Check Latest Stock, Updates, And More, Xbox Series X Restocks: Check Availability Here, By Interviews with leading film and TV creators about their process and craft. Audience members unfamiliar with the source material are likely to simply scratch their heads at the ensuing action scenes, in which a young man in an ill-fitting blonde wig chases down a magic priest with the help of an empty suit of armor. If you've never experienced FMA before, go watch the anime (preferably the Brotherhood series); if you're already a fan, boot up Netflix and watch the Fullmetal Alchemist live action movie at your own risk. Ed definitely needed a better wig though... — エリン @ Anime NYC (@Rinlin) November 20, 2017 Fullmetal Alchemist follows the Elric brothers Al and Ed in a pseudo-European world where the science of "alchemy" is nearly indistinguishable from magic. Fullmetal Alchemist is infinitely more interested in parroting the sights and sounds of its source material than in exploring the anime's ideas or adding anything original to the formula. Unlike the Attack On Titan live-action film, Fullmetal Alchemist actually made sense, even though some rather important bits and pieces of information that was crucial to the story in the original anime was removed. Fullmetal Alchemist overall suffers from unimaginative visual design, particularly in the characters' outfits and many terrible wigs, neither of which ever seem to fit right. Alphonse loses his entire body while Edward loses his left leg. The story is set in an alternate version of early 20 th-century Europe, where alchemy is possible and recognized as a legitimate form of science. Years later, the boys have joined the army as official State Alchemists in the hopes their adventures will lead them to the Philosopher's Stone, which Ed can theoretically use to reunite Al with his real body. Violence, gore, peril in live-action manga adaptation. The first live-action adaptation of the phenomenally popular Japanese manga created by female author Hiromu Arakawa proves to be a mixed bag of eye-catching visuals and uneven storytelling — rushed and choppy at times, and draggy and repetitive at others.