Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale (2017) User Reviews

Sword Art Online Ordinal Scale: SAO back on form

[Platypuschow · 8/10 · 21 February 2019]

The concept behind SAO was genius but they squandered it worse than possibly anything I've seen from a television series before and it's quality dipped. I don't think it ever got bad but it paled in comparison to what it was within around 12 episodes.

This spinoff movie follows season 2 and tells an entirely new story and is considerably better than I expected. Due to the decline I thought this would be mediocre but I was sorely mistaken.

It tells the story of VR gamings popularity taking a dip as an AR device has become all the rage. Within the augmented reality players are able to game and battle foes in the real world but our hero Kirito simply isn't convinced. It doesn't take long before Kirito, Asuna and friends realize that someone is using the hardware for their own nefarious means.

Now the concept of AR is ludicrous, in the real world it isn't practical for anything more than catching pokemon. Anything legitimately strenuous or action packed would be a severe health hazard for the player and everyone around them. For this reason you really have to suspend belief and sadly that's not the only thing.

If you can get past the absurdities however what you'll find it a very enjoyable, well paced and visually fantastic anime movie that really delivers on near every front.

This is the SAO we need back! Good stuff.

The Good:

Not a bad story

Contributes nicely to SAO lore

Great finale

The Bad:

A tremendous amount simply makes no logical sense

Great

[randy-26556 · 8/10 · 18 August 2019]

It was great I like this show. Don't judge it by the rating.

The Movie that Sword Art Online Deserved!

[patboldt · 7/10 · 19 November 2017]

I'm gonna be honest, I expected a pretty awful movie when I decided to finally watch Ordinal Scale. Not only was I pleasantly surprised to see that it was actually quite good, but it actually made me care about the story and characters because it ended up being the best this anime has ever reached. Why? What if I told you that every problem from Sword Art Online was completely solved, for the most part? Have I got you're attention now?

Ordinal Scale did something that surprised me, it made me care about Kirito/Kazuto, the character that many people criticize as one of the most overpowered characters ever made. He's not trying to be some anti-hero and he's not completely invincible at the start. And when he finally starts achieving in this movie, his accomplishments feel earned. He acts like a real person who has shown growth, not an action figure. Likewise, Asuna also gets some valuable screen time and she is also much more fleshed out. Rather than just being a plot device character, she actually has a defined character outside of Kirito (While he is trying to form a life outside of VR, Asuna is doing the opposite and pursuing it since that shaped her identity.) The Sword Art Online fans will get plenty of fan-service throughout this movie, and seems to be actively aware of it's flaws, and corrects most of them.

The conflict is more philosophical and mental than physical, and this is honestly a welcome change since people are getting sick of the "If you die in the game" format. The romance is what we care about, and I like how it's expanded upon. Though, there are some problems since there's a bit too much focus on the whole singing Miku aspect and some of the side characters are pretty useless as always, but if you don't mind the side characters and/or if you like anime girls singing, you'll be just fine. Unfortunately, Yui is still a Deus Ex Machine program rivaled only by the Eagles in LOTR, but it's somewhat forgivable since it really isn't the deciding blow in the final battle, but rather the final push that allows the heroes to claim victory. However, the fact that there is a plot that's truly interesting, truly heart tearing moments, and also the fact that best villain in the series so far is in this film, I think it's actually pretty special.

Bit of a meh

[kamh-50999 · 6/10 · 12 October 2020]

I feel like it lacked depth.

The film to me feels like a fairly surface level skirmish of the gang getting back together for another adventure.

The movie centres around some AR glasses that run a video game. People were being thrown aside by monsters that had no physical presence - doesn't really add up. Felt kinda poorly thought out.

Some non-gang but still important characters are left fairly contextless right until the end, which made it feel quite tacked on as an afterthought.

On the whole, I'd say if you've got a few hours to kill, you might as well. But I really didn't get that into it. It just feels like a by-the-book adventure where there isn't really much a sense of mystery, you know how it's going to end. The good guys win, nobody really gets hurt and our guy is The Hero.

It's cool that anime fans of the series get to bug out about more one round, but for the rest of us it I don't know how strong the appeal is.

