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May 12, 2023 · 21% Tomatometer 24 Reviews 60% Audience Score 100+ Verified Ratings Based on the international anime sensation, Knights of the Zodiac brings the Saint Seiya saga to the big screen in...
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- Knights of the Zodiac Review
- Verdict
By Matt Donato
Posted: May 11, 2023 10:25 pm
Knights of the Zodiac opens in theaters on May 12, 2023
This year's manga-to-live-action adaptation of Knights of the Zodiac is as underwhelming a hopeful franchise-starter as you'll ever encounter. Japanese superstar performer Mackenyu will no doubt lure his fanbase into theaters, who will then be met with a long-winded fantasy adventure that isn't the dazzling visual feast they were probably hoping for thanks to such a cumbersome reliance on unspectacular digital effects. Everything about this modern tale of Olympic gods and supernatural powers teases an epic journey, but execution is quite the sluggish opposite.
For those unfamiliar with Masami Kurumada's Saint Seiya manga – which director Thomasz Baginski's film loosely picks and chooses from – Mackenyu's protagonist Seiya discovers his destiny as protector of Sienna (Madison Iseman), the reincarnation of goddess Athena. The screenplay seems to assume we know all of the manga’s background information when charting Seiya's rags-to-superhero arc, skipping over the details and following the most basic beginnings for young characters discovering extraordinary powers they need to harness.
There's a messiness to the collision of Greek mythology and samurai culture that reminds of something sloppily extravagant like Gods of Egypt, lost in world-building that never feels convincing. Instead, it's a smorgasbord of unimpressive digital effects as Baginski struggles to recreate the feel of anime in live action (think Netflix's Cowboy Bebop show), boiling down Kurumada's vivid source material into a bland, loud, voiceless gruel with no substance.
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Even the visual makeup of Knights of the Zodiac feels uninspired. Guraad's supersoldier army looks like rejected models of the 2014 Robocop remake's suit, while Seiya's battle costume armor loses its shine once the fight turns to computer-animated models from practical choreography. Everyone with Cosmo surging through their veins seems to harness a...
Knights of the Zodiac fails to inspire enough excitement to meet the prospect of future sequels with anything more than a shrug. It's not particularly successful at welcoming newcomers into Masami Kurumada's imagination because the film whiffs at echoing the manga creator's vision. Director Tomasz Baginski falls victim to the choppy and unnatural f...
- Matt Donato
May 12, 2023 · By Cezary Jan Strusiewicz May 12, 2023, 9:02am EDT. 6 Comments / 6 New. Photo: Stage 6/Toei Animation. The good news is that Knights of the Zodiac, the 2023 live-action adaptation of the...
- Cezary Jan Strusiewicz
Parents need to know that Knights of the Zodiac is a live-action fantasy adventure adapted from Masami Kurumada's manga Saint Seiya. Tweens are most likely to enjoy the mix of special effects, fantasy, and martial arts that makes the movie feel like a video game come to life, with stylistic action…
- Tomasz Baginski
- Tara Mcnamara
- Mackenyu, Famke Janssen, Sean Bean
May 13, 2023 · Knights of the Zodiac, despite its reasonably minor flaws, is fun. Unlike many mega-blockbusters that grace the big screen, this is a polished and competent movie with numerous fight scenes that we can actually see. Unfortunately, it will be judged on the merits of its box office performance rather than the heart that shines through.
May 12, 2023 · Knights of the Zodiac: Directed by Tomasz Baginski. With Mackenyu, Famke Janssen, Madison Iseman, Diego Tinoco. When a goddess of war reincarnates in the body of a young girl, street orphan Seiya discovers that he is destined to protect her and save the world.
