Knights of the Zodiac movie review: A bumpy trip down memory lane

The very quietly released Knights of the Zodiac with heavy names like Sean Bean and Famke Janssen, made me cry a little, and not entirely out of happy nostalgia.

The thrill of nostalgia can be intoxicating. It draws us into revisiting stories, places, characters, and feelings that once captured our imaginations and embedded into our souls. Well… at least it’s what I had hoped for when I sat down in my seat, popcorn in hand and a huge anticipating smile on my face, to watch Knights of the Zodiac.

The movie is based on the very first anime that I had ever watched in my younger years, one that I have always cherished: Saint Seiya. A world of warriors, space, and Greek mythologies – what’s not to like, right?

As much as it absolutely kills me to type such words, this 2023 live-action adaptation missed its mark by a lot.

Right off the bat, for fans familiar with the Saint Seiya universe, the movie’s inspiration from the 2019 CGI series was definitely showing. Unfortunately for us all, said CGI series is kind of a blip in the otherwise distinguished timeline of Saint Seiya adaptations. At the risk of coming off a bit overly dramatic, watching this movie felt like watching someone rip pages out of my favorite childhood book.

The exciting and engaging storytelling of the original series with slow revelations and the gradual buildup of its universe was swapped for flat and predictable moments in this adaptation. As characters telegraphed their every motive and plot point, I found the excitement of seeing a movie based on a series that introduced me to anime and had me and my sister running around the house screaming the theme song while our poor mother begged us to stop slowly, begrudgingly leaving my body. I wanted the authentic drama, the carefully layered story, and the intense action sequences of the 1986 classic. And I didn’t get any of that.

Looking back, I wonder why the creative decisions that were made and took this adaptation down such a sad path were a thing. From the incredibly bland representation of the iconic Pegasus armor to the uninspiring, ‘grounded’ take on this mythical story, I found my heart slowly breaking bit by bit in the entirety of its hour-and-52-minute duration. This adaptation appeared to prioritize all the wrong things at the expense of what made Saint Seiya the sensation it once was.

But, even though I was admittedly disappointed, there still were some redeeming points. The fact we were blessed with the presence of both Sean Bean and Famke Janssen was another reason why I wanted to watch this movie from the get-go. Their performances as Alman Kido and Vander Guraad, respectably,  brought depth to their roles.

As a former martial artist, the martial arts style was actually very much to my liking, but the overall disappointment I felt from this adaptation made these sweet moments feel like flashes in an otherwise hot mess made of sadness. Valiant attempt, but… 7-year-old me was crying a little bit on the inside.

To those unfamiliar with the Saint Seiya series, this movie might come off as another attempt at an epic tale from a different fandom you’re not attached to turned into a mediocre action film. But for a fan like myself, who cherished the original series for its depth, drama, creativity, cool-looking dudes and Athena/Sienna, and badass theme song, Knights of the Zodiac feels like a wasted opportunity to make something amazing out of an iconic anime.

It is what it is, and if you don’t mind not having a true-to-the-heart-of-the-series adaptation, you may still enjoy this. Otherwise, sticking with the 1986 original series is the way to go for me. Sorry, Sean Bean and Famke Janssen.