It had an interesting premise but didn't deliver for me.

The movie is great!

[yargitme · 10/10 · 3 April 2019]

If you have never watched the series, that O.K the movie has a quick summary of 1st season and the animation is so perfect! The story reminds me of season 1 but i think its really good and creative.

OK +

[espenslea · 6/10 · 15 October 2019]

Hard to understand whitout having watched anything in the series before. Still worth the watch

A really good story with a nostalgic feel.

[cleit · 10/10 · 13 October 2017]

I was initially not planning to do this review, but since I saw many other reviews with bad reasons to give it a low score i am doing this.

First of all I want to take a moment to talk about the characters and how many emotions you feel with them. This movie has kirito and Asuna as protagonists. Almost always you are feeling what they feel. This helps you to really care about them.

The villain was REALLY good. His purporses are really believable and some people may understand him and even feel empathy for him. The villain is so well done that you will not recognize what he really wants until he has almost done it. I would give it a 9.7

Other thing I want to point out is that I loved the AR thing. I could really more less understand the situation that they are in because in real life (when it was a trend) A lot of people played pokemon go and they would do anything to catch those pokemons. Something similar happens here.

Something I have to mention is the NOSTALGIA I felt while watching this. There are mentions and flashbacks to SAO series and it makes you really remember those moments. Only people who liked the series or light novels will understand how good those moments were, this is why I can not blame anyone for not liking the movie and not understanding how important those moments were.

The general plot was like the anime. A game that starts becoming more and more serious. The hidden meaning of this movie is represented as a question; How far would you go for the ones you love?.

The kirito and Asuna moments are great making you fall in love with those characters.

I loved it.

[alhoot · 7/10 · 9 April 2017]

I loved it. It was not as good as some of Sword Art Online's other story arcs but definitely worth seeing.

The following comments are to put into context some of the comments by reviewers who missed the earlier story arcs.

We see a more mature, career oriented Kirito in Ordinal Scale. It is a consistent progression of the character development in earlier story arcs.

It may not be the last Sword Art Online story arc as there were teasers that left it open for more to come.

Nostolgia and closure for SAO fans

[hp-46224 · 9/10 · 15 June 2018]

I was a bit disappointed in the beginning, but the ending made up for it. Definitely worth the watch if you are an SAO fan. As much as it gave me closure, I still want more!

Not the best SAO, but better than no new SAO

[pemigewasset68 · 6/10 · 31 December 2017]

I love SAO; I haven't enjoyed an anime or been as emotionally invested since Ruroni Kenshin. SAO:OS is a bone thrown to nostalgic fans. NOT a place for beginners to make their start in SAO! I can't decide if the writers forgot what they were doing and didn't find their groove until halfway through, or if they only had enough decent material for one hour and threw in a bunch of exposition & limp, luke-warm drama to make a first half. Ordinal Scale is a fair to midling entry but the first half drags. Things begin to pick up 45 minutes in & you really start to feel the old magic with 45 minutes left. The last 30 minutes are outstanding! Overall, a swing-&-a-miss. Worth having- after it's been out awhile & prices come down... & it's on sale.

Sword Ar t Online Ordinal Scale Review

[cvaatranngocdungnhan · 10/10 · 26 February 2017]

OK, this movie is stunning enough to made me write a review for the first time. Just came back from watching it. Its full house at the cinema. It is rare to see a full house at my country when the cinema is airing anime. This is absolute shock.

Story: 10/10 The story is great. It is a mixture of sad, emotional, tragedy, comedy and romance. Its sort like the mixture of SAO, ALO, GGO but mainly it revive that kind of feel after u watched the original SAO. It makes me feel nostalgic.

Art: 9/10 For me, the art can be consider good enough and at certain part the coloring is mind blowing especially when they defeated the monster. The animation also look more lively compare to the recent GGO. A great improvement overall. *Wagnaria Cafe (www working!) made a cameo !

Sound: 9/10 The OST is not as great as SAO but they did use back some SAO soundtrack (mainly Swordland) and even make an improved version for certain situation.

