Fullmetal Alchemist: The Revenge of Scar (2022) - Why is this Made?

Ryosuke Yamada as Edward Elric (at least his wig looks better)

Netflix loves to produce live-action (LA) adaptations of popular anime. But Netflix’s success rate of theses American adaptions are really low. Like, Death Note (2017) and Cowboy Bebop (2021), they both failed miserably and never gotten a sequel. It seems like Netflix is a platform where LA anime adaptations go there to die. Unless if it’s a Japanese produced adaptation, then they do a better job at treating the original material with respect and dignity. So, the Fullmetal Alchemist live action movie shouldn’t be that bad, right?

Mackenyu as Scar

 

The movie is a sequel to the 2017 movie. Fullmetal Alchemist: The Revenge of Scar is where Edward and his brother Alphonse Elric continue on their journey to find the philosophers stone. They are also being pursued by a group of the homunculi who tries to interfere in their path. Ed and Al meets several new enemies and allies such as, Ling Yao, Mei Chang, and Scar, the main villain of the story. Scar is on a revenge quest to assassinate all State Alchemist who were responsible for the genocide of his people during the Ishval civil war.

It’s been a long time since I watched the 2017 film, I remember that it did not make a big impression on me. I was really surprised that they even made a sequel. So I guess many people watched it. Did they liked it? I wonder if it’s more popular among the Japanese audience.

Atom Mizuishi as Alphonse Elric

 

At least the storytelling is slightly better than the first movie. The 2017 movie was a jumbled mess. There were too many plot points, not enough time to develop the character’s drama and it was confusing as hell. However in the sequel, it focuses on one plot line, so it’s easier to follow. All the other characters that were involved in Scar’s story, actually have a purpose to be in the film.

Tsubasa Honda as Winry Rockbell

 

The costumes and the set designs looks great. It looks exactly like in the anime, which was cool to see. The actors are good, they are doing their best with what they got. However, it's still missing a soul and heart to the story. The emotional parts of the story feels flat. The character develop is still lacking. With the exception of Scar, since this story is all about him. The expositions of the character’s backstory were drawn out too long and it was so boring. How can you make the storytelling so lifeless?! Everything looks great on the outside, but it lacks the soul and charm of what makes everyone loved about the franchise.

Seiyo Uchino as van Hohenheim

 

I think this movie was made for fan service and as a tribute to the popular manga/anime series. I have to admit its kind of cool to see a scene-by-scene rendition from the manga come to life on screen. Seeing all the actors in their costumes, they all look great, like professional cosplayers. Although, there are some things that don’t translate well and ends up looking silly (like Armstrong). This is more for the audiences who are familiar with the series. If you are newbie, then I would not recommend watching this film. Instead, go watch the anime, it’s way more fun than this film.

There will be a third movie called The Final Alchemy that will stream on Netflix on Sept 24, 2022. I won’t be reviewing the final because my thoughts are probably not going to change. I don’t really take this movie adaptation that seriously. So I might as well sit back and enjoy the ridiculous ride.

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