The idea of humans having to face impossible odds is a fascinating genre. It’s a fantasy element that challenges who we are and what we stand for. Thankfully, a lot of creative works have come from this idea and are a breakthrough success. The anime show Attack on Titan is one of them, being dubbed as Japan’s cartoon The Walking Dead but with humanoid giants.
With deep characters, aesthetic backgrounds, and intense action sequences, the show was a major hit inside and outside of Japan. The show not only tested the morality of a human society, but the unity of civilization and if size really matters. With the announcement of the Attack on Titan 2 live action movies, fans could only hope that it would do the show justice. I was really excited to see how the movies would adapt fan favorite characters like Mikasa and Levi on the big screen, as well as take those dark pivotal moments that made the show great into memorable cinematic experiences.
Unfortunately, Attack on Titan: End of the World, or Attack on Titan Part 2, not only fails to live up to the show’s potential, but fails to be a decent movie.
The beginning of Attack on Titan: End of the World provides a brief overview of what occurred in the first movie. From there, the movie spirals into a slow burn of stagnant character arcs and a boring momentum in the story. The plot falls flat with predictable twists and questionable moments. A white painted wall has more personality than the characters in the movie due to cringe worthy dialogue and poor performances.
It wasn’t until the fight scenes in the second half of the movie that my attention was solely focused on the screen. The fights between the Titans and the main characters were engaging, exciting and gruesome. A big shout out goes to the art and costume designs since those elements really stood out in the movie, especially the look of the Titans. The CG animation wasn’t top notch, but it was enough to not break you out of the fun moments.
The Attack on Titan movies overall stray far from the show. This wouldn’t be a problem if the movie were done right, but they’re not. Watching both movies made me question whether I was watching feature films or sub-par fan fiction. I appreciate the idea of the movies wanting to be their own form of Attack on Titan, but it could have been done a lot better.
With a rushed conclusion, a boring first half, unrelatable characters and a shoddy story, it’s hard to ask someone new to the series to sit through Attack on Titan: End of the World, let alone the first Attack on Titan movie. For newcomers, you will leave the theater confused and disappointed. For fans of the anime, you will be able to have fun with the movie as long as you don’t take it seriously. By turning your brain off for an hour and a half, you can probably get something out of it. But if you have the time, just watch the anime.