Character: 9/10 Nothing much to say here but the MC, Yuna is so kawaii (you will know what I mean once you really watched the movie). A little bit fan service as usual between Asuna and Kirito.

Enjoyment: 10/10 I really enjoy the 2 hour in the cinema and I do think that you probably need to watch the original SAO series first before watching this movie if possible try to finish ALO and GGO as well.

Overall: 9.4/10 Overall is 9.4 but I will definitely round it off to 10 instead of 9 because of the story, the comedy, again Yuna is so kawaii, the art and coloring during the FIANL MOMENT when the monster is defeated and the BGM being played at the right time at the right moment. I would definitely recommend any SAO fans to watch it, you will never regret!

A healthy but predictable end to a loved series

[birdiesong · 7/10 · 13 March 2017]

I came into this half jokingly but with an open heart because I had watched the previous seasons. Coming out of it, it was a bit better than i expected.

Pros:

The plot line was solid. There were throwbacks to every arc, including the shorter sequences which you would expect to feel clichéd and forced (because they know that many of the audience members would see it for closure) but it played out in a way that was refreshing instead. There was a nice fluid set of transitions between plot elements that brought out a healthy balance of emotions which enough action to fill the gaps that the slower scenes left.

The music was consistently enjoyable and really complemented the action sequences. I think it was clever to include the music in a plot-relevant way like they did. The sound in general was also incredible (just a note the ambient sounds in outdoor scenes were relaxing and immersive).

The animations are crisp and fluid. In fight sequences, there really is portrayed a sense of power...which is easily ruined but they managed to pull off in a way pleasing to the eye. They really perfected the hit>delay>acceleration set of motions that take place within a second or two. There were some slow motion scenes that really blew me away with effects and a frame rate that usually aren't present in shows of this type.

There is a plot twist near the end which I really enjoyed. Again no spoilers but it made sense with all the information that they gave us and there were no visible holes.

It was funny occasionally and got a little intimate every now and then which was well-timed.

Cons:

Fight scenes were underwhelming from a technical perspective. I hoped that they would improve the interactions and strategy formation for a higher budget production but it was more of the same from the first season. It was basically just shoot and hit until you win.

The villain's actions were unreasonable when seen alongside his motive. I don't want to say much more but it was pretty disappointing and broke any immersion that was left at that point just thinking about how ridiculous it would seem for anyone to take that action. The obvious throwback to the first season was not welcome in this case as it seemed very forced in order to attract some cheap sense of danger.

The ending was insanely clichéd but i'm not necessarily going to say that's a bad thing. As another review said, it did provide closure. It was a very satisfying ending that resolved the main plot, side plot, and gave homage to the show's beginnings.

Not as good as the hype.

[subxerogravity · 5/10 · 11 March 2017]

So a group of gamers get trapped in an online world, for three years, where they die if they loose the game, but when the survivors of this ordeal are offered a cool new device that allows them to connect to the web and social media in order to play a new game, they gladly except it. That's some hardcore gaming.

I herd of Sword Art Online and from what I herd I wanted to see it. Sounded like a great concept. A more appealing one than Yu Gi Oh, which also had a big motion picture release this year. So I saw Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dark Side of Dimensions and it was my first time ever seeing this franchise in anyway and I like it a lot. This made me figure that I may get the same satisfaction from Sword Art Online's motion picture.

That did not happen. I though the movie was boring. Unlike the Yu-Gi-Oh film, I felt that I needed to have started from the beginning with Sword Art Online. It does not help that the characters in Yu-Gi-Oh seem to be more interesting than those in Sword Art Online. These guys seem kinda dry.

The anime seemed to me like it should be one of those action packed thrill rides with a bunch of cool fighting sequences and stuff, but most of the fights were not that interesting at all to watch, and this was inter cut with a lot of story and I did not connect to.

