Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa

Having just seen the sneak preview screenings of the english language reversioning of Fullmetal Alchemist Conqueror of Shamballa, I can say without reservation that it is a thrilling and must-see epilogue/ending capping off what is without question one of the greatest masterpieces of anime. However, DO NOT START your exploration of this story with this movie. Some of the things that make this story so great are its character development, story arc, pacing, and unexpected twists of plot. To be properly appreciated, Fullmetal Alchemist MUST be seen in sequence from episode 1 through episode 51, and THEN this movie. If you try to watch this movie before seeing the series, not only will you find it largely incomprehensible, but knowledge of what happens will SPOIL many of the surprises that await in those 51 episodes. Virtually no backstory is provided; viewers are assumed to have seen the series.

All the charm and wonder of the series is here in this film. All the voice actors from the english reversioning of the series were brought back to voice their characters for the movie. The care and attention to detail shown by both the original creators and the reversioners is remarkable to say the least. I only wished it was longer. The epic story of the Fullmetal Alchemist, in its entirety, will stand for decades as a monument to and inspiration for what can be achieved in this medium. This film is the final coda at the end of all its symphonic glory.

Note: this may contain minor spoilers. That said, the FMA movie brings a close to the storyline left open at the end of episode 51 of the TV series. It has stunning visuals and a superb soundtrack, nicely rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. It picks up three years after the end of the television series and wraps up loose ends surrounding the gate, Hoenheim, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, Ed, and Al. Despite the fact that it was written by the same staff who created the series, the movie does have a different "feel" to it (especially since alchemy can't be used for a good portion of the film). If you liked the series, you'll definitely enjoy (at least most of) the movie. Fans who are looking for romantic relationships are going to be disappointed as the staff seemed to focus more on the bond between the two brothers.

For the big fans of the series, this special edition will definitely be a highlight to your collection, as it will contain a hard-bound book, several character "portrait cards", and a bonus DVD with multiple commentaries and interviews with the Japanese cast and crew, as well as the American staff. It also has a nice portrait of Ed on the cover of the box (the same that was used for the Japanese ltd. ed. release).

I would highly recommend this film to anyone who likes Fullmetal Alchemist; despite what I saw as the film's few shortcomings, it was still a good movie overall.

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First off, if you are a fan of Fullmetal Alchemist, this is a must buy. That said...

This was a great ending to the series. Fans who watched the 51 episodes prior to this were likely a bit disappointed with the ending of the series itself. It was rather open-ended, with little in the way of actual character resolutions. The movie, however, fixes this. it's a great ride from start to finish that leaves you satisfied when the end credits start rolling. Without giving anything away, I would suggest that you have at least watched enough of FMA to know the characters, but ideal you should have watched the entire series itself before watching the movie.

As for the video/audio, the movie looks great on Blu-ray. The colors are vibrant and the audio is crisp and clear...though there is a bit of an issue with line consistency, but over all this is a HUGE improvement over the DVD.

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I purchased the entire series of FMA on Amazon as well as Conqueror of Shamballa on Blu-Ray. I made sure to watch the series before popping the movie in and was glad I did. I loved the movie. I'm not sure if watching the series is necessary before watching the movie, but I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much if I didn't. It's a great addition to the show. The Blu-Ray quality is apparent with some gorgeous visuals. The US actor commentary, talk session, and making of in the special features are pretty good. Overall the movie was solid, same talented voice work, interesting story, and the Full Metal Alchemist vibe in all its high-definition glory. 5 Stars.

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Similar to End of Evangelion, this film is essentially the conclusion to the 51-episode anime show that caught on big with audiences stateside. While it's not a fair comparison, that was my first thought that came to mind, especially since like EoE, Conqueror doesn't end with an "all questions answered" ending. While it's definately cool to see your favorite characters in a fuller context, there's some things that aren't dealt with, mainly with characters, that I wish they concluded. In case you haven't seen the series, I am going to spoil it so consider yourself warned.

At the end of the series, 4 Homunculi had been killed with one being sent through the Gate. Al had been restored to his body with his memory wiped out and Ed was in our world circa the 1920's in Munich, Germany. In this film, Ed rescues a gypsy named Noah who has mind-reading abilities. It also turns out she's being hunted by the Thule Society who wants to reach the world "Shamballa". Back in the series world, Al actually turned out to be a pretty powerful alchemist and has been trying to find Ed while dealing with a new villain.

One of the things that's always fun while watching these movies is seeing one of the old characters show up. I don't want to spoil it but some of them are like "hey! that's him/her!". But like certain movies that have the same back and forth structure, you start to get intrigued by the appearance of characters in one world then you jump back to someone else. It's only a minor nitpick so it isn't as important. But it is great to see the characters again.

Now where I guess the disappointment comes in is the handling of certain characters. There's obviously some romances that are suggested such as Mustang/Hawkeye, Ed and Winry(and even at one point Ed and Rose), Scar and Lust and you'd at least like to see some acknowledgement of one of them actually happen. And the conclusion of the film suggests there will be a sequel since there's obviously stuff that can be resolved. I haven't read a single manga of the show, not that we have it available here anyway, so I have no clue what happens at the end.

It's highly recommended that you watch the series as everything from transmutation circles to Homunculi will be completely lost. Sure you'll understand the basics but all the small details will be completely lost. The film's great so it's not that big of a problem but still, it's a big investment to watch the film so set some time to watch all 51 episodes then come here.

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