Other new characters are treated in a similar manner with two sentence reasons for what motivates them. The villain becomes prominent towards the second half, acts in the stereotypically evil manner, espouses a tacked on, clichéd motivation for its actions, and proceeds to be literally dehumanized thereafter. So much time is spent on the original characters that Noah and Dietlinde appear as cardboard cutouts. The returning characters are handled well the newcomers on the other hand fall victim to the films limited length.
A notable exception is the movie opening, Link, which easily ranks among the best of the franchise.Īnd this is where the story comments arrive into effect. It melds well into the background and there’s little to be said otherwise.
The film is lacking in truly memorable pieces in the vain of its predecessor series (Brothers, Heavenly Spirit) but it manages to capture the viewer into the world it creates. It begins with an unanswered series of questions, brings forth a new series of questions, and in the end, doesn’t conclude in answering any of them.īeautiful and fluid as always: even more so since this is a feature length film.įar above average. This is fine by itselfīut Shambhala is inherently a continuation of the series rather than a stand-alone piece. Unfortunately, the movie spends less time attempting to address these numerous plot threads and more time creating larger questions of its own. The general premise of the story was high quality yet the execution in relation to its source material was poor, largely because the end of the series left so many plot threads to be explained. Though I had been a long time fan of the series, the movie was a dull, disconnected effort to recapture the quality of the former. I’m going to have to diverge my opinion from the consensus here. However, I still recommend in watching the movie, because like I said earlier, Fullmetal Alchemist: The Movie – Conqueror of Shamballa will provide closure for the series. Moreover, Al and Winry, two of my favorite characters, didn’t get enough screen time, so that disappointed me a bit. Alchemy was so important in the series that it made the plot, but that wasn’t the case for the movie. It’s not because of the plot per se, but I was disappointed that there was less talk of alchemy in the movie. L’Arc~en~ciel also sang the opening and ending themes of the movie, and just like the series, they also came up with catchy tracks for this one too.Īs much as I liked the movie, I have to say that I like the series more. The music in the series was more striking and memorable compared to the music of the movie. Michiru Oshima, who worked on the music of the series has returned to compose music for the movie as well, but I have to say I like the music of the series better. I especially like how the colors in Earth have a slightly weathered look, while the colors in Amestris are bright and vibrant. The character design became sleeker, the backgrounds are more detailed and attractive, and the color coordination is better than in the series. All the characters still have their respective voice actors from the series, but there are also new additions to the cast such as a gypsy girl named Noa (Miyu Sawai), who I don’t really like because she whines too much, and a new villain, Dietlinde Eckhart (Kazuko Kato).Įven the visuals of the movie were new and improved. I don’t want to spoil anything, but here’s a hint – dead characters are even brought to life in the movie, however they have different personalities. Ed and Al certainly have matured (and they look cool!), and the same goes for minor characters such as Winry and Roy Mustang. I guess to keep things fresh and exciting, the characters were given new looks to go with new storylines. It’s definitely a wonderful storyline that will give viewers the conclusion they’re looking for. In the movie, Earth and Resembool are treated as parallel to each other, and you see how they interact with each other while in the process, the two brothers try to reunite themselves.
In Germany in the year 1923, and Al stuck in Amestris, specifically in Resembool. If that’s the case, then you were also probably shocked that the series ended with the two brothers separated, Ed on Earth, specifically If you watched the series and followed it religiously like I did, you probably also marveled at how close Ed and Al are that they are willing to risk their lives for each other. In my opinion, it is impossible to get some real closure from watching the series alone.
Want a real conclusion to the events that happened in Fullmetal Alchemist? Then you should watch Fullmetal Alchemist: The Movie – Conqueror of Shamballa. 5 WORDS OR LESS REVIEW: Must watch after the series