When it comes to live-action adaptations of animated franchises, the 2015 epic (failure) Jem and the Holograms taught me one very important thing. Separate what you loved from what you’re watching. Because if you go in expecting greatness you’re going to be disappointed. Always. They’re never going to be what you want them to be. But, if you step into the separation knowing it’s a parallel universe, similar but different, you can find the gems of light in the otherwise lackluster darkness.
Because I’ve never seen Knights of the Zodiac, I was able to sit down for this film with absolutely zero expectations. I only sat down at this table, because the film’s star Mackenyu, is s total snack.
But, the problem with snacks, is that they’re not enough to fill you completely. There still has to be some meat to the story. However, even though I’m unfamiliar with the source material it feels like this film has nothing but scraps from what I am sure is a really intricate and interesting story.
Based on the manga Saint Seiya by Masami Kurumada, the story centers around Seiya (Mackenyu) a street orphan, destined to be the Pegasus Knight that protects the goddess Athena, who has been reborn in the body of a human (Madison Iseman). The Manga had 28 volumes, with over 300 animated episodes. So, trying to pack even a fraction of the story into 112 minutes, makes the film feel rushed.
The story is thin and the relationships between the characters are about as deep as a petri dish. The villain has a change of heart at the end of the third act that has very lead-up and completely contradicts everything the character has said and done up to that point. Again, it was just too rushed to feel believable.
However, the costumes are cool, the sets spectacular, and the score (composed by Yoshihiro Ike) is, as it should be, epic. So while Mackenyu may not have enough of a snack to make up for the lack of sustenance in the story, he is enough to make it enjoyable. Plus, he does appear shirtless in the very end so….
Considering this was a bigger bomb than Jem and the Holograms, I doubt there will be a sequel, but all the same, please…
Stay Tuned!
Life In Cartoon Motion 