Attack on Titan: The Movie – Part 1 (UK Rating: 18)
Hajime Isayama’s vision of a dystopian future where humanity is trapped like cattle before terrifying and creepy man-eating behemoths has become a worldwide phenomenon. The Attack on Titan manga popularity absolutely exploded, with huge sales not only in Japan but also in its releases around the world, including a 3DS game version. When it received its anime adaptation, the series catapulted its anime studio, Studio Wit, to superstardom. It was a spectacular success, with amazing production values, extreme action, and, without a doubt, one of the greatest opening themes of all time. Will this live action continue the trend of amazing quality? Manga UK has just released this first part of the movie adaptation, so let’s find out…
Like most live action versions of anime and manga properties, this takes considerable liberties with its source material. The trio of Eren, Armin, and Mikasa are still the focus of the series, although they are introduced as a good deal older and considerably different people. Armin is a smart kid who likes to play with technology and invents little contraptions, Mikasa is a carefree, smiling girl, and Eren is something of a troublemaker who can’t hold a job and enjoys chilling out on undetonated bombs
The premise remains similar, though, as humanity is stuck in its gilded cage, protected within its home by three huge walls, outside of which is the land of the Titans. No-one has left the safety of the outer wall in 100 years, there’s no scout regiment when the story begins, and to even climb the wall is a crime punishable by death. Eren is sick of living in the wall and certainly doesn’t want to die in there; he wants to escape to the outside. After all, who knows if the Titans even exist? They could just be the stuff of story and legend; the outside could be a paradise – and so he convinces his friends to go climb the wall with him.
Anyone who has read the manga or watched the anime can guess what’s next. After being caught trying to climb the wall and threatened with execution, an old family friend of Eren and old flame of Eren’s mother, Hannes (or rather Souda), arrives and saves the trio. Just then, the iconic colossal titan comes kicking at the wall. The wall is breached and the slaughter commences, with the familiar situation from the very first chapter of the manga beginning to play out.
The story develops from here some of the same beats as the source after this opening. Due to the hole in the outer wall, Titans have taken over the farmlands, causing a huge influx of refugees and losing the farmlands meant not enough food to feed these refugees. Families are forced to volunteer their young and strong to a suicide mission, meaning fewer mouths to feed and the surviving families get little money to feed their children. This gathering of fresh cadets is to escort a convoy of explosives to try and plug the gap in the wall. This mission is the bulk of the story of this first film and introduces the rest of the extended cast.
The existing characters are true to their original designs. Squad Leader Hans bursts onto the scene and transitions her manic personality well, Sasha has signed up due to the promise of plenty of food and is seen numerous times stuffing her face with potatoes, and Jean is in attendance to constantly butt heads with Eren. Then things get a little odd. The screenwriter of this adaptation, Tomohiro Machiyama, explained that this is set in Japan and the extended cast of European characters, instead of being played by Japanese actors, were instead replaced by new Japanese characters, bar the main three, of course, who retain their names and identities mostly. It’s an interesting decision, especially considering how whitewashing in Hollywood is quite a hot issue at the moment thanks in part to the upcoming Ghost in the Shell movie casting Scarjo as the Major. The biggest loss from these changes is the fan favourite character Levi, who is completely absent and instead replaced with a character called Shikishima. Levi is a fan favourite with good reason as his character has a great back-story and a unique personality; Shikishima is a pale imitation. Other new characters have little chance to stand out, apart from one named Sannagi who carries a huge axe (because apparently the razor sharp swords aren’t good enough) and somehow has the superhuman strength to Sumo style Judo throw a titan…
Everything about this film is a mixed bag. It captures the horror element of the series perfectly and the carnage and gore are over the topbut it works. The warped grinning monsters that are the Titans are faithfully recreated, including some specific nods to particular fan favourite designs from the source material. The grisly scenes of Titans getting their snack on are just as faithful, too, filled with over the top gore and viscera. The digital effects are hit and miss, however. The Titans and the practical effects look great at times, but often the dodgy green screen effects look like a modern day B-Movie. The score may be orchestral, but it ends up sounding clich, something like the Kaiju films of the ’80s. It’s a crime that Linked Horizon’s masterpiece theme Guren no Yumiya is not used in any capacity, not even in the opening or the credits. Instead, Sekai no Owari‘s forgettable “Anti Hero” is used. The acting is hokey, the pacing and storytelling horrible, and changes in the adaptation are baffling.
