ALARIS' REVIEWS

19th May 2008
Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa (2005)

If you've never seen the anime TV series Fullmetal Alchemist, this movie will probably confuse you. If you have seen the TV series, this movie will probably still confuse you.

Fullmetal Alchemist is an animated, fantasy adventure, and the movie picks up shortly after the events of the series finale. Alchemist brothers Edward and Al are separated on different worlds: Edward is stranded in 1920s Germany, Earth, while Al is back on Amestris, a world where alchemy is a real and powerful force.

Edward is eking out an unassuming existence, trying unsuccessfully to ignore the rising shadow of Nazism. This becomes impossible when he discovers that sinister forces are trying to create a bridge between Earth and Amestris, for undoubtedly heinous purposes.

The film is reasonably well paced, beautifully animated, with some great dramatic scenes. However, there are a few occasions when characters from the TV series unexpectedly appear without much explanation, and if like me, it has been a while since watching the series, you might be left wondering 'Who the hell is that, and what are they doing?' The fact that the story jumps back and forth between cities and worlds also makes it a little difficult to keep track of who is doing what where.

It reminded me a little of my early days of anime, watching movies like Akira. Things didn't really make a lot of sense, but you just went with it. Egads, would you look at that bear.

I was a little disappointed with the story, since the TV series had some incredibly dramatic, moving and unexpected moments, and I was hoping for more the same. The plotline of the Fullmetal Alchemist movie was okay, but it probably had too much complexity, without enough sophistication.

Overall, it was enjoyable to watch, but it lacks the dramatic impact, excellent plotting, and more complex characterisations of the TV series. My favourite part of the movie had to be the opening sequence, which reminded me of how incredibly cool the series was.

Verdict: Entertaining but confusing. The series was much better.

If you liked the Fullmetal Alchemist TV series, you'll probably like this.