Editorials 
No complaints about the acting really. All the actors did well at portraying fear and desperation throughout the movie. My shallow side also appreciated how good both Miura Haruma and the Levi stand in Hasegawa Hiroki looked in the film.
The background music drove me crazy! It was to loud in quiet scenes and never seemed to fit with the action on screen. Very distracting overall and detracted from my enjoyment of the movie. This might be partially because of the source but still very annoying.
I might rewatch in the future but only because the source I used was very grainy so I wouldn't mind a better quality source. If you are looking for a faithful adaptation of Attack on Titan don't bother. If you want to see a fast paced kind of gory action movie this might be for you.
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To sum up: A lot of "action" scenes, no story line and I got a feeling that a movie director must be a BIG fan of Quentin Tarantino. I don´t recommend eating anything before watching and during the movie I advise you just switch off your brain, otherwise you will just get a 2-hours-lasting headache from all the wtf moments in the movie (and trust me, there are many of them...like many many). Even people who can´t speak a word japanese wouldn´t have a problem understanding it. Actually you don´t even need the sound (OST doesn´t match the scenes very well), just watching is enough. I recognize 3 main actors from other dramas (Miura being one of my favourite actors), so I thought than even if the storyline won´t be that much interesting, they are going to contribute with their acting skills, but unfortunately their performance just made the movie worse (and that´s mostly script writer´s fault).
HOWEVER, if you think of it as a comedy-parody, you can laugh a lot during the movie (like me and my friend did) :D
P.S. Many of my friends who know original anime + manga and watched the movie, complained about one important character, who was completely left out of the movie. And after coming back from the cinema, I googled a bit and found that Mikasa is supposed to be the last Asian on the Earth, but actually in the movie you don´t get to see any other race besides Japanese.
Also, please be aware that my rating for story doesn´t have anything to do with original manga/anime story.
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The original series = unique post-apocalyptic world where people of all races end up caged in a set of walls, and characters are deep and intriguing as they choose to fight the impossible odds.
This film = monster feature movie with a bunch of puny humans running around horrified.
The BEST parts of this movie are the naked titans. They were the real stars of the show--the sound effects, gore, and tears were wonderful. The actual plot, on the other hand, is somewhat ... unresolved and scattered. The actors were great, but the characters they portrayed were stripped of their original values and importance. Instead, they were mainly the background for the real focus of this film: HORROR. This movie is a bit like Godzilla in that the main character is not the humans, but the monsters being featured.
I didn't like this as much as i liked the anime/manga series, but I recognize the amount of work put into this film. The special effects make up department deserves a round of applause, and the actors were good too. BUT I'D LIKE TO MURDER THE SCRIPT WRITER, wherever he may be.
Basically, as the directors of this film have previously stated, treat this movie as a horror film featuring giant naked people.
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First of all, the acting was okay-ish. I like Miura Haruma but this role was not for him. A lot of his expressions felt really forced and awkward. I feel like some actors would have been a better fit. Kanata Hongo was brilliant, in my opinion. He suited Armin's role and even though his character was not used to his full potential in this part, I think he did a great job. The actress who played Mikasa seemed to fit the role and she did okay but for some reason I could not force myself to like her, something about the actress was kinda irritating.
There is barely any character development and basically no background information is provided, which was a shame. They also turned Mikasa into someone she's not. She's weak and dependant on Eren in the beginning but turns into a cold person who would even abandon her friends later on, she's badass but it feels wrong for some reason. I did not like that at all since that's not what she's supposed to be like but then again, it's a different story.
It's difficult to rate the story because it's only part one and as I said before it's completely different. Some of the scenes seemed unnecessary but overall the story is interesting. The intro scene was painful to watch though, it was too melodramatic and the acting was kinda bad.
What made this film good for me was the titans. They were incredibly creepy, I got the chills when the first one appeared. The graphics were done very well and the titans looked very real. It's also quite gory but if you have seen the anime or read the manga it should not come as a surprise.
The music was also good, I especially loved the ending song by Sekai no Owari, it suited the ending.
Overall, it's very Japanese if that makes sense. Some scenes are very weird, kinda artistic, the kind you would see in an independent film but it's quite common in Japanese cinema. it's a good film but not everyone is going to like it. Just see it with an open mind and don't compare too much.
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The story has way too many stupid moments. The start of the film (the first 30 minutos or so) was quite good, but it just got worse after that. The characters do a lot of stupid things, and the visual effects look quite ridiculous. I understand that they had a rather small budget, but it's just that he film looked ugly. The best part of the film were the titans. They were so creepy, and I loved that.
