Attack on Titan has been a staple of the anime scene for over a decade. The stories of Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and the other characters have kept fans (including me) on the edge of our seats for years. When the series finally came to an end with Attack on Titan: The Final Season: The Final Chapters (they really dragged it out), we thought we wouldn’t be getting any more content from the series. But how naïve we were to think that would be the end because now we have Attack on Titan: The Last Attack. This theatrical film combines both parts of The Final Chapters, adds some new scenes, and showcases the series’ finale in all its 2-hour and 40-minute glory. But is it worth seeing if you’ve already watched the series? Let’s find out.
If you’ve seen the final two episodes of Attack on Titan, then you’ve seen most of what this film has to offer. They stitched together the two episodes into one long film so this is mostly content you’ve already seen before, but that doesn’t make it bad. The final episodes of Attack on Titan were already bangers, and my only criticism was that they felt like they were always meant to be a film and it was chopped in half instead. Being able to watch the finale in its intended length without breaks made everything feel more grandiose (and just as depressing).
Like the episodes, The Last Attack has a level of quality that few anime could hope to match. MAPPA has done a phenomenal job at bringing Attack on Titan to its conclusion and you can tell that they pulled out all the stops. The animation is amazing, with the titan fights in particular being awesome (personal favourite is anything to do with the Armoured Titan). The soundtrack is just as stellar as before, but hearing it inside a cinema added a whole new level of emotion that I didn’t think possible. I would highly recommend watching this in a theater or with a high-quality sound system if you’re able to.
The voice acting also remains some of the best. I watched the film in the English dub (I watched the series in English), and it was bittersweet to hear these iconic characters one last time. Bryce Papenbrook’s performance throughout the past 10 years, culminating in an Eren ready to destroy the world for his friends, will always make me question if he’s right (only a little though, cause genocide bad). Trina Nishimura and Jessie James Grelle as Mikasa and Armin put in stellar performances once again and have some of the most emotional moments in this film. And I would be remiss not to mention Matthew Mercer as Levi, who, everyone should agree, kills it in this role every time he opens his mouth. I could go on about this cast but then we’d be here all day; they’ve all done a masterful job in the entire series and it wouldn’t have been the same without them.
So, is there anything new in this film if you’ve already seen the episodes? Well, not really. The new additions boil down to connecting the two episodes seamlessly, making you believe they were always one, and a post-credits scene that acts as a fun piece of fan service. It also looked like they polished up some scenes and possibly added in some smaller moments throughout the film, but I’d have to watch both versions back-to-back to know for certain. Even though there isn’t much new content, the experience of seeing this finale on the big screen made everything feel new again. Even though I knew what happened and how it would all end, experiencing it in the cinema made it feel even more climactic.
The big question now is whether The Last Attack is the definitive way to experience the end of the Attack on Titan story. Yes. 100% yes. This is without a doubt the best way to watch this ending. Besides the obvious part of there being no cuts between the two parts, seeing the finale as Isayama intended was something special. The post-credits scene, while obviously fan service, gave the ending a wholesome vibe, which was very much needed after the depression-filled ending. And if you haven’t seen the ending to Attack on Titan yet, there’s no better way to experience it than The Last Attack.
Attack on Titan: The Last Attack is the best way to experience the finale of Attack on Titan. It was still a spectacle to experience it in a cinema, even though it’s mostly recycled content. And if you have yet to watch the stellar series, do yourself a favour and watch it for starters, but make sure to cap it off with Attack on Titan: The Last Attack.
Have you seen Attack on Titan: The Last Attack? What did you think? Is it the best way to see the ending? Let us know in the comments where we can talk all things Attack on Titan.
