Film Review: "Attack on Titan Part 1" ("進撃の巨人") (2015).

"To rise above monsters, you must become one" in Attack on Titan Part 1 (進撃の巨人). This Japanese post-apocalyptic action film directed by Shinji Higuchi, adapted by Yūsuke Watanabe and Tomohiro Machiyama and based on the manga of the same name by Hajime Isayama. Eren Yeager is determined to help save humanity when titans re-appear and being to feast on human flesh.

In October 2011, the film was announced with a planned 2013 release date. In December, it was announced that it would be a live-action film with Tetsuya Nakashima hired to direct. However, in December 2012, it was announced that Nakashima had left the project due to creative differences. In December 2013, Higuchi was hired to direct and Watanabe was hired to pen the adaptation. Originally, the filmmakers wanted to make the film very faithful to the source material, but Isayama suggested numerous changes (such as introducing new and different characters, and changing the setting to Japan) to make the films standalone, because "the story has already been told", while also introducing new elements that would later be used in the manga. Moreover, several character's personalities have been changed due to the Isayama's request, such as Eren becoming scared of the titans and is paralysed in fear when he first sees one instead of having the 'I must kill them all' attitude in the anime/manga. Mikasa's romantic interest in Eren is shown to a greater degree. Furthermore, the uniforms have been changed from the manga and anime. No longer does the military issue the half jacket and slacks. Now each branch has a distinct uniform. The garrison resembles WW2 Japanese military uniforms and the military police wear black leather trench coats. The scouts retain the original design and the training corps have been dissolved. Finally, despite the mostly European influences in the Manga and Anime, most of the European elements have been removed from this live-action version, due to the fact that Japanese movie budgets are only a fraction compared to Hollywood movie budgets. The 1966 Tokusatsu film The War of the Gargantuas served as a major influence for the film. Principal photography took place in Tsukuba-Mirai, Ibaraki, Japan and was originally scheduled to commence in 2014 but ultimately filming commenced in 2015.

The film stars Haruma Miura, Kiko Mizuhara, Hiroki Hasegawa, Kanata Hongō, Nanami Sakuraba, Shu Watanabe, Ayame Misaki, Rina Takeda, Pierre Taki, Satomi Ishihara and Jun Kunimura. The cast retained the general aspects of the characters from both the manga and the anime, although they almost completely excluded the interesting and appealing aspects of their characters.

Despite a charming young cast of leads, the film is an ill-paced array of stops and starts with some decent special effects that never quite reaches any potential it may have. However, the Survey Corps' human vs. titans battles has such pulpy inventiveness that your inner fan-boy will most assuredly rejoice. Towards the end things grow darker and more complex, leading to a satisfyingly emotive and unresolved finale and leaving the door wide for the inevitable and welcome sequel.

Simon says Attack on Titan Part 1 (進撃の巨人) receives: