Ace Attorney (movie)

Requested by a desperate anon is a movie based directly off the Phoenix Wright games. Whilst this isn't the first Phoenix Wright related media, it is the first live-action.The plot is based on the first game (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney) when Phoenix Wright first becomes an attorney we see that he struggles to solve a case on his own. After winning his first court case Wright's mentor, Mia Fey, is struck dead and a witness accuses her sister, Maya Fey, of committing the crime. Wright now has to defend Maya against his rival prosecutor and childhood friend Miles Edgeworth. But when Edgeworth himself becomes a suspect in a murder Wright puts his differences aside and puts all his energies into proving Edgeworth innocent even if he has to go against Manfred von Karma who hasn't lost a single case in 40 years! In a world with a 3 day court system Wright has to gather evidence quickly and with help from his new found ally Maya he has to prove the innocence of friends and put the real criminals behind bars.

But before I go into too much detail in my review, I do have a confession to make. I've never played any of the Phoenix Wright games personally: I have only watched others play the games. However, I do not feel at all out of touch with this film. All the characters are perfectly explained and the plots do make sense, so if like me you've missed out on the Phoenix Wright games, don't be put off watching this film. In fact, the film is presented in such a way that it almost feels like experiencing a game first hand! We see Wright stumble in a comical fashion just like what happens if you make a mistake in the game! I've never watched a courtroom drama before and I believe that they are quite rare so the novelty of the genre itself is quite exciting. But to me Ace Attorney is much more a comedy than a courtroom drama since the court is filled with humorous comments that result in a much exaggerated response from the public. Also exaggerated is Wright himself. Crazy hair aside, the movie uses Wright's signature move - 'OBJECTION!'- with the excessive actions! But it's the small details that really amuse me, for example: the members of the public in the court room all wear incredibly wacky clothing! Whilst I can't say I find Wright questioning witnesses or analyzing data exciting the progress of the plot is very exciting. After all, the movie consists of 3 court cases which all connect to each other in quite an elaborate plot and that is exciting!
When it comes to live actions like this it's always interesting how they turn the art into real humans and whilst Wright's hair lacks the impact that it has in the anime, I must commend them on their efforts! But I was a bit disappointed that Wright's suit just looked like a cheap costume rather than an actual suit. Fortunately the acting of one Hiroki Narimiya did salvage Wright's character!
The movie plot is different from the game and I'm sure if I had actually played the game then I could tell you what changes have been made and whether they are any  good but one distinct difference I noticed was the addition of the sci-fi-esque holograms. Moving, interactive holograms which have their own camera shots because they are that hi-tech! I don't like them.It felt like the production team wanted to show off their skills with out any real purpose. The shots are mostly just ridiculous looking and ruin the credibility of the whole movie. Instead of spending so much money on holographic evidence why not buy Wright a nice suit?
Now, I feel like I've slagged Ace Attorney off quite a bit, but that's not because it's a bad movie! I did enjoy this film. I'd be lying if I said anything else! It's incredibly funny and also very engaging as a plot! I liked all the characters I failed to mention and they reflected the game characters brilliantly so despite the listed flaws, this is still a high rated film!

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