Shingeki no kyojin / Attack on Titan (2015) - Formulaic dystopian science-fiction franchise - 6/10 (08/01/18)

Attack on Titan is a live action adaptation of the popular anime series of the same name that was split into two movies of about ninety minutes. I haven't watched the anime series, so I have watched this film from a quite neutral point of view without any expectations. First and foremost, I simply don't understand why this franchise seems to be so popular. I'm familiar with several creative anime or manga series and their adaptations but Attack on Titan seems like an uninspired mash-up of the Divergent and The Maze Runner franchises with stereotypical characters, a predictable plot and a faceless dystopian setting. Despite being rather uninteresting at the core, this film is at least entertaining. I wouldn't call it a good movie but it wasn't as bad as many reviewers seem to claim. It's alright, no more, no less.

What I disliked about the film aside of the elements already mentioned is the fact that the Titans look so silly that they make me laugh even though they are supposed to be scary and even doing quite gruesome things. They seem to be taken right out of an Ed Wood movie of the fifties. I wouldn't be surprised if this film became a cult trash flick within the next few years because of that flaw. Another element that bothered me regarding the first movie is that background information is missing and despite a short introduction, the viewer doesn't get to know much about the dystopian future portrayed in this franchise which leads to the fact that the audience won't care much about the fate of that world. The second film does a much better job at that and also quickens up the pace. A last element that should be mentioned is that most characters seem rather hollow such as the girl who is always hungry or the girl who always gets overtly excited about ancient technology. Those weird characters are rather annoying and the average acting performances don't really help to make those characters any more interesting.

Among the positive elements is the fact that the film has a solid pace and never drags on too long. The suitable introduction is done in an original way. The first attack by the Titans is quite intense and gets you right into this film. The first thirty minutes of this film are definitely the best. The different characters are introduced quickly but efficiently without too many unnecessary dialogues. The direction of this film seems to be quite precise.

In the end, the first part of Attack on Titan is an average dystopian science-fiction movie that convinces with a straight pace but suffers from an uninteresting universe. Obviously, you will have to watch both movies to get the bigger picture and the second film really is much better than the first part. That's why I would still recommend watching this film if you like movies such as Divergent, The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner. I guess that this movie might be more interesting for teenagers and those who are unfamiliar with the genre as more experienced audiences won't find this franchise very original.