The 2nd Dimension

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Viewing Journal: Fullmetal Alchemist movie

Movie Overview
DVD Info (available September 25)

Rating:
Overall= A
Story = A
Video = A
Audio = B+

Journal

Wow! What a great ending to the series. Honestly, I think that any fan of the Fullmetal Alchemist TV series will be overcome with histerical joy at seeing how things end up in this movie -- or maybe I shouldn't build it up so much (especially given my complaints in my previous review), but whatever. ^_^;

This movie is the conclusion to the 54-episode TV series that was aired on Adult Swim. It's a very satisfying and climactic ending too, and I luckily got a chance to see its premier at Otakon a week ago. I think maybe my reaction to the movie was somewhat affected by seeing it with a massive crowd of FMA fans because as each character made their appearance on screen, everyone in the theatre let out a huge cheer. It was really fun watching it that way.

The movie itself takes place two years after the last TV episode, so if you haven't watched the series, you'll probably be confused as to what is going on. But if you have seen the series, this is, I think, exactly how you wanted the series to end: greate story with intense drama and some fun comedy and where every major character gets at least some screen time. Scar fans might be disappointed since he only gets a brief cameo near the end, but everyone else should get a kick out of it. Armstrong fans will love it since he is in rare form ( :) ); and Gluttony comes back in an especially kick-ass scene. I know some people think the ending was predictable, but I liked it and personally didn't expect it to end exactly that way.

The animation was great -- smooth, fluid, and a lot of action. I saw Bones, Gainax, and Production IG in the end credits which are my three favorite animation studios. I don't know how much each studio participated or what role they played, but those names alone should give you a general idea of how high-quality the animation was.

The music was great and gave the drama and action an extra boost. There were also a couple of new songs for the opening and ending from L'Arc-en-Ciel.

So what else can I say? If you are an FMA fan then watch it when it's released on DVD. And if you get a chance to see it in a theatre, take advantage of it because with the awesome animation and sound, getting the full cinematic experience is priceless. If you haven't seen the series yet, then go watch it on Adult Swim (if it's still showing) or buy the DVDs. It's definitely worth it.

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