I don't want to give up on the franchise after one try but I would advise coming into this film with a firmer knowledge of the concept. The recap the movie begins with does not help and I feel that this film only works for true fans.

http://cinemagardens.com

Decent

[smartademide · 6/10 · 28 May 2018]

Even though I don't like the series, I liked this movie. It has jaw-dropping animation, a villain with an actual motive, and the protagonist isn't basically invincible (trust me, the last two are a rare in this series). It still has all the bland characters in the original, but they're more likeable here. The protagonist also isn't as pretentious and the movie actually makes me somewhat sympathize with the villain. I think it's alright, but if you already hate the series, the movie won't do that many things to different. If you want to see SAO with better animation, an actually understandable villain and a bit more likeable characters, then check it out.

Everything I could ever want from a sword art online movie

[cameronjames-86959 · 10/10 · 14 May 2020]

As someone who just started watching this show I was really intreasted to see how a sword art online movie would play out and I have to say I was not disappointed. SAO the ordinal scale takes everything I liked from the pervious 2 seasons and put them into a full length movie that completely I loved to death. This movie was just everything I wanted this movie to be. The cast in this movie steals the show which I honestly expected because the cast in the show is fantastic and they are once again fantastic in this movie. The story in this movie is incredible seeing how they take a story that is based around VR and brings into AR into the mix and they nail it. The action in this movie is great and super well animated. The animation in this movie is also incredible and honestly breath taking. The characters also have some more character development that I honestly didn't expect but I loved. As fan I love how they basically bring things from the anime into the mix and I loved how they continued right where the anime left off. The only thing I can say was weak in this movie was the villain honestly compared to the villains in the anime this villain was just Weak but it didn't take me out of the movie at all. Overall I loved SAO the movie it was everything I wanted it to be and more and I honestly want to watch it again right this moment.

Average, not nearly as good as the series

[sisubalan · 7/10 · 16 August 2022]

As a big fan of this series, this movie was a huge let down for me but doesnt mean its not good. Its great but not as good as i expected. Slow paced 1st act and dynamic 3rd act, like almost every anime nowadays. My favorite would be the 2nd act. Plot wise okay, again several changes from the novel. Sound scores were mediocre tbh. Animation good as always. Got actions, romance, fantasy and followed the original storyline of the series - canon. Recommended.

Sword Art Online Ordinal Scale? More like "How Augmented Reality Game Looks Like" to me

[officialridhof · 9/10 · 26 March 2018]

Small notes to you guys before reading my reviews :

1. I've been watching its series from the first one on Aincrad until the next season which take places in Gun Gale Online and Alfheim Online.

2. I'm interested on how Reki Kawahara imagine what VR and AR games looks like and keep developing his imagination. Because one day I'll make Reki's imagination come true.

So, why do I give a really good score of this movie?

Because, this movie will tell you how Augmented Reality Technology will affect your daily life (it contains on the movie tho like calories counter and etc).

Something that I haven't imagined is how Augmented Reality turn Virtual Reality games into real world. Because playing in Virtual Reality means you are playing in the same place (not moving), but your character will moving to the fantasy world. Augmented Reality is the opposite, you are in the real world once you move, your body will moving to the same place.

And the story, it's related to the previous series. The same main characters and the different between how they fight in VR and AR is so cool realistic! You may pro in playing video games using stick or remote, but what if you are playing the same thing like you bring sword and try to kill enemies by your hand!

But why do I give it 9 out of 10? Because the fighting scene in the end of movie isn't realistic for me so yeah I'm so dissapointed because this movie end so fast with unrealistic logic of playing AR.

Glorious

[tomcrew-52093 · 10/10 · 2 January 2019]

If you didn't knew I am a huge sao fan and I had huge expectations for this movie and I'm proudly to say they succeed. The movie takes place after the end of season 2 and the beginning of season 3. It's about a new device called augma, The Augma is a next-generation wearable multi-device developed by Professor Shigemura Tetsuhiro and distributed by an emerging information and communication technology (ICT) company named Kamura, most people use it for sports but there has been a game that has been released called ordinal scale ,But there is only one problem I have with this it's basically season 1 of sao but put into a 2 hour long movie but besides that the movie overall is masturpiece in its own right, if you didn't knew already the movie is number eight in the japanese box office reaching 33.2 million us dollars or just over 4 billion yen ( 2017) The art work is astonishing even the lighting is marvellous, it's some of the best I have ever seen just coming underneath attack of titan and I have reviewed this in English dub 5.1 at 1080p × 1920p you can watch this at crunchyroll and netflix but do be warned there is no dub on netflix

But you can buy the English dub version on Amazon or just wait for the English dub to be released on netflix But it's your choice

Tom.crew

Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale is the perfect send-off for the franchise for it will not only bring you nostalgia but a sense of closure.

