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Matt Stuecken. Writer: 10 Cloverfield Lane. Matt Stuecken is known for 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008).
- Writer, Producer, Additional Crew
- 2 min
Knights of the Zodiac(Japanese: 聖闘士星矢 The Beginning, Hepburn: Seinto Seiya Za Biginingu), is a 2023 fantasyaction filmdirected by Tomek Bagińskifrom a screenplay by Josh Campbell, Matt Stuecken, and Kiel Murray, based on the manga Saint Seiyaby Masami Kurumada. The film stars Mackenyu, Famke Janssen, Madison Iseman, Diego Tinoco ...
- When live-action manga adaptations go wrong.
- What's the best superhero origin story movie of the past 5 years?
- Knights of the Zodiac Review
- Verdict
By Matt Donato
Posted: May 11, 2023 10:25 pm
Knights of the Zodiac opens in theaters on May 12, 2023
This year's manga-to-live-action adaptation of Knights of the Zodiac is as underwhelming a hopeful franchise-starter as you'll ever encounter. Japanese superstar performer Mackenyu will no doubt lure his fanbase into theaters, who will then be met with a long-winded fantasy adventure that isn't the dazzling visual feast they were probably hoping for thanks to such a cumbersome reliance on unspectacular digital effects. Everything about this modern tale of Olympic gods and supernatural powers teases an epic journey, but execution is quite the sluggish opposite.
For those unfamiliar with Masami Kurumada's Saint Seiya manga – which director Thomasz Baginski's film loosely picks and chooses from – Mackenyu's protagonist Seiya discovers his destiny as protector of Sienna (Madison Iseman), the reincarnation of goddess Athena. The screenplay seems to assume we know all of the manga’s background information when charting Seiya's rags-to-superhero arc, skipping over the details and following the most basic beginnings for young characters discovering extraordinary powers they need to harness.
There's a messiness to the collision of Greek mythology and samurai culture that reminds of something sloppily extravagant like Gods of Egypt, lost in world-building that never feels convincing. Instead, it's a smorgasbord of unimpressive digital effects as Baginski struggles to recreate the feel of anime in live action (think Netflix's Cowboy Bebop show), boiling down Kurumada's vivid source material into a bland, loud, voiceless gruel with no substance.
Black Panther (2018)
Venom (2018)
Aquaman (2018)
Shazam! (2019)
Captain Marvel (2019)
Other - tell us in the comments
Even the visual makeup of Knights of the Zodiac feels uninspired. Guraad's supersoldier army looks like rejected models of the 2014 Robocop remake's suit, while Seiya's battle costume armor loses its shine once the fight turns to computer-animated models from practical choreography. Everyone with Cosmo surging through their veins seems to harness a...
Knights of the Zodiac fails to inspire enough excitement to meet the prospect of future sequels with anything more than a shrug. It's not particularly successful at welcoming newcomers into Masami Kurumada's imagination because the film whiffs at echoing the manga creator's vision. Director Tomasz Baginski falls victim to the choppy and unnatural f...
- Matt Donato
Knights of the Zodiac: Directed by Tomasz Baginski. With Mackenyu, Famke Janssen, Madison Iseman, Diego Tinoco. When a goddess of war reincarnates in the body of a young girl, street orphan Seiya discovers that he is destined to protect her and save the world.
- 2 min
- 175
Mar 27, 2023 · The official trailer and poster have been released for upcoming Manga adaptation ‘Knights of the Zodiac'. Directed by Tomek Baginski with a screenplay by Josh Campbell & Matt Stuecken and Kiel ...
Oct 30, 2023 · He directed the movie from a screenplay co-written by Josh Campbell, Matt Stuecken, and Kiel Murray. Like many other films, it’s based on other pieces of work.
In the press room at San Diego Comic-Con, the cast and crew of the upcoming film Knights of the Zodiac chat about the creation of the animated adventure and ...
- 12 min
- 166
- My Entertainment World
