Having viewed the two prequel entries, I approached this with the same expectations I would attribute to a mindless isekai, which translates to rock bottom. I don’t know if that’s the reason or if there was a shift, but this truly took me aback. The story and worldbuilding, as always, was shit. The main characters, the pointy-haired kid whose I name don’t even remember, and mashed potatoes were as poorly written as ever. However, the notable difference this time was the focus on the Knights of the Round Table. It felt like the entire movie belonged to them, relegating everyone else to the status of mundane side characters. Their characters were so well written, that I even connected with a few of them. I know, even I’m surprised!
What significantly altered my overall opinion of this movie was the final battle. They were a spectacle to watch. A mash of different experimental art styles together with rich character emotion made every single final battle a bliss to watch. The one that stood out however was the fight sequence between Agravain and Lancelot. The animation, the music, the falling pyramid in the background. From the setup to the conclusion, it stands out as the best fight sequence I’ve ever witnessed. Period. It executed the entire circle exceptionally well without unravelling. I’ve got nothing but praise for that level of execution.
This movie certainly knew how to make fight sequences work and how to mesh two or more together. During the final battle, multiple 1v1s were happening all around. The way the focus shifted from one fight to the other without making it seem forced was well done, to say the least.
This is the type of movie I would give anything to see in a theatre. This has that feeling to it. The feeling of being grand.
For a series of movies that have been underwhelming at most, this is what I expect from Fate. Good fights. And this movie was delivered. This is the first of this series that I’d say deserves to be a part of Fate.