My experience with movies based on manga, such as this one, the movies are generally "okay" at best, the exception being when the creators are directly involved with them. You can see this in movies like One Piece: Strong World, Naruto: The Last, and others. This is another example, since Mashima served not only as the character designer, but the story planner, and it shows.
The story is tight, and well written, with an interesting original character, something we don't often get. While it may be relatively routine in terms of anime movie plots, the typical bad guy wants power, and this one person is the Living MacGuffin for his plans, the minor twists on it are enough to keep your attention.
Like its source material, its lighthearted, fun, and upbeat, if not serious when it needs to be. The characters are all memorable,and fun to watch, as they always are. The original characters aren't bad either; while the villains are pretty routine, the original supporting protagonist has an interesting dynamic going on with her, and is actually quite engaging. The ending is also pretty atypical for Fairy Tail, and I respect it for that.
The animation is topnotch, easily some of the best I've ever seen. The greatest strength is in the coloring, and the motion which are both smooth, and clean. The voice acting is also pretty good, with the actor playing Natsu being comparably more subtle than normal.
One weakness could be the climax, which is somewhat conventional, but it makes up for it with some good visuals. Also, if you're not a fan of the series, this movie won't turn you on. Its obviously made for the fans of the series, and it plays to those fans. If you're a Fairy Tail fan, you'll like this movie.
Pretty Good for a First Movie
My experience with movies based on manga, such as this one, the movies are generally "okay" at best, the exception being when the creators are directly involved with them. You can see this in movies like One Piece: Strong World, Naruto: The Last, and others. This is another example, since Mashima served not only as the character designer, but the story planner, and it shows.
The story is tight, and well written, with an interesting original character, something we don't often get. While it may be relatively routine in terms of anime movie plots, the typical bad guy wants power, and this one person is the Living MacGuffin for his plans, the minor twists on it are enough to keep your attention.
Like its source material, its lighthearted, fun, and upbeat, if not serious when it needs to be. The characters are all memorable,and fun to watch, as they always are. The original characters aren't bad either; while the villains are pretty routine, the original supporting protagonist has an interesting dynamic going on with her, and is actually quite engaging. The ending is also pretty atypical for Fairy Tail, and I respect it for that.
The animation is topnotch, easily some of the best I've ever seen. The greatest strength is in the coloring, and the motion which are both smooth, and clean. The voice acting is also pretty good, with the actor playing Natsu being comparably more subtle than normal.
One weakness could be the climax, which is somewhat conventional, but it makes up for it with some good visuals. Also, if you're not a fan of the series, this movie won't turn you on. Its obviously made for the fans of the series, and it plays to those fans. If you're a Fairy Tail fan, you'll like this movie.