After the highly successful run of the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood anime series in 2010, it was announced that animation studios Bones and Aniplex will release a movie related to the franchise. Needless to say, it caused quite the excitement among FMA fans.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood was a reboot of the first Fullmetal Alchemist anime series and, while featuring familiar characters and major plot points, was actually a more faithful adaptation of the original manga series. The two series had different approaches to the mythology of alchemy and the source of the homunculus. While both series were enjoyable, I actually preferred Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood more.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood had ended on a pretty definite note for the Elric brothers, so I figured that the film's timeline would fall somewhere in the middle of the series. It turned out that I was right. The film takes place after the Elric brothers discovered the true nature of the Philosopher's Stone and the existence of Al's real body in front of the Gate of Truth.
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos opens with the past, as the Crichton family is escorted from the valley that housed the Milos to Creta, because of the Crichton's research on alchemy. One night, siblings Ashley Crichton and Julia Crichton find their parents hanging dead from the ceiling, causing Julia to faint. Years later, brothers Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric investigate an explosion at a nearby prison. They encounter an escaped prisoner, who performs ice and lightning alchemy with drawn circles on the palm of his hands. They find a clue in the form of a cut out picture of Julia Crichton of Milos, who was captured after attempting to cross the border into Table City. Ed and Al travel to the historied Table City created by the Milos, captured by Creta and eventually taken over by Amestris. While on a train, the brothers encounter trouble with a wolf chimera and a band of Milos rebels called the Black Bats. The brothers end up meeting Julia and they learn about the real reason behind the conflict between the three nations, as well as the struggle of the citizens of Milos to end their impoverished life in the valley surrounding Table City.
The film pretty much showcased the successful elements of the series, including the main theme of conflict caused by the effects of alchemy. There are people and nations who want power or salvation, which they believe they can gain by finding and using the famed Star of Milos. Fans of the series will be exhaling in exasperation at the continued narrowmindedness people exhibit in the face of their ambition or desperation, even when already forewarned of the consequences of their actions.
While the story centers on Julia and her quest to create a better life for the Milos, Ed and Al are still the main reasons to watch and will be the favorite characters in the film for viewers. The various conflicts the two brothers find themselves in highlights the differences in their personalities. While the more boisterous of the two, Ed was still more prone to be focused on his duties and unwavering in his beliefs, causing him to just make acquaintances at the most. Al, on the other hand, was the one who had an easier time of connecting with others or making new friends despite his rather imposing appearance. It was this quality that made Al my favorite character in the series and not once did I ever think that it was weird how Al remains to be the only suit of armor in any form of media capable of looking embarrassed or of blushing.
The movie is particularly long, clocking in at just under 2 hours. The film hits some snags for me when it delves into several narratives to discuss the history of Milos at length. Yet, the film also makes up for it with exceptional fight scenes. While it seemed that the film was heading to a showdown of warring nations, the focus was on the individual battles that the characters engaged in. One of the last fight scenes between Ed and one of the villains was particularly epic. In the chaos of all of the alchemy they were using and amid the intensity of their fight, the animation style changed several times. It was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it type of surprise, but the excitement level was pretty high at that point for me, so I was pretty much willing myself not to blink even if my eyes teared up on me.
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos also took advantage of the bigger budget afforded to films, giving viewers better animation than the TV anime series ever offered. It was still far from perfect, but the sweeping views of the scenery and the fluidity of the fight scenes were a definite improvement. If you are researching for information on the movie online, I would suggest that you don't base your decision to watch the film on the still shots. The photos or images that you will see online do not do the film justice.
If you are not a fan of the Fullmetal Alchemist series and find yourself thinking twice about watching the film, I suggest that you give it a try. There's enough background material sprinkled in the story that gives new audiences an idea about the quest of the Elric brothers. And the action and adventure elements pretty much make it a film anyone can get on board with.
As for the fans.... Well, speaking as a fan, I wouldn't let the chance pass to watch the Elric brothers in a new adventure, even if I do know how their story ends. This one is definitely something you don't want to miss.
Happy viewing!!Labels: Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Anime, Drama, Fantasy, Film, FMA Brotherhood, Must-Watch, Sacred Star of Milos
