I personally think it's great movie. I have no idea about manga or it's previous adaptation(s) so it's independent view of a person who know nothing about Saint Seya.
When I began watching it, just after the first action sequence I felt a feeling, a feeling I once had when I watched Mortal Combat (1995) for the first time, a feeling I watch a great movie about great heroes and their great deeds. And I can say that I hadn't such feeling from the 90s. For that alone creators of this movie has my gratitude. And I can only add that this feeling was with me the whole movie, till the very end.
Before writing this review I read what people wrote here. And I don't get it. Cheap special effects? No, they're not worse that in any other movie. Bad acting? Quite the opposite. Not following the original to the letter? Well, what did you expect? It's a Hollywood movie. If you see there's base for screenplay, book, manga, play, another movie - it doesn't matter - Hollywood movie will always won't follow original. It's highly expected. And it's certainly not the reason to not watch this movie.
So, knowing nothing about original, I watched this movie as is - an action movie with classic approach to heroes and villains and their fighting for/against greater good. With not only black and white characters, with original plot twists. And I can say I'd really like to watch the continuation of this movie. But I guess not this time.
When I began watching it, just after the first action sequence I felt a feeling, a feeling I once had when I watched Mortal Combat (1995) for the first time, a feeling I watch a great movie about great heroes and their great deeds. And I can say that I hadn't such feeling from the 90s. For that alone creators of this movie has my gratitude. And I can only add that this feeling was with me the whole movie, till the very end.
Before writing this review I read what people wrote here. And I don't get it. Cheap special effects? No, they're not worse that in any other movie. Bad acting? Quite the opposite. Not following the original to the letter? Well, what did you expect? It's a Hollywood movie. If you see there's base for screenplay, book, manga, play, another movie - it doesn't matter - Hollywood movie will always won't follow original. It's highly expected. And it's certainly not the reason to not watch this movie.
So, knowing nothing about original, I watched this movie as is - an action movie with classic approach to heroes and villains and their fighting for/against greater good. With not only black and white characters, with original plot twists. And I can say I'd really like to watch the continuation of this movie. But I guess not this time.