Film review - Attack on Titan: End of the World fails to match its predecessor
Tedious exposition and backstory, and lacklustre action spoil this sequel
In an increasingly prevalent trend among Japanese blockbusters, Attack on Titan: End of the World arrives just weeks after its predecessor. Like Gantz, Parasyte and others before it, it also eschews much of the promise that came with the high concept set-up of part one, replaced by reams of tedious exposition and backstory.
When the action finally does resume, the climactic battle resembles little more than an expensive – but not that expensive – episode of Ultraman, as men in rubber suits duke it out against miniature sets and green-screen FX.
After returning to human form, adolescent combatant Eren (Haruma Miura) is seized by the military and sentenced to death for his titan tendencies (growing into a 20-storey man-eating zombie). But before he can be executed, Eren is snatched by another titan, only to learn the truth behind their origins, the walls surrounding their colony and the government’s ulterior motives.
Meanwhile, Armin (Kanata Hongo) and Mikasa (Kiko Mizuhara) galvanise their squad and return home, looking to use a long-dormant bomb to plug the gaping hole in the wall and keep the monstrous titans at bay.
