Parents' Guide to

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Heavy violence in convoluted but dazzling anime fantasy.

Movie NR 2012 110 minutes
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 1 parent review

razor25
razor25 Adult
August 29, 2012
age 14+

FMA: The Sacred Star of Milos soars and impresses

FMA: The Sacred Star of Milos is hands-down one of the most well-made animated films outside of Disney and any Hayao Miyazaki film to date. The movie has an impressive story-line and characters you grow to care for as you reach the end of the film. The violence in the film can be intense at times but it is never down in bad taste, and the language is mild as well, mostly spoken from one of the main characters when he is on screen. The only complaint I can see is that if you or your kids are not familiar with FullMetal Alchemist or the show it is based on, you will have some trouble following and understanding specific details about the characters. Having said that, I highly recommend this film.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much swearing
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

The Elric brothers, Edward (voiced by Vic Mignogna in the English dubbed version) and Alphonse (Maxey Whitehead), are alchemist heroes, trapped in different bodies after an accident. After a mysterious prisoner breaks out of jail with only a short time left on his sentence, the brothers attempt to solve the puzzle. Their investigation leads them to a beautiful alchemist named Julia (Alexis Tipton), who lost her parents and her brother years earlier. Before long, they find themselves in a valley inhabited by the Milos, a repressed people struggling against exploitation. Julia hopes to lead the Milos in a revolution, and she's even prepared to use the deadly power of the Philosopher's Stone to do it.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (3):

The movie is gorgeously animated and has many powerful images and ideas. Fullmetal Alchemist began as a popular manga series, then became a TV series in Japan, followed by 2005's Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa. FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: THE SACRED STAR OF MILOS is the first title in the franchise to be released in U.S. theaters. That's probably exciting for fans, but less so for others, as the new movie does little to bring newcomers up to speed. For example, since Ed and Al's characters have already been established, they aren't very deeply developed here; most of the time is spent on the convoluted plot and supporting characters.



And the plot is really ridiculously complex -- though also sometimes simplistic, as when basic dramatic turns and arcs occur. Its big, outsized themes and end-of-the-world dramatics are fairly familiar to this type of anime. But what little we do get of Ed and Al is enough of a sampler to spur viewers on to find more in the series.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the movie's violence. Does the fact that it's animated lessen the impact of all the blood and killing?

  • Are Ed and Al positive role models? Would you be interested in seeing them in other stories?

  • What's the appeal of anime TV shows and movies? How are they different from other animated movies?


Movie Details

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