It's the End of the World As We Know It

Or of a franchise, at least. Sort of.

The two-movie reimagining of Attack on Titan wrapped up this past week, showing the second and final (?) film in select theaters. I was fortunate enough to attend this screening in addition to last month's event, and I was of course curious to see how this ending would fare, being original and all. The short answer? I thought this movie was great! Better then the first without question.

There is room for debate, however, and those who enjoyed the first part's horror aesthetic may be let down by this one. Part Two is not a horror movie. Part Two is straight-up action. With characters and stakes already established, we're treated to big reveals, plot twists, and shit hitting the fan. The quite character moments were honestly the first part's greatest weakness, so their lesser presence here is a good thing in my book; there's only one really weird scene in Part Two, and it comes across as more funny than awkward.

The action itself is great. “Normal” Titans barely make an appearance here, so the high-flying maneuver gear sequences are replaced by good old-fashioned fisticuffs between “special” Titans. Sure, it's a little more Hollywood-y to follow most important character moments with “Now you must fight so-and-so!”, but keep in mind that great action was a major selling point of the anime series. Besides, at least you know each rubber-suited guy is actually fighting another rubber-suited guy and not a mass of soulless computer graphics. Man, that Shin Godzilla movie can't come soon enough!

Probably the best thing about Part Two is we finally hear its overarching message loud and clear. Because, you know, there is a point to all the violence and despair. While the series did have a passing interest in totalitarian government and its effect on the people, this movie makes it a top priority. In fact, for all intents and purposes, government seems to be the answer to the oft-asked question: “Who is the real enemy here?” Luckily for us, the movie's also smart enough to stress that anti-authoritarian extremism is just as undesirable because that, too, tends to hurt innocent people. It ain't Shakespeare, but for a pretty short action movie, that'll do just fine.

Lest I start sounding too optimistic, there were also some not-so-great aspects. The couple of awkward scene mentioned above, and the unavoidable simplification of all characters. The first movie is required viewing to understand this one, which I count as a minus; it's a much harder sell to anyone outside horror junkies. And the music, sadly, is about as obtrusive as before. One very bizarre song choice towards the beginning balances out the lack of a hip-hop beat over the end credits. Still, there's so much ominous chanting choirs where they're not needed, I have to wonder if Shirou Sagisu is caught in a rut. Maybe he caught it from Hideaki Anno?

Despite some roughness, I think the Attack on Titan live action film duology is a worthy addition to the franchise because it gives us something we're seldom given: answers. Closure. A sense of fulfillment, unless you count the fucking hilarious post-credits stinger. Though certainly not as well-written or plotted as the true series, it's an intriguing and well-intentioned experiment while we wait for the real ending. That's all I ever wanted to see, and that's just what I got.