Directed by Fumihiko Sori, “Fullmetal Alchemist: Revenge Of Scar” is the sequel to “Fullmetal Alchemist (2017)” and was released on May 20th, 2022. The anime of the same series is better recommended than the movie if the audience would like to save themselves from a bout of overacting and subpar VFX that looks out of place in the film. The plotline makes the antagonists look weak and changes the tone of the movie from a more realistically forward pace to a more laid-back comedic pace.
Spoilers Ahead
‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ Plotline Recap and Continuation
“Fullmetal Alchemist (2017)”, the first movie, had a lot of plot twists where Alphonso and Edward lost their mother and their dear friend Captain Hughes. Dr. Marcoh had headed the homunculus experiments with the help of the Philosopher’s Stone under the orders of the State. He conducted these experiments inside Laboratory No. 5, disguised as a prison. The Stone was derived from torturing countless prisoners and was finally laid off as an invalid experiment. However, Marcoh was killed by homunculi while he was giving the information and hints to Ed and Winry. With the new hints, Ed had a discussion with Captain Hughes. However, he was ultimately killed by Envy after he figured out the hints and informed Captain Mustang after an altercation with Lust. Tucker, who was arrested due to illegal practices of Alchemy on his family, escaped and reached the place before Ed and his team could. But before he could set off the reactions, he was killed by Lust, and Hakuro stepped in to finish the experiment, only to unleash an army of homunculi. He was killed by his army, and it fell on Ed and his team to now save the entire world from these homunculi. Captain Mustang successfully killed Lust and Envy by lighting them on fire, and Gluttony escaped from there. Finally, Ed met with Truth yet again, but he did not exchange the Philosopher’s Stone Mustang had handed him after killing Lust. He couldn’t bring himself to exchange the Stone for Al and his body parts and set out to find another way.
In “Fullmetal Alchemist: The Revenge Of Scar,” continues with Ed and Al on a journey towards the central station, but they meet new characters, one of whom is suspiciously a prince. Prince Ling Yao, at first, is curious about the Philosopher’s Stone that Ed and Al have either discarded or kept in a safe place. They are challenged to a fight with Ling Yao’s bodyguard, and Ed finds himself slipping off the train only to be saved by none other than Envy. Envy, who had previously died, was still alive. After fighting and also trying to save the train from crashing, Ed and Al are rewarded with new guards by Fuhrer President King Bradley due to a serial killer killing all of the State Alchemists one by one. While shaking off the guards, Ed and Al get confronted by Scar, the rumored State Alchemist Killer. Ed almost gets killed but narrowly escapes with his metal hand destroyed. He makes a pact with Ling Yao as they chase the homunculi and lure out Scar to capture him. Amongst this, Ed learns that Scar had killed Winry’s parents. They finally capture Scar and Gluttony, but Gluttony loses control when he remembers that Lust was killed by Mustang. In the end, Gluttony swallows Envy, Ling Yao, and Ed by mistake.
Who is Scar, and Why Did He Target the State Alchemists?
Under the State orders, there was a seven-year-long war with the Ishvalan Tribe, who refused to surrender. They were known for their unique features of red eyes, olive skin, and white hair. The State finally wipes out most of the tribe members by sending the State Alchemists to war as well. The State Alchemists kill without mercy and wipe out the city and homes of many Islavan tribe members. Those who escape are hurt and are treated by Winry’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Rockbell, who are introduced as doctors who would take care of all patients regardless of their origins. They did not care about their well-being, instead focusing on ensuring that their patients were taken care of.
Meanwhile, one of the State Alchemists found out about Scar and his brother’s hidden group, and he had arrived to take care of them. The Alchemist mercilessly used his powers to wreak havoc on the group and kill them off, destroying every single building in sight. Scar had died, but his brother was left alive. Scar’s elder brother could not take the fact that his younger brother had lost his arm and also his life; therefore, he used the recovery rune to exchange his life and arm with his brother. Later, Scar woke up in the hospital with a huge star scar on his forehead as proof of the rune his brother had performed to bring him back. Disoriented and focused more on hate for the people who took away his own brother from him, Scar killed the nearest Amestrians, Winry’s parents, for revenge. Scar then set out on the warpath to take his revenge on all of the State Alchemists involved in that war and was later hired after the war. His notion was that all alchemists hired by the State were either inhuman or evil; therefore, they would be better off dead.
Envy Alive, How?
Edward, on his way to Winry to fix his arm after Scar destroyed it, stopped by his mother’s grave, where surprise, he met his absent father, who simply popped up after so many years. It seems like a set up, and his father is also the father of all the homunculi, which is later insisted upon in the scene where a person with blonde hair is seen rejuvenating using the Stone fragments and commanding Bradley. Bradley is also a homunculus, which is revealed when his eye patch is off, and the tattoo of Ouroboros is visible on his hidden eye. Ed and Al’s father seem to be homunculi as well, who seems to be in-charge of and is also called Father by both Gluttony and Envy.
Envy was brought back to life, even when he was clearly killed by Mustang’s repeated flame attack in the first movie. However, it could be possible that he did not die as Lust due to the Stone his life was attached to being left intact, whereas Mustang took Lust’s Stone while she was dying to give it to Ed, thus successfully killing her. Envy seemed to undergo a personality change in the period following the death. Because he could have been floating between realities and Gluttony had escaped seeking help from his father, Envy could have been brought back by them and also gone through a strict lesson on acting out and putting the sacrifice in danger. He was warmer and saved Ed one too many times. However, Ed and Al seem to be sacrificing for something bigger.
‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Revenge Of Scar’ Ending Explained: Will There Be Another Sequel?
Edward, Ling Yao, and Envy get swallowed by Gluttony by accident. Envy ordered Gluttony to swallow Ling Yao so as to get rid of him. However, Edward jumped in to save him, and Envy jumped in to save Edward because Edward was supposed to be some kind of a sacrifice and was not to be swallowed. This was a strict order issued by their father that the homunculi were under. However, they got swallowed and got stuck inside Gluttony. Gluttony is supposed to be a mock version of the portal of Truth that Edward was already familiar with. The person the homunculi called father tried numerous ways to create that portal; however, he failed and got stuck with Gluttony’s abysmal portal, which had no exit. Even though Envy was being helpful until this moment, the characters had to go and provoke him, which led Envy to turn into a massive dinosaur-like monster to fight them. The movie ends at this point, leaving the ending open to interpretation and also setting the stage for another sequel.
The VFX of both movies is subpar at best. Live adaptations are usually not the best, but these two movies were not made too appallingly. Although the VFX could really use some work, they still stuck to the plot. However, they made the character of the most feared Scar seem like a tragic hero who was simply out for revenge for the torture that he and his countrymen faced on the orders of a dictator. His reasons were justified, but he was adapting to the ways of the same people who killed his men, which was not right. Another major gap that could be observed was that movies focused more on the comedic relief, which made the film drag itself away from the plot numerous times. Envy, who seemed to be an angsty character in the first movie, was brought back as a more warm and lovable character, only to turn monstrous at the very end. I’m pretty sure the characters will get out of Gluttony’s no-exit mock truth portal using plot armor, but they didn’t exactly focus on a particular storyline. The second movie felt more like filler than a sequel.
See More: ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: The Final Alchemy’ Ending, Explained – Did Alphonso Get Back His Body?
