This Japanese Live Action Adaptation is… Okay – There are Hits and Misses in Equal Doses, with the Insinuation of a Sequel; a Good Attempt that could Have been Better – Fullmetal Alchemist Review
Fullmetal Alchemist Review
[yasr_overall_rating]
Okay.
Live-action adaptations of Japanese manga/anime have been anything but disasters lately. Be it Attack on Titan (2015), Tokyo Ghoul (2017) or Death Note (2017) – the movies were tragedies of the first order. And, let’s not even get started on 2009’s Dragonball. Urgh!
The most important problem with live-action adaptations of Japanese anime is that the makers try to make human actors act like anime characters. It just doesn’t happen!
So, I wasn’t expecting too much from Fullmetal Alchemist which was released on Netflix this Monday.
27 Volumes Packed in 2 Hours – Fullmetal Alchemist Review
Synopsis:
The plot takes place at the beginning of the 20th century, in a reality where alchemy is real, extremely developed and respected. The plot features brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric who, after attempting the forbidden technique of human transmutation, suffer the consequences. Alphonse loses his entire body while Edward loses his left leg. Edward then sacrifices his right arm to save his brother’s soul by attaching it to a metal suit of armour. Edward is then given mechanical prosthetics known as “automail” in place of his missing arm and leg. Upon acceptance into the State Alchemists, he is given the nickname “Fullmetal Alchemist”, all while searching with Alphonse for the legendary philosopher’s stone that will repair their bodies.
This dark fantasy science fiction movie, produced under Warner Bros. Japan, has been directed by Fumihiko Sori and is based on Hiromu Arakawa’s Japanese manga series of the same name. The popularity of the manga was such that it spawned two completely separate anime adaptations: FullMetal Alchemist (2003) and FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009).
Fumihiko Sori makes an ambitious attempt to bring the popular manga/anime to life. Though Sori falls short of trying to stuff a 27-volume manga down into a two-hour long movie while keeping it interesting, he does carefully manage to pick out important elements from the source material and showcase some feel-good moments.
Fans of the manga or the anime will agree that the movie has its moments, some of which land just right.
Why Watch It?
There are good things about the movie which make it appealing and worth a watch. The costumes and the colour schemes were almost idyllic and gave the whole movie an winning quality. I liked the Homunculus and the way they were portrayed, it was well executed. The climactic showdown scene with the Homunculus is another point in the movie’s favour – it was capably done.
The overall acting was balanced and reasonable– some actors did good; others, not so much. (I didn’t much care for the blonde wigs, though!)
Fullmetal Alchemist ‘kind of’ works. This is apparent when one realises that there have been far worse live-action based anime movies. Oh, and, the movie is an all-Japanese production that features an all-Japanese cast.
Finally!
Why Not?
I was left a little disappointed, as will those who love the original manga or the anime. The movie is not without flaws, hardly perfect and tries to pack in too much too fast. Fans of Winry, especially women, will be quite disheartened to see such a remarkable character turn into an unnecessary supporting act whose presence is redundant.
The story is kinda flat and there are a lot of characters missing from the original manga. Key characters like Scar, Greed, Havoc, Selim, Armstrong, Bradley, Hohenheim etc. were absent and their presence was somewhat palpable. Hopefully, some of them will find a place in the sequel (it was hinted at). The overall story suffers from a lack of coherence and lucidity. As I said, it tries to pack in too much too fast.
Yes, the CGI effects felt a bit underworked, it wasn’t the best out there. But that’s understandable; and, if I may be so bold as to make this supposition: forgivable. The CGI effects in movies outside of the cash-rich Hollywood are generally okayish. It’s just too damn expensive!
Fullmetal Alchemist Review – The Idiot Speaks
I could go either way on this.
Fullmetal Alchemist is like the Avengers: Age of Ultron of live action movies – of course, people will be disappointed for the most part; but they will also feel good having seen their beloved characters onscreen again. And, you do realise which Avengers movie has been in the works after Age of Ultron, right?
All things considered, this adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist is two hours too long. If you aren’t too much into Japanese manga and anime, you can give it a miss.
But, as far as Japanese live-action movies are concerned, it’s better than all its brothers and sisters out there.
Verdict of The Idiot
Idiot-o-Meter: Take It Easy, Dude!
[yasr_overall_rating]
The Idiot’s Rating System:
4.0 – 5.0: The Dude Abides!
3.0 – 4.0: Far Out, Man!
2.0 – 3.0: Take It Easy, Dude!
1.0 – 2.0: You’re Out Of Your Element!
0.0 – 1.0: The Goddamn Plane Has Crashed Into The Mountain!
The Idiot's Corner 