This movie is by no means perfect, but I still had a lot of fun watching it. No live action adaptation of an anime is ever going to be good, especially when they're working with 27 volumes. Still, it was a fun watch.
Uchino as Hohenheim is by far my favorite part of the film, and seeing his ending scene with Trisha was really sweet. I was always bummed that hadn't made it into the anime, so I'm glad this film included it. Also, his voice acting for Father as a blob was really enjoyable! I was also happy they included Hohenheim's "vintage armor" line, as the anime didn't. Overall, I think these films do a better job at adapting Hohenheim's funnier/softer side than the anime does, but that's just me.
The CGI was definitely not great, but I was able to look past it.
My main complaint was how long this film was. I think cutting out the Briggs stuff entirely would have benefitted them. As much as I liked that arc in the manga, it didn't work here. I think they could have removed it, and still made the film work. Still, Olivier's actress was really spot on.
I also felt the ending scene was a bit awkward, as they only show one image of Edward while no music plays. I think it would have been cute to show multiple cast photos, like the manga does, along with some music.
Speaking of music, the score for these films is really disappointing. Especially if you've seen both the 2003 anime and Brotherhood, the scores there are incredible.
Overall, the main parts I enjoyed were Hohenheim's scenes. I'm a sucker for hot dads with depression.
I certainly wouldn't recommend these movies to people with no knowledge of the manga or anime, but if you are a fan then sure, watch 'em. Just don't go in expecting anything groundbreaking. These movies are just fanservice at the end of the day.
