On one hand Studio 4C did an incredible job with animation and sound design and honestly saved this movie from being a complete disaster. Where First Squad falls short is story wise.
If this wasn't a movie I feel like First Squad would've had a chance to be pretty good. The story utilizes a lot of strong story elements that in themselves can carry any story but in this case were rushed because of limited run time and didn't really let any of the potential shine through. They add magic and superpowers which under normal circumstances would make me so happy I'd spontaneously combust. But they don't establish any rules for the power system or how things work or function. It uses clichés like a wizard and a prophecy to start off the story but doesn't deliver in a memorable way that would make the viewer care ab. Visually the characters all look and sound great both in Russian, English or Japanese, whatever you want to watch. But story wise almost nothing is given to grow the main cast. Almost no character development is given to any of the characters except for a relatively shallow flashback. Characters are one dimensional and forgettable even though they are supposed to be a driving force for the plot.
In conclusion this anime had a lot of potential and failed to flesh it out because of its short run time. If your looking for thoughts on whether or not you should watch this movie then hear me out. I feel like its below average. But its really not a waste of time.
P.S. I didn't know how to fit this info into the review but there is a version of this film with short interviews that are slotted in throughout the movie between cuts that basically have people retelling the story that this movie is based on. It does shine a new light on this story if it's somehow inspired by real events.