The acting was pretty bad all around. I've never thought of Miura Haruma as a good actor, and he's very over the top in this film, even if he's somewhat charismatic. Mizuhara Kiko is beautiful, but she's not a good actress. She shows almost no emotion. I was also surprised by how bad Hasegawa Hiroki was. I've always thought he was quite good, but he's awful here. The best acting came from Isihara Satomi, who clearly haves a lot of fun playing her character.
The soundtrack was OK, even if there were times where it didn't fit too well with the film. The credits song by Sekai no Owari was not too good, though.
Despite all the negative aspects, the movie was pretty fun and entertaining, thanks to the titans, so I don't think it's a complete waste of time.
To sum up, Attack On Titan is disappointing in almost every aspect, but it's also fun so I recommend it to those who are looking for something fun to pass time.
P.S. There's quite a lot of blood and gore, so if you don't like that this film is not for you.
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I'm gonna say this straight away, I'm not a die-hard fan of Mikasa Ackerman on canon as most snk fans are, but even I can see how what this movie did to her character is a disrespect to canon as much as a missed opportunity for such a talented actress as Kiko Mizuhara. I didn't understand the full extent of the value the friendship between Eren, Armin and Mikasa has until I saw it butchered in this movie. It's not just that they replace Eren's mother deal with Mikasa, they turn Mikasa's undying loyalty to Eren for the exact opposite. Without Armin's grounding and Mikasa's strenght, Eren is half the character, because most of his development is linked to these two. Furthermore, Mikasa's choice to follow Eren in canon is bound by loyalty and emotion, something Eren wouldn't pruposefully take advantage of, and Mikasa's choice is genuine, based on what it meant to her that Eren was there when she lost everything. This Mikasa is reduced to an order-following totally-subdued henchwoman (that apple scene made me cringe) for a guy whose role in the story is not-quite-Levi and not-quite-Erwin and a-whole-lot creep.
I'm not impressed with the fact that the storyline was watered down with such a strong focus in shock value without balancing it enough with character development and plot reveals (the blood I get, I mean, this is SnK, there's gonna be a lot of blood; but I was not expecting the scene with the non-explicit but very clear sexual situations going on there, I mean, I'm not sure there was a reason for that).
Ishihara Satomi is probably the saving grace here, and I'm glad Hange is getting a drama with Satomi starring because yes please. But the rest of the actors aren't at all at fault, I feel they did what they could with what they had but the adaptation and the script didn't work at all on their side.
I really wanted to love this. What a missed opportunity.
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My review is just based on the movie and I did not watch the manga nor the anime.
The story is quite unique and that is the only reason I rated it so high for my liking. Because there is no other movie like this in the world! But when it comes to the movie I miss information, I think the main lead's decisions were not logical. On the other hand I loved the special effects on the titans! They did an amazing job on that and I somehow loved the gory parts in them.
The acting was also very good, I wasn't convinced at all times or found the reaction 'realistic'. I do think they did a great job and it must have been not easy to film that all in green screen.
There is music there sometimes is does fit the scenes and in other times I found the music a bit out of place.
I would not rewatch this movie. I've seen it once and that is enough for me. But I will watch the next two parts just because I want to know if the movie will progress and becomes better.
As you see I am in a struggle here I have a hard time liking this movie, but I also can't dislike it!
Watch this if you like gore and supernatural movies.
Skip this if you want a well paced story with realistic decisions.
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don't watch it if you are expecting similarities between this adoption and anime
I have been watching anime since 2020(i have watched before just didn't know that it was anime) and it's good. i have also watched several dramas but never really any adoptions. after i heard that there are so many anime live actions i thought that maybe i should start giving those a try too besides watching anime. this is the first adoption movie i watched knowing it's an adoption. i knew that they cannot adopt accurate to the story and several changes need to be done.but the script writer took it literally. the movie could have been way better.In my opinion the casts are good, the cgi of titans were also very impressive. also the cinematography, acting the way the whole movie gave a realistic vibes which we only saw animated was very refreshing to see. but here comes the problem, why is every character mischaracterized? it doesn't feel like attack on titan, more likely an original show, specially mikasa, her serious vibes and how she actually is or how armin is smart nothing really was shown and mejor important charactes of the anime are not even here! levi is also not here when he is top 10 most favourited character on my anime list[MAL].
just treat it as an original story more than a live action. i had medium expectations but it's nothing like what i expected. so i just enjoyed it thinking it as more of an original story instead of live action. and that way it's watchable. overall it's not bad, i liked the dark theme representations and everything so it was a ok watch. i wouldn't suggest watching it, defenitely not rewatchable.
