Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa is a 2005 movie that serves as a sequel and the final conclusion to the alternate timeline that is Fullmetal Alchemist 2003. Without revealing too many spoiler points I’m gonna go through what it does great and what it does wrong.
First I’d like to start with the world building for this film, as it is incredibly interesting. I like how they built the country the majority of the film takes place in, it’s got a dark feel to it, and the aesthetic and art style really convey that. It isn’t the same place in which FMA took place in and the saturated colours really bring this idea across. Unfortunately though the people from this country usually have very bleak personalities and their motivations seem very withered, they never feel real or come across as justifiable, it's usually explained in a sentence or two with nothing to follow it up at all. They also suffer from the movies length as because of the lack of screen time, being put next to these characters we've spent 51 episodes with, they feel even more poorly done than they actually are. Thankfully though they don’t make or break the film. I feel like that decision comes with the Elric brothers.
The Elric brothers in this film are very enjoyable to watch, I don’t feel as they suffer at all because of the change in the media from anime to film. They still feel like their authentic characters and the decisions they make within this film make sense. A lot of the other characters appear in the film for a few minutes, they don’t get too much of a spotlight, but for a film that really is mainly focused on the brothers, that makes sense. The story this movie tells when focusing on the brothers feels satisfying and if you're a fan of the 03 series watching this for that alone is worth it. Watching it for the villain or the actual threat of the film… not so much.
Since the villain originated from said country, we barely understand who they are or what their motivations are, heck I don’t even know if we were ever told their name at this point. They were really just a plot device and for a show that usually focuses on characters, it was honestly quite a let down. But then again it allowed for the ending of this film, which to me was at least quite good.
I won’t spoil anything but the conclusion to this film at least to me, was satisfying, it wasn’t completely happy and it wasn’t absolutely depressing, it was bitter sweet, and I feel like that fits with the overall darker tone of FMA 03.
Overall, this film falls flat in a lot of places. Personally I enjoyed it for the Elric brothers and how their relationship was continued in this film and I’d recommend it to anyone who has finished FMA 03, just don't expect the same quality as the series, think of it as a side story, a epilogue in a sense.
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