Writer: Erny Suzira

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Watch this if you liked: “Rurouni Kenshin” live-action

The Good, the Bad and the Titan-Killers:

Adapted from one of Japan's best-selling manga series as well as anime of the same name, the highly anticipated live action version of "Attack on Titan" isn't very well-received among die-hard fans of the original series due to the many changes in the plot and characters. The film has been highly criticised by fans for not staying true to the original series.

The film might not achieve the expectations of many fans from the series, but to non-fans, it doesn't appear as bad as it seems. The plot seems decent enough as it talks about three friends whose village has been attacked by man-eating Titans, and their journey to rid of these Titans.

Sure, the graphic of the film is nowhere near Hollywood level, but it does deserve some applause as some scenes look really epic with all the cool-looking swinging gadgets as well as the exciting fight scenes between the Titans.

Also, the make-up of the Titans is truly praise-worthy as they all look as creepy and menacing as how they look like in the original version. Do note that the film is filled with slasher-like gore scenes that are truly gruesome which may not be suitable for those who cannot take watching blood splattering around, body parts flying or even splitting in half.

The cast did a good job with each of their respective roles. The acting is quite convincing and realistic, though there are moments when the cast takes quite some time staring at each other or slow at giving a response. But for those who are used to watching Japanese movies would know that these are standard reactions in Japanese movies.

Truthfully, another reason why the film didn't really work is due to the insertions of romantic elements in the movie. However, the adaptation does not aim to cater only towards fans of the original series, but to also please those that have never watched the original version before.

The film is only loosely based on the original manga and anime with an all new plot and characters, but it still keeps the main essence of the story, which is vengeance against the man-eating Titans. So, rather than comparing the film to the original series, it is advisable for audiences to watch it as something new.

Look Out For

• When Eren single-handedly takes on all the Titans!

Best Watched With

• Anyone above 18 who are not die-hard fans of the original series.

Trivia

• A lot of the characters from the original series have been replaced or removed in the movie, such as Commander Erwin, Eren's mother, and Captain Levi from the original series who has been replaced with Captain Shikishima.


Cinema Online, 02 September 2015