Excellent but underrated film

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Well, I am so glad to say that I have changed my mind about the best live-action video game movie as this certainly qualifies! It helps that it came from Japan, which is where the world's most popular video games come from. It's just great to see all of these characters looking just like their video game counterparts. At the same time, that can be kind of a flaw. I mean, a lot of them do look pretty goofy. It's just hard to translate animation of any kind to live-action. It's a little hard to take seriously. I know a lot about the "Phoenix Wright" games, but only because of all the Newgrounds parodies! Then again, the parodies themselves told very little about the actual games, so I guess I still couldn't understand it. At least I got to see a good representation of it. This happens to be the longest movie ever made based on a video game and I think the pacing was quite good. Yeah, it probably could have been a little shorter, but still good. The story and twists are very nice. The film is mostly just well trials, which I what I expected. There are so many awful live-action video game movies, it's great to see the best one ever made. It's a saving grace for Video Game Month! ***

I wouldn't call myself a fan of Miike. Actually with "Audition" I might have started with one of his most wicked movies, very disturbing and very different and I might not have been open to that. This on the other hand (must be the tenth movie of his I have watched to date, not a lot if you consider his output!) is very easily accessible.And that rings true, even if you're not familiar with the source material this is based on. I myself didn't know the game and haven't played it yet. But the essence of the movie is a courtroom thriller with a few twists. And it has a very wicked sense of humor, which might not be to everyones taste. If you don't like the first 5 minutes, don't bother watching more. Otherwise it'll be a hoot (and those hair styles ... awesome!)

I had the privilege of seeing this film in Tokyo while it was still in theaters. Having played all of the Phoenix Wright/Gyakuten Saiban games, I was very familiar with the source material. That being said, it easily introduces all of the characters in a very succinct manner, and their personalities show through brilliantly on the big screen.The summary: Ryuichi Naruhodo aka Phoenix Wright is a struggling defense attorney who works for the Ayasato law firm. After a shocking murder, he finds himself in the high court defending a client against murder... pitted against a prosecuting prodigy... who just happens to be a childhood friend. The twists and turns of the case lead Naruhodo into an investigation of a long-closed case which is very relevant to current events.For fans of courtroom drama or mystery, it's a very suspenseful and very clever murder mystery, but if you've played the first game, you already know how it turns out. For once, a director chose to go with the original story rather than trying to go off in a strange direction or "re-imagine" the details that people know and love (yes, I'm looking in your direction, Michael Bay), though some elements have been absorbed into one story to make sure the entire story takes place. All of the cases from the game are referenced, though not all of them are fully played out on screen (time constraints). Additionally, there are no clever "wink wink" moments to future games in the series, thank goodness.Purists will be happy to know that some of the musical numbers come straight from the game, particularly in the courtroom, and the "floating box" evidence presenting element from the game is preserved as a very cool holographic system.If I may level one criticism, it's that just like the game, the "investigation" portions tend to drag, but the courtroom scenes will have you sitting on the edge of your seat, pointing dramatically and shouting, "IGI ARI!" -- OBJECTION!

Gyakuten saiban or Ace Attorney is a Miike take on a story based on the popular games and manga. It brings Phoenix Wright, Miles Edgeworth, Larry Butz and the Spiritual Fey family to life in a fantastic story of futuristic trials that are seemingly interwoven. Leave it to Miike to deliver a movie with incredible pacing control. The beginning races you through the characters to start with the crime that sets off the main plot to be followed. At times the movie is really intense in showing what the characters experienced, catering to the more understanding older viewer. However, he said so himself in the worldwide premiere today at the International Film Festival Rotterdam: you should watch this lightheartedly, like a kid. The way he adapts the famous series onto the screen is definitely one that combines his skills at bringing the best of a story with making it a very fun one. I can strongly recommend watching this if you're either a fan of his (later/(not lighter) work (like Zebraman) or of the games. I had my eyes glued to the screen except for a few moments where I looked at the audience and saw they were equally drawn into the movie.. It has great CGI for the court scenes and the spiritual moments with the Feys and as always with Miike; it caters to the idea of a greater plan. If you're taking the time to read this review; you should probably go see it already!