Apparently, I’m a sucker for subtitles no matter what language the movie is in. This one is in Japanese – I think. I have only caught bits and pieces of the anime this movie is based on, but I know my sons enjoyed it – might still enjoy it; I’ll have to ask.

Anyway, this is a live action film from Netflix based on the anime by the same name.  The site doesn’t give much information about the film such as who plays whom and whatnot so, I’m going to guess.  Ryosuke Yamada must play Edward while Dean Fujioka is Alphonse, his brother.  That’s all I’m going to guess at because I’m not sure which are female names and which are male names.

In this film which is full of lots of fun action and some great special effects, is about two brothers living in something like a Communist country.  The uniforms are reminiscent of Communist Russian uniforms with some slight modification and the color is blue.  The state controls who is allowed to practive alchemy and who is not based on how “useful” their abilities are.

The movie opens with the two brothers as little boys,  Their mom is killed, and the boys are wrecked, Alphonse more than Edward.  They were already training to be alchemists like their absent father so they decide to bring Mom back with alchemy.  Something goes horribly wrong, and the movie fast forwards.  You learn fairly quickly that Al’s spirit is stuck inside a suit of armor while Ed is missing an arm and a leg – he has metal prosthesis instead.

The main plot of the movie is the pair finding the Philosopher’s Stone so Ed can get Al’s body back.  It ends up not being as simple as it sounds.

I enjoyed this movie, most likely because I’ve not really scene the anime.  People who have panned the movie just because.  I’m more of a realist – nobody is going to do an anime just in live action.  The animes are full of things you can’t do with live actors and cameras – not even with CGI.  I like the movie just as it stands, no comparison to the anime.

I do wish they’d done more with Al but the interaction with him and Ed as well as others in the show was still good.

See the movie, or don’t see the movie.  I believe everyone should do as they like instead of what the critics say.  Me, I’m not a critic, I just like movies, and I like telling people about them.  I’ve enjoyed movies that movie critics said were not worth wasting my time on – who are they to know what I like or don’t like.  Whom am I to know what you do, or don’t like.  Have fun and have a great time doing whatever you like!

See you on the flipside movie watchers and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!