a movie base on the mobile game, Alchemist Code
MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!
While the Alchemist Code provide an entertaining material, it does have a lot of flaws and forgettable moment that you'll forget as soon as you distract yourself from the other thing, and leave you unanswered to unsatisfying result.
Start off to the character. The original cast and members that are main in the game deliver a decent role. Lisbeth however is very notable as she show an important play as she help and her friend-role to Kasumi. compare to her previous role in the game. Lisbeth here is much mature and taking the problem in good way. she left off her cliche-magical-girl version to a better self. Edgar is slightly less significant than Lisbeth but did better job in this movie. Kasumi however is the most let down. she is neither annoying nor amazing but very underwhelming, bland or dull. the greatest flaw is the lack of character development. true that she obtain power at the end but it is rush and straightforward without delivering any excitement. 2nd is she wasnt introduce very entertaining, her first appearance in the movie holds a very tasteless role that neither catch the excitment of the audience, only because she is an "Original Movie character", the rest, very minor. as the movie progress, you didnt see a changes or development to her role which should be important considering that she is the center of the movie. only the "powers" inside her deliver some "changes" but that didnt change her view to her importance and remain to the "clueless" girl but in boring way. although she isnt amazing, she is not really that bad and likeable atleast. just very bland and brightless.
Next is the Story, the start was great and will keep viewer to figure out what is happening as they introduce a villian no one knows(not even the game). the beginning is well written. However halfway, the story become boring and lack in excitement in the paper. The biggest and bad part of the movie is the final battle where the invasion became very danger-less. imagine a world was plunged by darkness, lowered the alchemy power, and reshape the phantom yet the location is very easy to invade and lack in excitement. it become very generic or lazy "invasion-like" battle. the main villian show very weak as it got easily defeated by few magic, slash and arrow. this kind of villian(specially in game story, not gameplay i mean) takes lot of plan to put down. the final battle of main characters versus main villian is very easy to predict and a letdown, excluding the part where Kasumi gain her power and fight back because this looks more solution because of her powers dwelling inside her. the Phantoms show MUCH better danger that the audience can feel them as better villian than the serpent despite being just "servant"-like.
Visual are great, it is perfect for the tone of the gamestory and the game. however the animation such as battle are very less appealing and underwhelming. only the battle between setsuna and logi show much better effort compare to the rest of battles where it is no difference for tv show(and some tv show anime show better quality). i would consider the fights very good for tv show quality, but this is a movie. aside from logi vs setsuna battle, the CGI Demon are surprisingly well made.
the music, voice acting deserve to praise. some lines are repeated base on in-game but this is less ignorable as maybe they want to keep the "game"-vibe--and they did, even if it is a movie.
Overall, the movie is passable watchable and its animation which atleast bearable and seeing your favorite characters in big screen(mostly this) will atleast what half-distract you from its boring and color-less like, or bland, undsatisfying- underdevelop story and Protagonist.
Story = 3/10
Art = 6.5/10
Sounds = 9/10
Characters = 4/10
Enjoyment = 4/10
Overall = 4/10