[Amari-Sali · 9/10 · 9 March 2017]

Characters & Storyline

In many ways, Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale, at its heart, is a love story. One in which the relationship between Kirito and Asuna has matured maturing to the point that Asuna's mom wants to properly meet Kirito. However, life can't be so easy for the SAO survivors. For while many have came back from Aincrad like soldiers who have come from war, there is still that desire for combat. Making the newest game out there called "Ordinal Scale" quite attractive.

For one, it doesn't require a deep dive, it is an augmented reality device. Plus, while it may require you to be a bit more physically active, it does allow you to safely re-experience combat. However, like with the nervegear, there are ways to tamper with the device for ill means and goals. Something that becomes an issue for our heroes as a special day approaches and one of them are stricken with a form of amnesia. Thus leading to a loss of the memories which led to the bond of Kirito and Asuna being so strong.

Highlights

The Music

When it comes to anime, I usually skip intros and outros for the songs don't appeal to me. Heck, even for anime like Fuuka, which has music as part of the show, I either fast forward or get a glass of water during performances. Yet, for the first time since playing Final Fantasy X- 2, I found myself enchanted by the music. For while I didn't understand a word of it, the songs that the character Yuna sung really beefed up that character's tragic story. Plus, on top of being catchy, they seemed so appropriate for the moments they were sung.

The Action

While others may note Bleach, Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, and many other anime as their standard for action, for me it is Sword Art Online. For there is something about swordplay that just does it for me. Hand to hand combat gets dull quickly as it just becomes a bunch of blurs and about speed and magic is just beams of different colored light. Swordplay, though, it has the personal touches of hand to hand combat yet that aw and shock which comes from the grandest of spells.

So with this movie focusing solely on Asuna and Kirito's swordplay, among their friends, of course, I felt reminded of why I have yet to find another show, except maybe Gangsta. and Grimgar and Ash which had the type of action scenes which had me watching the screen like a little kid. You know the look, right? Sitting down, elbows on your knees, child resting in the palm of your hands, just mesmerized.

The Love Story

Love stories are a common thing in anime. Arguably, there aren't too many which omit it, at least in my experience. However, with the prevalence of harems, one or both characters being generic and a bore, or else the odd case of going from hated to love, unfortunately, quality romantic plots are scarce.

Sword Art Online, however, is a rare exception. Both Kirito and Asuna have personality and, on top of that, are equals in the battlefield. Hell, one could argue that while Kirito maybe a better fighter in short burst, Asuna is the type you want on your team for drawn out battles. And, in many ways, what makes them such a lovely couple is they both balance and complement each other.

But even off the battlefield, there is a maturity to their relationship also rarely seen. Just listening to Asuna call Kirito to hear his voice, watching Kirito snuggle into Asuna's bosom, in a non-sexual way, and express his love for her, these are things I feel we rarely get. Especially in anime which isn't some form of slice of life.

A Good Recap/ Reminder of Asuna and Kirito's Journey

Be it the games they played, the people they met, or the memories they shared, for fans of the series you get a good reminder of who is who and how they tied into the overall series. Some, naturally, more than others, but pretty much all the major players of any arc you can think of at least make one appearance. Even Yuuki.

Criticism

The Voice Actor Introduction

I could have done without the voice actors thanking the fans. If only because it seemed they were reading from a teleprompter than speaking from the heart.

On The Fence

An Adequate Villain Who Fits Into The Story

I'll admit, I wasn't blown away by the movie's villain. They were good, I like how they tied into the show's first season, and I very much understood the reasons for what they did. However, there wasn't much in the way of personality when it came to them. Also, I don't want to say the mystery of who the villains were and why they were doing what they were doing was predictable, but I do feel it was kept rather simple.

