StyleSk8r
At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.
Taha Avalos
The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.
Kayden
This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama
Brandin Lindsey
Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa is a 2005 Japanese anime based on the Fullmetal Alchemist series and manga. The movie is a direct follow-up of the series and gives resolution to many of the conflicts that remained at the end of the show. The story follows Edward Elric, a young alchemist, stuck in a parallel world and trying to find his way home. Driven to be reunited with his friends and family, Edward must face new adversaries who also want to travel to his home-world, but for much more nefarious reasons.This movie is a fan feast, with characters brought back from the series along with answering a lot of the questions we were left with at the end of the show. Full of fun action scenes, great animation, some funny moments, and a story with a surprising amount of depth, Conqueror of Shamballa is a great movie to top off the series. The story ties into real-life history, making the story all the more enjoyable. The movie also ends strong with a very exciting climax.Despite this, Conqueror of Shamballa suffers from a common problem with anime: melodrama. Over-the-top, obnoxious personalities occasionally contrast from the serious story line. Another problem with this movie is that it does not stand alone. You must watch the series, otherwise you're just seeing the last chapter to another story. This prevents outsiders from enjoying this anime. Also, while fun for the most part and having an exciting final act, the movie is boring and drags on through the second act.Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa is a fun movie overall, and a must-watch for any who enjoyed the series. With a great story and plenty for the fans, watching this movie is a perfect way to finish the series. If you have not yet seen the show, come back to this anime later. You're meant to know the events from the series and this movie builds on that. The series is excellent and will be well worth your time.
David Mládek
I expected more. And by more I mean much much much much more. That's an understatement, but you get my idea. I finished watching The Fullmetal Alchemist in like two weeks and was so psyched by the ending and wanted to see the movie as soon as possible to tie the loose ends and finally give some closure to it all. I didn't expect, as someone put it before me, "an evil Nazi movie". I don't like spoiling movies so I won't give you anything in detail, but I feel some aspects were not thought through completely and some characters deserved way more space than they got, not two minute sequence after which no one seemed to remember them. If I had a time machine, I'd probably go back and told myself: "Don't watch the movie, imagine how the series could have gone on and you'll be much happier."
Ryu_Darkwood
This movie is a direct sequel to the Full Metal Alchemist serial. It gives us an insight in what the open ending to the show meant. It does so by giving the entire franchise a nice twist. Instead of focusing on the fantasy world we started to love during the 51 episodes of the show, this movie is set in ''our'' world. To be precise: in the Germany around 1920, in which the ungraceful treaty of Versailles led to rising militarism and hatred towards ethnic minorities.Ed - being amnesic about his previous live as a state alchemist - saves a gypsy girl from the Nazis. Her power to see inside his dreams leads to an understanding of why he is pondering about certain things. Why does he have such vivid dreams of another world? And why does he seem to recognize so many people, without knowing who they are? On the other side of the gate, everything is nice and peaceful. But of course this is about to change when Ed and Al find each other again, and they open up the gate to both worlds.This movie does everything you might expect from it. Almost all the important characters give an acte de presence. The animation is stronger than it ever was. There is more action in it than you'd ever see before. The atmosphere of Europe is nice and ambient. And the charming humor still leads to chuckles from time to time.The thing is that a movie just doesn't have the same depth as a show with 51 episodes. Especially the big villain just isn't that interesting. Unlike the Homunculi and Scar, her reasons to do what she's doing are a bit far-fetched and generic. I also had mixed feelings towards some of the important characters of the show just being side characters in this movie. They do things to enhance the story forcefully rather than being an active part of the movie as a whole.Enough with the bitching; I still love the movie for being as adrenaline-driven as your average Hollywood blockbuster. It's worth to see it by every person who calls himself a fan of FMA. You certainly won't be disappointed. And I do hope that the open ending of this specific movie will lead to another installment of the franchise. I'd rather see a new show, but a new movie would be welcome too.
SkullyD
Conquerer of Shamballa shows what happens when creators of an Anime fail to understand what their fans want. I as a fan did not want a 1920's Evil Nazi movie. What I would have liked to see is a real final showdown between Ed and Dante, as we don't REALLY know what became of her. I also would have liked to get Ed back to his world much sooner and have him stay there, to finally get a chance to be normal. You know, raise a family with a certain blonde mechanic, that sort of thing. No, instead I got a convoluted plot involving Nazi mystics, Fritz Lang and about ten minutes of Al, a joke of a Cameo by Roy Mustang and only one Armstrong joke, one short joke and no Winry hitting Ed with a wrench. Above all, it just didn't feel like Fullmetal Alchemist to me.