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Attack on Titan Live-Action: A Misunderstood Adaptation
"The live action version of Attack on Titan has aspects that are different from the original work, like the story and setting, but the youth that is trapped in the walls, longing for freedom, is vividly sung." - Haruma Miura, a fan of the manga (rest in peace)1. This looks amazing for the budget and time this was made in, it's not an Hollywood blockbuster and they put in a lot of work (hybrid filming, meaning tokusatsu mixed with special effects). The titans are portrayed as they should, creepy and horrifying. That in itself works better in live action, imo, as it does overall if you like the more grounded feel. I understand why people could make fun of them in the trailer but while watching the movie I was not laughing, and if that's how you see it then it's literally the same in the anime, in fact they're even worse. And some of them are meant to look more silly than the others. I think they're very well made (the aura of the Colossal Titan was insane, Eren's Titan too) and if it wasn't for TitanGoji's videos I wouldn't know about the history behind this LA, the crew and actors being fans of the source material and the fans defending it. Because beneath all the mockery and low reputation, they also existed.
2. The author himself asked for the differences, he literally worked with them. Of course, he did not dictate to them what to do, it's the opposite, as he rejected (even though he liked) their first proposal, saying that "Please do as you like, Machiyama-san. It doesn't matter if it's an original work that only shares the Titans in common."
3. This is closer to Chapter 0, the author's first trial and there were things that appeared later in the manga.
4. Brilliant details such as the movies being adapted as a novel inspired by Dante's Inferno, the implied bisexuality of Kirishima's character in the white room scene (Matrix reference) with Eren being a parallel to Satan tempting Adam and Eve (White Room Explained: https://youtu.be/5CQ3b8iR6Ag). Even if Levi is the cooler guy, Kirishima is meaningful in the story. (Explanation for Levi's removal at 32:20 on the first part of the video mentioned below, basically they needed someone who confronts and stands against the main protagonist (Eren), whether physically or mentally and Levi shouldn't have to carry the burden of that role, but they added a tinge of Levi's presence in him.)
The town, the more advanced technology due to the movie happening in modern Japan, the details of the clothes and locations, the aspect of classism, the tower of Babel mentioned as the very center (government) in the making of the map, the throwbacks to Japanese history and tragedy (discussed in the second video), the oppression and control by the Empire of Japan...
5. The music itself was amazing and the whole movie was artistic with beautiful landscapes and sets. And of course that final shot.
6. While there can be different takes, the characters are essentially the same. While Levi isn't there, you might be shocked because he was considered as the main character until Isayama decided to make them write a different story (20:00). Since at that time the anime was already telling the manga's story, it wouldn't have been a creative choice.
7. I want to thank Miura for his brilliant portrayal of Eren. It was really disheartening to find out after I looked up his name when I finished Part 1 because I liked him from the beginning. Miura's words about his love for the director and it being a powerful film literally moved the director to tears. Apparently he had to apologize for his role as Eren years later? Insane. This is exactly the line that should never be crossed, if you are a real fan and decent being. Besides, Eren was a rebellious kid who wanted freedom and saw the terror in front of his eyes, seeking revenge. Is that not somehow similar to the original Eren?
8. Attack on Titan (itself inspired by tokusatsu like Godzilla) was the first tokusatsu film production of this scale, which marked the history of Japanese cinema and also premiered in Hollywood. Obviously, the majority of the Attack on Titan fandom is constituted of Western fans. (Last part of the video about the reception at 33:30) The Hollywood screenings themselves made it worse with defective subtitles that either got fixed or not which provoked refunds, memes, and a recap on their YouTube channel for the second part.
9. About the melodramatic aspect that can seem over-the-top at times, this is the essence of Japanese cinema and theatre.
10. Part 2 gives you the final reveal about the apocalypse, ending with a meaningful conclusion.
TitanGoji's latest videos on the movie: (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsiDKUgsnosJqpQbtq452u0WjNTt-Tlaq) I sincerely recommend to look them up if you care about Attack on Titan, since they do a wonderful job on talking about the production in-depth and comparing to the source material. "What Happened?" is the first part and "The Live-Action Attack on Titan is Better Than You Remember" is the second part, focusing more on the movie itself, the story, the characters. It honestly made me emotional watching them.