Overall: Positive (Worth Seeing)

Like Logan, this sends off for Sword Art Online is everything you could wish for. It features damn near every character you ever knew and possibly liked, it reminds you with both its action scenes and the bond between Asuna and Kirito, why you have stuck with it for so many years, and it ends everything with a ribbon on top. It doesn't hint at a sequel or pushes the type of ending in which you want more. It respects the journey you have been on with the series and gives you some sense of closure as a thank you.

A show that was, is and will be highly overrated

[Cinefil_Original · 3/10 · 22 February 2017]

Going to keep this review spoiler free. To make a clever analogy, Sword Art Online is similar to an apple that looks fresh on the outside but is all rotten inside. If you have ever heard of the "Rotten Apple" theory which states that one rotten apple can ruin an entire barrel, that is what I am afraid of. Anime series similar to Sword Art Online will spread like mold in an old house, resulting in lowering the current set standards for a "good" show.

Intro: Unfortunately the very premise of the show makes it hard to take seriously. A new innovative game "Ordinal Scale" is created and people are crazy about it until sh*t hits the fan and Kirito must save the day.

Story: 3/10 The story revolves around Asuna and Kirito's group of friends battling Augma as well as Asuna's and Kirito's romantic relationship. The story is more of a way to connect and insert action scenes rather than progressing with the characters. To compare SAO:Ordinal Scale's plot with the previous series I would say that Ordinal Scale is better but as the saying goes, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. With that being said, the story is still boring, predictable and borderline ridiculous containing numerous plot holes, plot armor and having a simplistic idea that is poorly executed. Ordinal Scale is a failed mix of comedy, drama and romance but it does have great action scenes that keep attracting viewers. The story brings nothing new to the table, it is mostly the same old repetitive SAO plot but a bit different and a bit more enjoyable with the only redeeming factor being its pace. Even though the story itself is nothing special, the pacing is pretty good to be honest.

Characters: 2/10 The characters are poor, one-dimensional, clichéd, generic and utterly annoying, there is not much to say that can redeem them. Ordinal Scale features lots of survivors from SAO and I liked seeing them again, just a bit of nostalgia.

Kirito is the same overpowered guy that can defeat anything and anyone if he gets serious. All the girls still fall for him even though he has no charisma or an intriguing personality nor is he particularly intelligent. In Kirito's defense, I suppose being a hero in a life-or-death game can make most people grow to respect him and maybe "love" him.

Asuna is the same as always, a generic damsel in distress that is constantly seeking attention and constantly irritating me. Asuna does have some good moments throughout the show but that is not nearly enough to redeem her character.

Shino Asada, a generic character from the ALO/GGO series. I liked the fact that she respected Kirito and Auna as a couple even though she had feelings for Kirito therefore not creating further drama.

The only character I liked was Eiji, a bad-ass player who is top ranked and has a cool air about him, won't go into details due to possible spoilers.

The villains are clichéd, generic and imbecilic. We have seen these type of villains many, many times before in the previous seasons of Sword Art Online or other low tier anime series.

Animation: 10/10 The overall art and animation is great, fluid with nice design and colors, just what you would expect from a 2017 anime production. The fight scenes are very well choreographed, fluid and engaging. The animation does have some glitches but I am compelled to overlook them.

Sound: 7/10 I personally did not like the OST, they used some old SAO music and some new and not very good songs. The overall sound is pretty good but nothing memorable or to brag about.

Enjoyment: 2/10 After finishing Sword Art Online Ordinal Scale I was left with a "meh" feeling and a bad taste in my mouth. Having Kirito wear his old "black swordsman" uniform was a sore sight. There are some good battles and nice scenes but they are not nearly enough to make this a good watching experience.

Overall: 4.3/10 Unfortunately Sword Art Online continues being the malignant tumor slowly eating away at the good anime production. The poor plot and generic characters can not be overlooked even though the animation and sound were very good. If you are the typical SAO fan you will love this movie but if you did not like the SOA series you will not like this. If you are ready to waste 2 hours of your life, I recommend giving this a try since it is so popular.

