[Spoiler-FREE Review]
As the third and final act to the trilogy, the movie scores a 10/10 in all departments. Ufotable truly has blessed us during this global pandemic with this magnum opus. A perfect parting gift for what appears to be the last adaptation they will be doing for the Fate Stay Night franchise, as they move towards grander projects with titles such as Demon Slayer (Kimetsu No Yaiba) and the Tsukihimi Remake.
[STORY]
The story, being adapted from the Visual Novel, is adapted well and faithfully, outdoing even the novel's depiction of some fan favorite scenes going beyond plus ultra. For someone who has kept up with the franchise, the way this movie ends the trilogy will leave you satisfied and fulfilled, having seen the Fate Stay Night trilogy to its climatic and thematic end. It ties together all the themes and character development/profiles built up in Fate Zero and Fate UBW, paying homage to them all. This is the one route where I can faithfully say that each and every character had a satisfying conclusion to their arc.
[ART]
We all know that Ufotable is godly with their animation team and budget. We have all seen Unlimited Budget Works and Demon Slayer. But this movie blows both shows' art out of the water with its blockbuster budget. If you were lucky enough to see this movie in theaters, then you have been blessed by God. For those who have watched the movie already, I only have to mention one scene: KYRIE ELEISON.
[SOUND]
The Music and VFX team did a SPLENDID job. The lead composer is a GENIUS. The EMIYA THEME REMIX IS PERFECT ENCASPULATION OF THE FRANCHISE, paying respects to the original rendition with a musical call and response while also being a representation of Shirou and Archer together. The rest of the soundtrack is also just as good. The composer uses many elements and samples from the soundtracks from the previous shows, incorporating elements and musical motifs from Fate Zero and UBW, paying homage to artists like Kalafina. This in turn, adds to the feeling of the movie being a true finale to the Fate Stay Night series, going full circle and expanding upon all the musical themes of Zero and UBW while also introducing new sounds and instrumentals to truly embody the theme of Heaven's Feel.
[CHARACTER]
I already chimed in on how each side character had a satisfying conclusion to their arcs so I'll talk a bit about the protagonist.
The heroism and humanity of Shirou Emiya undoubtedly shines the most in this movie, building upon all the previous routes adapted by Ufotable, as well as himself in the previous two movies. He goes from a flawed, weak individual to a heroic figure who surpasses his own limits to become an unlikely hero for those he love and cares for. The trilogy follows his dynamic character development, with this movie capping it all off and showing the viewers what the end result of his development leads to.
People may not have liked Shirou's stale development and Shounen-tard personality in UBW, but in Heaven's Feels, he truly is a tragic character that has evolved to become someone beautiful. He has surpassed his father and his rivals, eclipsing both of them and overcoming his limitations that bounded him to his father's flawed ideals while incorporating elements of his own desires into it. He evolved his own ideals and beliefs using his father's as the base, and is now showing how he applies them into his reality. He has shaped his own path and is applying maximum determination to see his desires to the end.
[Final Words]
If you made it this far and you still haven't watched the movie yet, go and watch it. For anyone new to Fate, watch Fate Zero and Fate Unlimited Blade Works (UBW) first. You will appreciate this movie trilogy much more that way as you will appreciate how much the trilogy builds upon both shows thematically.
Think of it like watching movies in the MCU. If you skipped all the movies like Guardians of the Galaxy or Captain America and Iron Man, and just watched Avengers Endgame right off the bat, you wouldn't have the same level of enjoyment or understanding of what just happened in the movie as the fans who did.