In conclusion, just give it a fair chance. I wasn't convinced myself when I started the movie, but it grew on me by the end of Part 1, and looking back I now love the whole movie even more. I started it with some prejudice and I lacked connection with the characters, but that changed later when I got more attached to Eren, and Part 1 set up Part 2 so well that I changed my mind.
// Details of my earlier points
The official novelizations published by Kodansha are based on the film screenplays by Tomohiro Machiyama and Yusuke Watanabe—they are not adaptations of the manga.
What's particularly interesting is the chapter structure.
The first novel (Attack on Titan) contains chapter titles such as:
辺獄 (Limbo)
地獄の門 (The Gate of Hell)
ディーテの市 (City of Dis)
遅悔者 (Late Repentant)
コキュートス (Cocytus)
ジュデッカ (Judecca)
These are all locations or concepts directly associated with Dante's Inferno.
The second novel (End of the World) continues the pattern with chapters including:
ミーノスの審判 (The Judgment of Minos)
エデンの真実 (The Truth of Eden)
アケローン川の畔 (On the Banks of the Acheron)
悪魔と聖女 (The Devil and the Saint)
Again, Minos and the River Acheron are unmistakable references to Inferno.
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The positives:
The CGI was way beyond amazing for Japanese standard! You can tell the budget was HUGE on this!
Replacement Levi - he isn't the Levi we want but he's close and I like his twisted mind xD
The ending song is amazing <3
The blood and violence - holy crap the sound of bones crushing and barrels of blood everywhere!!! <3 a couple of times I had to think if I felt sick or not! So that was awesome <3
The overall changes - while I much much much prefer the original story, I quite liked the changes they made in this and (besides the romances) found no change that would infuriate me.
Negatives:
Slow - this film could've easily cut out the first 20 minutes or so. The film makers know all we wanna see is the giants so why you spending AGES setting everything up. I highly doubt people who've never heard or know anything about the anime are gunna watch this so just cut to the chase!
Too short - it felt like we were only JUST getting development and BAM credits - ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!? GIVE ME MORE!!! Could've EASILY gotten 30 minutes or more into that movie!
The added romance couples they added - there's 4 'couples' and romances in this that aren't in the anime and by god I hated everyone of them bar one.
Shake camera during fighting scenes
Miura Haruma - he can't act and was especially cringe worthy to watch when he was doing his screaming scenes -_-
Overall: It was better than I expected and cannot wait for the second installment where it looks like it really is gunna be 180 degrees different to the anime! o_O
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About all the latter parts, I am pretty content. The graphics of the titans are great and were my personal highlights of the movie. The makers have also stayed loyal to the original fighting gear in the anime and manga, which I was grateful for. Just for these two factors alone I would watch the movie again.
What the writers did with the story and the characters, I am personally a lot less happy. The basis of the story was kept: humanity locked up behind the walls to protect themselves from titans until a particular one ruins everything and brings chaos everywhere. A new generation steps up and tries to fight for humanity's sake. And there it should have stopped. Instead unnecessary romance plots that didn't seem to fit in were added. Maybe the scriptwriters thought it was needed to make the movie more universal and more mature since the characters in the movie seem older, but a story like Attack On Titan honestly does not need it. Instead they could have put more focus on character development. Something this movie severely lagged. The ending felt rather abrupt too, even though we got our expected climax. Story wise, the move felt like a prologue to another one (which maybe could happen in the future). Of course I didn't expect that the movie would just blindly copy the story of the manga or anime but the newly created plot left me wishing they actually had done just that. If I do have to point out a good point, it's that the darkness of the manga and anime are wonderfully portrayed. The feeling of dystopia is one of the key points of the original story and was brought really well unto the golden screen.
If I may formulate another pet peeve of mine, then it is the music. As someone who feels being spoiled by the wonderful music of the anime, the music in the movie paled greatly in comparison. Sometimes it felt too loud, like it took over the whole scene and otherwise I just did not like the sound of it. It wasn't bad but as I said before, I felt already spoiled by the music I was used to hear in the anime.
My review may sound quite negative but let it please not discourage you to check out the movie. The fighting scenes and graphics of the titans are absolutely great. Let me warn you, they aren't without a bit of blood. A whole lot of blood. So if you are into some mindless action which includes a lot of gore and you do not care much about plot, this movie might be right up your alley. Enjoy.
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