“Knights of the Zodiacalways go on the attack”. If you can remember the beat of this song, it’s because you grew up in the 80s or 90s and were a huge fan of Club Dorothée and the theme song by the inimitable Bernard Mine.
There have been many adaptations of Masami Kurumada’s Sacred Seiya manga. But the live-action version that hit our screens in 2023 is the only one of its kind. A co-production between Japan and the United States, Knights of the Zodiac follows Seiya, a strong-willed teenager who is used to getting into fights to earn enough to survive on the streets while searching for his sister, who was taken away.
During the fight, he unwittingly absorbs mystical powers and finds himself in a world where he encounters knights in armor who derive their powers from the magical training of their ancestors and Athena, a reincarnated goddess who needs his protection. If he wants to survive, he will have to face fate and sacrifice everything to take his rightful place among the Knights of the Zodiac.
Arriving on Prime Video sneakily, but…
A year and a half after its theatrical release, Knights of the Zodiac makes a judicious arrival on Prime Video, where it’s currently one of the most-watched movies behind Barbacoa and Apocalypse Z. Subscribers were interested in discovering this adaptation. criticized, as evidenced by its 1.6 out of 5 rating on AlloCiné.
Despite the performance of its lead actor Mackenzie (of Zorro fame from Netflix’s One Piece) and the presence in the cast of Famke Jansen, Sean Bean and Mark Dacasco, this adaptation was not considered by die-hard Saint Seiya fans.
Between the particularly poor special effects, the rather disappointing costumes of Seiya and the other knights, and its poorly realized world, the proposal did not sit well with French audiences. And they are not the only ones.
With an average budget of $60 million, Knights of the Zodiac wasn’t exactly profitable, as it only earned the studios $4 million worldwide. It’s enough to quell any desire to continue that the other bronze knights who make up Athena’s bodyguard might have had.
If this movie didn’t appeal to fans of Saint Seiya, it still remains an entryway for neophytes wanting to discover the world of Masami Kurumada…
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
