The live-action adaptation saga comes to an end in this action-packed finale that suffers from a mere technical flaw.

Stuck in the underground, Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, finds himself and new ally Ling Yao in a fight with the homunculus Envy. When he is able to escape, he soon discovers that Alphonse’s soul is inside Truth and he meets the lead homunculus, Father. Alphonse, who has also learned of Father’s existence, must seek answers behind Father’s existence and to do so, he must track down Van Hohenheim, the brothers’ estranged father.

When Edward and Ling confront Father, Father unleashes the homunculus Greed to possess Ling. However, Father is in for a shock when Greed ends up rebelling against Father. Edward and Greed join up with Alphonse, Hohenheim, the now anti-hero Scar, and Roy Mustang, who discovers the truth behind a conspiracy within the government, to stop Father. After learning Hohenheim’s connection to Father, Edward is ready for the fight of his life and the lives of those he cares for the most. Who will become the victor of this final battle of wits, strength, and alchemy?

The live-action adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa’s beloved manga and anime series was quite a surprise upon its release in 2017. Five years has passed and earlier this year, we were treated the first of a two-part finale with The Revenge of Scar. The film was quite a well-done middle point with Mackenyu wowing audiences as the villain Scar, who has a grudge against all state alchemists because of the wreckage of his homeland. However, for this new film, Scar is now an anti-hero who teams up with our titular hero in Edward Elric.

Ryosuke Yamada triumphantly returns in the role of Edward, who is in the fight of his life. This goes beyond the philosopher’s stone he would need to return his brother back to his normal body. It is about the possible end of the world and knowing he can’t do it alone, Edward has a reliable group of allies to help him, including his at-times rival Roy Mustang, played by Dean Fujioka, and Scar himself. We also get a look at Edward possibly repairing his relationship with his estranged father, Hohenheim, played by Seiyo Uchino. There’s also a new glorious character in the form of Major Olivier Armstrong, a tough as nails military leader who is as badass as her brother. It helps that she is played by Gogo Yubari herself, Chiaki Kuriyama.

If there is one flaw about the finale, it is that some of the visual effects of the film look a bit off. Some looks impressive, but it mostly falls on the creature forms of our villains here. They look hokier and campier and yet, it somehow seems forgivable considering the story of the film.

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Final Alchemy is a fitting end to the live-action saga and despite the technical flaw of some of the VFX, this is quite a good way to end a trilogy.

WFG RATING: B+

A Warner Bros. Japan production. Director: Fumihiko Sori. Producer: Yumiko Yoshihara. Writers: Fumihiko Sori and Takeshi Miyamoto; based on the manga by Hiromu Arakawa. Cinematography: Keiji Hashimoto. Editing: Chieko Suzuki.

Cast: Ryosuke Yamada, Tsubasa Honda, Atom Mitzuishi, Dean Fujioka, Misato Renbetsu, Mackenyu, Chiaki Kuriyama, Kanata Hongo, Keisuke Watanabe, Shinji Uchiyama.