Netflix's 'Fullmetal Alchemist' Review: Another Problematic Anime-Movie Adaptation

Let’s get one thing straight. Anime-movie adaptations—much like video game-movie adaptations—almost never go well. So when I kicked up the TV to watch “Fullmetal Alchemist,” I set my expectations low. And when I say low, I mean I set them to “Dragonball: Evolution” low. That’s right. So then why, sweet Netflix, am I still feeling a pang of rageful disappointment at “Fullmetal Alchemist?”

Fullmetal Alchemist Spoiler-free Summary

Straight to the point: “Fullmetal Alchemist” tells the story of Edward (Ryôsuke Yamada) and Alphonse Elric (Atom Mizuishi). The two boys lose their mother at a young age, they try to resurrect her, and the failed experiment literally costs Edward an arm and a leg. He also gets off easy, since his brother Al loses his entire body and ends up bound to a suit of armor. The movie then follows the brothers as they search the world for a means to get their body back.

Overall, it’s a solid premise, placing two teenage boys in the shoes of adults on the path to redemption. The story goes on, and the Elric brothers come up against the Homunculi, each of them themed after the seven deadly sins. Or rather, three of the seven deadly sins, since only Gluttony, Lust, and Envy were represented. And that brings us to the next part of the discussion.

The Problem With Anime-Movie Adaptations

First things first: I don’t hate this film “just because” it’s based on an anime. In fact, I loved both the 2003 anime and “FMA: Brotherhood.” So when I say I think the Homunculi were done right, I mean it. I also liked how the character Maes Hughes (Ryûta Satô) did the anime and manga justice.
But therein lies the problem. When judging a movie, you have to look at it as a standalone product. You have to ask yourself: is this movie a technically excellent piece on its own? That’s merely being objective. But whenever a book or game or series becomes a movie, you entail that the film draws parallels with the original work. This perspective is most straightforward to pull off with full-length novels because each novel is a story in itself. But with series, each episode is a full story, and so condensing 64 episodes of Edward Elric into two hours will feel like a fraction of the original experience. The only other way to do it is to come up with a brand new story from scratch, ala Marvel Cinematic Universe.

When it comes to this movie, the plot works. The acting was okay, as far as anime-movie adaptations are concerned. The CGI was terrible at some points but wasn’t overall horrible. But does it live up to the series? Absolutely not.

Nitpicking Fullmetal Alchemist

Let’s start with the cast. Nobody likes whitewashing. But in line with my disdain for whitewashing, it’s tough to appreciate characters conceived with English last names played by Japanese folk trying to be something they’re not. Granted that the source material is Japanese, and as I said, the acting is acceptable. But wouldn’t it be hypocritical to denounce whitewashing and support this?

Oh, and when I say the CGI was terrible at some points, I mean Alphonse’s CGI was really bad. I’ve seen better Alphonse Elrics made of crafting foam at cosplay conventions. I don’t understand how they screwed up the main character when the effects team was able to put somewhat better work with two chimeric monsters in the first 5 minutes of the film.

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Verdict

Overall, if you shut your brain off and tell yourself this isn’t the same Edward Elric as depicted in the manga or series, Fullmetal Alchemist isn’t so bad to be in the same category as “Dragonball: Evolution.” It’s as easy to say it’s a different universe from “FMA 2003” as the latter is a different universe from the manga. But if you’re like me and you can’t suspend your disbelief to that degree, then you’re not going to like this. At all.