Fullmetal Alchemist (Live Action) Review
By: Nik S
Director: Fumihiko Sori
Producer(s): Yumihiko Yoshihara
Starring: Ryosuke Yamada, Tsubasa Honda, Dean Fujioka, Ryuta Sato, Jun Kunimura
Production Company: Oxybot Inc, Square Enix
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Runtime: 135 minutes
This is the first live-action adaptation of the well beloved Japanese manga, created by Hiromu Arakawa, is an interesting blend of visuals and narration--though often choppy and hastened. The film was released out in Japan on December 1 of last year and was released a few months later internationally on Netflix. The film is directed and co-written by Fumihiko Sori, who many might know for his work on Ichi and the Dragon Age adaptation Dawn of the Seeker.
The original story of Fullmetal Alchemist follows Ed and Al Elric, a brother duo who work for the government as State Alchemists. They live in an alternate history set in the fictional country of Amestris. As children, the brothers lose their mother to the plague and attempt to bring her back through transmutation, which ultimately backfires by taking Ed's entire body and Al's left leg. Edward sacrifices his right arm to retrieve his brother's soul back and binds it to a suit of armor. Ed receives prosthetic automail limbs, tries out for the state alchemists at a young age, and gets the nickname Fullmetal Alchemist. The Elrics learn of a mythical relic called the Philosopher's Stone and make it their life's goal to obtain it in the hopes of setting things back to normal for them. The movie adaptation is decently faithful to the plot of the manga, with a few exception for time's sake.
The cinematography is done rather well for a manga adaptation with lively establishing shots, good focus on characters, and good angled shots for dramatic use. The acting is where things get tricky for the movie, as it's a double edge sword of good and plain corny. When the scene calls for comedy or action the actors are able to pull off their characters well; during dramatic scenes that are meant to have emotional weight to them is when things are done poorly. Audiences can't get attached to most of the secondary characters like they can in the manga or anime adaptations, so scenes like the chimera don't have the same effect. Nothing seems to have a buildup and scenes come and go rather quick to fit in as many references or plot points as they could.
The CGI and practical effects are the movie's saving grace. All the creatures, alchemy, and weapons that are computer rendered aren't the most ground breaking, nor is it the most realistic looking, but it fits the look of the film. The practical effects, though few, seem like they belong in this fantasy world. The costume designs are something to marvel at as they look like they came straight out of the manga. There was a lot of care that went into making sure this movie was visually appealing for the fans, and it shows.
If you're not a fan of Fullmetal Alchemist, or you're like me and never watched all of it, then you might want to skip this movie. If you're a fan of the original, have two hours to kill, and are willing to overlook the lack of emotions during dramatic scenes then you'll certainly enjoy this. They try to cram in as much of the story as possible, so a lot of the scenes that carry a lot of weight to them just feel rushed and unimportant. I was rather shocked by some of the camera work and how well the effects, costumes, and backgrounds really worked in the film's advantage.
Director: Fumihiko Sori
Producer(s): Yumihiko Yoshihara
Starring: Ryosuke Yamada, Tsubasa Honda, Dean Fujioka, Ryuta Sato, Jun Kunimura
Production Company: Oxybot Inc, Square Enix
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Runtime: 135 minutes
This movie comes with many inconveniences. But inconveniences don't make it miserable! There's no reason for you to pity it. It was put together with love of alchemy by fans. If it denies itself, that would mean it's denying its fans. It believes in its potential that it holds. For you fans out there, that is a rewording of the classic Alphonse Elric quote about his armored body. The quote does perfectly fit what the movie set out to do; make a movie for the fans to enjoy and embrace their love for the original.
This is the first live-action adaptation of the well beloved Japanese manga, created by Hiromu Arakawa, is an interesting blend of visuals and narration--though often choppy and hastened. The film was released out in Japan on December 1 of last year and was released a few months later internationally on Netflix. The film is directed and co-written by Fumihiko Sori, who many might know for his work on Ichi and the Dragon Age adaptation Dawn of the Seeker.
The original story of Fullmetal Alchemist follows Ed and Al Elric, a brother duo who work for the government as State Alchemists. They live in an alternate history set in the fictional country of Amestris. As children, the brothers lose their mother to the plague and attempt to bring her back through transmutation, which ultimately backfires by taking Ed's entire body and Al's left leg. Edward sacrifices his right arm to retrieve his brother's soul back and binds it to a suit of armor. Ed receives prosthetic automail limbs, tries out for the state alchemists at a young age, and gets the nickname Fullmetal Alchemist. The Elrics learn of a mythical relic called the Philosopher's Stone and make it their life's goal to obtain it in the hopes of setting things back to normal for them. The movie adaptation is decently faithful to the plot of the manga, with a few exception for time's sake.
The cinematography is done rather well for a manga adaptation with lively establishing shots, good focus on characters, and good angled shots for dramatic use. The acting is where things get tricky for the movie, as it's a double edge sword of good and plain corny. When the scene calls for comedy or action the actors are able to pull off their characters well; during dramatic scenes that are meant to have emotional weight to them is when things are done poorly. Audiences can't get attached to most of the secondary characters like they can in the manga or anime adaptations, so scenes like the chimera don't have the same effect. Nothing seems to have a buildup and scenes come and go rather quick to fit in as many references or plot points as they could.
The CGI and practical effects are the movie's saving grace. All the creatures, alchemy, and weapons that are computer rendered aren't the most ground breaking, nor is it the most realistic looking, but it fits the look of the film. The practical effects, though few, seem like they belong in this fantasy world. The costume designs are something to marvel at as they look like they came straight out of the manga. There was a lot of care that went into making sure this movie was visually appealing for the fans, and it shows.
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