Anyone watching this third installment of Fullmetal Alchemist without being familiar with the first two will likely be confused, although the sheer weirdness of the series will compensate for the lack of logic. The main heroes are brothers Alphonse and Edward, who suffered disastrous injuries in a failed attempt to resurrect their dead mother via alchemy: Edward lost an arm and a leg, while Alphonse's body disintegrated, so his soul is housed in a suit of armor. The pair's effort to restore themselves to normalcy requires possession of the elusive Philosopher's Stone, but their search is constantly interrupted. In this go-round, the siblings once again encounter the enemy Homunculi—humanoids taking their personalities from the seven deadly sins (in this case, Gluttony, Envy, and Sloth)—and make a hasty retreat to the fortress Briggs, where General Olivier Armstrong commands her troops with icy resolve and helps Ed and Al strategize on proceeding further in their quest. Also complicating matters are troublemakers Father and Scar, who are too eager to use their powers for mayhem. Boasting plenty of energy, this latest collection serves up so much action and imagination that one tends to overlook the fact that it doesn't always make absolute sense. Compiling 13 episodes from 2009 in a dual-language, two-disc set, suitable for 14-up, DVD extras include a pair of audio commentaries. Highly recommended. [Note: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Part Four is slated for release on Apr. 5.] (P. Hall)
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Part Three
(2004) 2 discs. 325 min. DVD: $49.98, Blu-ray: $54.98. Funimation (avail. from most distributors). ISBN: 1-4210-2226-5 (dvd). Volume 26, Issue 2
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Part Three
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