Knights of the Zodiac is a live-action adaptation of the popular manga and anime series Saint Seiya, created by Masami Kurumada. The movie follows the story of Seiya (Mackenyu), a street fighter who discovers that he is one of the legendary warriors known as Saints, who are sworn to protect the reincarnated goddess Athena (Madison Iseman) from the evil forces of the Olympian gods. Along with his fellow Saints, Seiya must face various enemies and challenges in order to fulfill his destiny and save the world.
The movie is directed by Tomasz Baginski, who is best known for his animated short films and his work on The Witcher video games and Netflix series. The screenplay is written by Josh Campbell, Matt Stuecken, and Kiel Murray, who have previously worked on movies such as 10 Cloverfield Lane and Cars 3. The cast includes Mackenyu, Famke Janssen, Madison Iseman, Diego Tinoco, Mark Dacascos, Nick Stahl, Sean Bean, Caitlin Hutson, and others.
Unfortunately, Knights of the Zodiac fails to capture the spirit and charm of the original source material, and instead delivers a bland and boring adaptation that will disappoint both fans and newcomers alike. The movie suffers from many problems, such as poor writing, weak acting, unimpressive visual effects, and lack of coherence and consistency.
One of the main issues with the movie is that it tries to cram too much information and plot into a single film, without giving enough time or depth to any of them. The movie covers the first arc of the manga, which spans over 30 chapters and 10 episodes in the anime. However, the movie only has a runtime of 112 minutes, which means that many scenes and characters are either rushed or cut out entirely. The movie also introduces elements from later arcs of the manga, such as the Gold Saints and the Sanctuary, without explaining their relevance or importance. As a result, the movie feels like a disjointed and confusing mess that does not make sense to anyone who is not familiar with the original story.
Another problem with the movie is that it fails to create any emotional connection or investment with the characters or their motivations. The movie does not give enough background or development to any of the main characters, who are mostly reduced to stereotypes or clichés. Seiya is portrayed as a generic hero who wants to find his sister and protect Athena; Sienna is a bland damsel in distress who has no personality or agency; Nero (Diego Tinoco) is a one-dimensional villain who wants to kill Athena for no reason; Vander Guraad (Famke Janssen) is a mysterious mastermind who manipulates everyone behind the scenes; Alman Kido (Sean Bean) is a wise mentor who dies early in the movie; Marin (Caitlin Hutson) is a tough trainer who teaches Seiya how to use his Cosmo; Cassios (Nick Stahl) is a jealous rival who hates Seiya; Mylock (Mark Dacascos) is a loyal friend who helps Seiya; and so on. None of these characters have any depth or complexity, nor do they have any chemistry or interaction with each other. The movie also does not explore any of the themes or messages that made the original story so compelling, such as friendship, loyalty, courage, sacrifice, justice, faith, destiny, and love.
The movie also fails to impress with its visual effects and action scenes, which are supposed to be one of its main attractions. The movie relies heavily on CGI to create the world of Knights of the Zodiac, but most of it looks cheap and unrealistic. The costumes and armors of the Saints look like plastic toys rather than metal or cloth; the environments look like video game backgrounds rather than real locations; the creatures and monsters look like cartoon characters rather than menacing threats; and so on. The action scenes are also poorly choreographed and edited, making them hard to follow or enjoy. The movie does not capture the dynamic and epic nature of the battles in the manga or anime, nor does it showcase the unique abilities and techniques of each Saint. Instead, most of the fights consist of generic punches and kicks, with occasional flashes of light or energy blasts.
In conclusion, Knights of the Zodiac is an example of everything wrong when a manga-based anime TV series turns into a horribly acted live-action movie that will make even die-hard fans cringe. There are bad video games that are more entertaining than this boring flop. The movie does not do justice to the original source material, nor does it offer anything new or exciting for viewers. It is a waste of time and money for anyone who loves Saint Seiya or good movies in general.
You can watch the trailer for Knights of the Zodiac here, and you can find more information about the movie on its IMDb page here. I hope you enjoyed my blog post.
