That was an excellent one.

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

An action-packed slog

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Nastu Lucy and the gang assist a young Maiden (eclair) in her quest to find and protect a stone that has the power to awaken the destructive Phoenix. Meanwhile an ill minded young monarch of a nearby kingdom is also after the stone.It's a generic story that happens to have the fairy tail cast in it. There is also a 12 min short film in the DVD package which acts as a prologue to Eclairs tale. These 'deleted scenes' have moments of insight and intimacy that do more for exlairs individuality than her entire screen time actual feature.As is often the case with anime features The animation is more fluidity than the show. The biggest problem with the film is that it's rushed. The pace is frustrating several times. For example it ends on a strangely abrupt ill timed note, and then, like most franchise films, the end credits roll over a montage that would have made a far better ending as a whole sceneEven as fan service the film is lacking. There is nothing new in the way of comedy or action. It coughs up most of the greatest hits gags of the show (natsu's bottomless stomach, erzas soft spot for fashion), but the delivery has been better in the show. Phoenix Priestess feels like a mail in. Low on imagination and vision, and relatively bland on eye candy, it adds nothing to the franchise except a new character who probably deserves a better script.

As a long time fan of Hiro Mashima's works such as Rave Masters and Fairy Tail, I won't deny that I am really fond of the characters and this one easily becomes one of my favorite but honestly that doesn't mean I'll only write praises for the movie because I can be quite critical.Let's begin with what I don't like about Fairy Tail the Movie: Phoenix Priestess (2012). There is not much really, but I prefer to be honest; I am not comfortable with some of the character's design, particularly or rather, especially the designs of some of the female Fairy Tail guild members. It's really mean if I say they look not as pretty as in the manga and anime series but it is quite noticeable that they look different.Sometimes in the movie, I find them weird. It's a little like plastic surgery done to their faces. Mind you, there is nothing wrong with alterations, it's their choice but the point is, it is like an unsuccessful plastic surgery which makes people feel uncomfortable looking at them. So whose fault? In this case, maybe the "surgeon"?! :/(Seriously, what have you done to my favorite Erza and Mira-nee!! Luckily my favorite exceed Carla still as adorable!!) T-TEnough with whining. Good news is, despite that flaw, this movie is still one of the nicest anime adaptation I have ever seen! Truly, I am not exaggerating. It has a completely new story arc that has never appeared before in the manga or the anime itself, with new characters and setting or location introduced. It is truly a pleasure unlike some of the other animated features which are usually just a summary version of the anime, which is boring or a major let down.That reason alone is already good enough to why you should watch this Fairy Tail the Movie: Phoenix Priestess (2012). Besides, it also have a great story which is also touching. If you are easily moved, you may find yourself crying at least twice. No joke.To those who are new to Fairy Tail universe, it is not a fairy tale. It sets in a magical world called Earth Land, featuring not one or two or three but tens to hundreds of different characters with unique backstory from time to time. Most times it is funny and at times it is mysterious but most significantly, it has plenty of valuable life lessons which are always uplifting!Therefore, I would say Fairy Tail is an exceptional and sensible work of art. If I have to rank my favorite manga and anime of all time, it would be certainly my #3 favorite, just right behind the Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama and Rave Master by the same mangaka who also create Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima. In brief, true, I may appear to be a little biased as it easily becomes one of my favorite but no, I won't simply list any movie without reasons into my favorite list, alright? If you need some anime movie suggestion, this would certainly be one of it! ^_^

First off I'd like to say that the 2 reviews I've read are very disappointing although the film is definitely NOT. One was a review of the series rather than the film and the other was by an alleged fan who has ADHD or watched another movie altogether.In this film you are introduced to the guild of Fairy Tail full of lovable eccentric mages. Even if you are not a fan you can pick up the storyline and quickly are given an insight into the rich tapestry of great characters. An earlier criticism from "a fan" was that this effort to introduce the characters and additional scenes could be viewed as filler in the movie. This is not my view, as in reality it was done to ensure this was not just another fanbase movie that only the fans would watch.Within the first 10 minutes you realise that these characters are larger than life and funny as hell. Happy, Natsu's pet flying cat, always has me laughing with great offhand comments and didn't fail to deliver in the movie. Fairy Tail are guaranteed to bring havoc wherever they go but they have hearts so large you can't help but warm to them.What Japanese anime does well,and this movie is a good example of, is combine pathos and fatality with comedy to provide a roller coaster of emotions so that you can be crying and laughing within the same breath.Look at UP, Toy Story and even Wreck it Ralph and you can see how the influence of anime and quality anime such as Fairy Tail has had in this area.I loved the new characters too, Eclair and Momon's story was loving and poignant and if you watch the prologue which was released after the movie as a 15 min short it just enriches the story of these two. It is referred to as Fairy Tail Movie Prolouge - Hoou no Miko aka "Sunrise" or "The First Morning"The Fairy Tail mages I felt were a bit under powered from the series but that does happen when you translate onto the big screen. Still their hearts were just as big and the emotions evoked by fully developed characters just as solid. There are a couple of scenes where there is slight nudity for comedic purposes but nothing graphic.As a fan I'll give it 8/10 as this is a solid example of why after 175 episodes of the series it is still going stronger than ever. Quality never goes out of style and with all the great characters in Fairy Tail there is someone there for everyone.

As a youth ,I very much enjoyed anime. Many a night I stayed up late to catch shows such as "Bleach" "Naruto" "Blood+" "Dragon Ball Z (and GT to a lesser extent)". However in the mid to late 2000s, I grew weary of anime. Some of the shows (some being the previously stated) had more than overstayed their welcome and many of the new additions to the anime medium were either more of the same story rehashed with different characters, or downright perverted. On top of that a new wave of "anti heroes" had come into play, not that there's anything wrong with that, I enjoy a good dark hero every once in a while but at that point the medium was plagued by unrelatable and sometimes downright unlikable characters. So naturally I moved on to other story telling mediums to fill the gap that anime had created.But then, fairly recently, this little story caught my eye on the Funimation channel.I decided, despite my previous experience, to give this one a fair chance, and it surely did not disappoint! The characters are three dimensional and likable, the story (while containing some elements from animes past) was original and interesting. That being said the show is certainly not perfect, suffering from an abundance of clichés that sometimes detract from an otherwise wonderful plot, and the featuring of the occasional villain that you've sworn you've seen at least thirty times before in other shows. But that by no means does a bad anime make, and to the shows credit, the jokes are actually very clever and funny, which due to the cultural barrier that is often difficult to translate in anime, is a rarity.What makes this a good anime id simply this, you like the characters. You want to see them succeed and you can often relate to the feelings that they have during their struggles. The characters in the Fairy Tail guild look out for each other, you actually believe that they would be friends in any given scenario. The rivalries are believable and the villains (while sometimes cheesy) have sufficient motivation at all times. To conclude, I would recommend this show to current and prior anime fans, there's something in it for everyone.