Started of great but fell a bit

[miniplagueblood · 8/10 · 1 April 2020]

It starts of amazing with a problem that kirito isn't so overpowered he can easily defeat the enemy. But then there was a 1 minute montage and kirito got super overpowered again. As I said it started of amazingly but then they made him to powerful to quickly, nonetheless it is entertaining and have amazing fight scenes.

Amazing Movie

[srtoxingaming · 10/10 · 10 April 2017]

Oh my god this movie was amazing, I loved it I left school early to go take a hour drive to the nearest theatre to see this movie and I was not disappointed, I loved how kazuto and asuna's relationship progressed more, I was a little sad when she lost her memories and sad when Klein got his arm broken and lost his memories as well, The only thing I wish is that some ALO characters would have pop up more in the movie, I was happy that Healthclliff showed up a bit here and there and how they finally fought the level 100 boss that was a awesome scene and I loved how kazuto keeps breaking the system when his eyes glow yellow and how he got all his old gear back, I loved how it shows him on the stage instantly killing all the bosses with the legendary sword drop he got from the level 100 boss this movie was amazing any S.A.O fans out there I recommend this movie 100% you will not be disappointed, To the makers you did a amazing job the music the emotions all of it I am a die had S.A.O fan and I loved it, Thank you for this movie it changed my life, and made me love S.A.O even more thank you :) This movie is definitely worthy of 10/10 stars

Anime at its best with the most promising technologies as of 21st century VR & AR

[petrasjanulevicius · 10/10 · 30 June 2017]

If you like anime - go watch it. If you like VR - go watch it. If you like AR - go watch it.

It's a brilliant movie for those who appreciate science fiction and anime style. The story itself it's actually emotional and yes it's not perfect but so are you not.

A war doesn't just have heroes

[eymaslacker · 8/10 · 30 May 2017]

The basis for the movie are the unheard masses, the ones who were not the generals or the heroes but the foot soldier or the truck driver or even the cook.

In a war, all these people can die and the public remembers them only as one of those who made up a number. Yet their lives are not without connections to others. The events of the original series were basically that of a war forced upon one side and this movie is based upon one of those connections.

The movie closes Kirito and Asuna's story as well as after effects of the first story, which is good enough reason to watch it.

Having seen the original series is a must as without having seen it, everything just raises question marks. The follow up to the original series are option but explains some characters who were not in the original series.

Music is excellent. The fight scenes are good though the last battle is so fast and furious, it gets difficult to see who did what exactly.

Lacks the weight and impact of the series

[Vartiainen · 3/10 · 13 November 2019]

The first ever Sword Art Online movie takes place between seasons two and three. Kirito and Asuna are living their life as they always have, but now a new game has been released. An augmented reality game, making a clear breakthrough from the purely virtual games we're used to seeing. But, naturally, there's darkness lurking beneath.

An interesting premise and fitting for a movie that's supposed to be at least something of a stand-alone. A completely new game system allows our heroes to explore new ground, without impacting the anime plot too egregiously. And it's interesting to see how our heroes function when real life and game reality mix.

Unfortunately the execution of this idea leaves a lot to be desired. And I'm not sure what went wrong here. It's produced by the same studio and directed by the guy behind season one. But in every way that counts, it's worse. The battles are a lot slower. There's none of the impact, heroism or excitement that's evidently present in the anime. All the battles in this movie are a jarring mix of too fast cutting, pointless back flips, yelling and lackluster effects. Whereas in the anime you could see the strategies in every battle. It utilized slow motion just about perfectly and knew how to make characters look like proper badasses.

I'm also not a huge fan of how the movie makes Kirito and Asuna have an argument. I liked the romance present in the anime. I liked how the anime simply allowed them to be a couple, without extra wrenches thrown in.

And yes, I realize I sound like an old curmudgeon muttering that it was better before they changed it. But it was better! So much. Despite this film having a lot of the original talent behind it, it has none of the charm, coolness or weight of the original anime. Perhaps they were lazy, perhaps the studio intervened, perhaps they honestly thought they were doing something worthwhile. But whatever the case, this is a movie you can easily skip, whether you love the original anime series or not.