Excellent, Without a doubt!!

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

...if it hadn't been for the last 5-10 minutes of the film. I understand that there can't be a God without a Devil, but the way they ended the film was really stupid.The buildup to the final fight scene could not be more beautiful! The art, the characters, and the story were wonderfully made; but the ending killed the entire movie.One thing that I liked was how they told the story through Homura's perspective rather than Madoka's as they start a familiar story. From the beginning, instead of having the stoic Homura, we have the shyer and kinder one that slowly becomes the herself of the series. The symbolism of the movie is very vast and insanely deep, but the ending had something to be desired for.To call it a cop-out would be too insulting, but they went a very ridiculous route by making Homura become the Devil after she escapes her soul gem. Believe me, I was not expecting that, but the route they ended up with seemed too condescending for me.Good story, ending sucks. 6/10 BECAUSE of the ending.

"Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part III: Rebellion" is a movie sequel for popular "Madoka Magica" anime series. It is preceded by two movies which retell the events of the anime. "Rebellion" is a first proper sequel with new story.All sequels following a successful work of art are automatically suspicious of being blatant attempt on cashing in on the previous achievements. The creators may run out of ideas, get lazy or just lose interest in continuing story at original level of creativity. This is absolutely not the case with "Madoka Magica 3". I'm still surprised how good this sequel actually was.Everything what TV anime series was praised for is present in the sequel. Soundtrack is equally good and animation style is even better - while equally imaginative it's even more psychedelic, more detailed and more stunning. The storytelling is as brilliant as it was in original series. It gradually reveals the new mysteries of the (now slightly different) world and is meant to surprise the viewers and to shatter their expectations. And yes it does shatter them! At least one of major plot twists (there are many) is of the category "Absolutely didn't see that coming!". And yet it isn't some random event pulled out of thin air - immediately after re-watching one will definitely see why it made perfect sense.This particular plot twist is a reason why not everyone liked the movie, there were even accusations of "ruining the franchise". I can't delve into details why I find these accusations unfounded. If you like the original series you must watch the sequel to see for yourself.

I first watched this film in theaters and after receiving the bluray yesterday and after watching it a second time, I feel like I can say that this is an exceptional film. Same with before, the music is excellent and the animation is dazzling. It's avant-garde style make it really look unique, almost like an a bad LSD trip. The production values are high to say the least. What I really like about this movie is how the main focus is on the most interesting of the magical girls in the series, Akemi Homura. I can't go into any real detail about the story other than this. It starts out in a world that is too good to be true. Then Homura starts getting suspicious of it. This movie really explores her character and never feels forced. Given her past actions and her mental state, everything she does feels organic and like a natural continuation of the series. Granted, some say the series didn't need a continuation, and in some respects they are right, but it doesn't take away from this at all. It may not be the story you want, but at the very least, it makes perfect sense and is a great exploration into the tragic character that is Homura. It also opens the door to more entries in this series and as long as the quality stays consistent, that's not bad at all in my book.

I love "Magic Madoka", and was curious about this movie that follows up the movies, so by extension, the series (for those who don't know, the first two movies are a slightly condensed version of the 12 episode series) If you don't know anything about Madoka, you should stop reading here, unless spoilers don't bother you.The movie is slightly confusing at first, and I can't describe the plot too well without giving away spoilers. I can say this much: Homura wakes up in a world where all her friends are back and they're all happily fighting monsters together. Homura grows suspicious. About as much as I can say.Honestly, of all the ways to continue this franchise, this seems like one of the best options. It really takes Homura's character in a fascinating direction. It doesn't feel like a cash in, cause a cash in would've just had a mindless action movie with an excuse plot, and not the furthering development of Homura. There are scenes here more shocking than anything even in the series. It's not the stereotypical direction.Of course some people aren't going to like this. Some for legitimate reasons, cause the ending of the series was perfect. Though that doesn't make this movie bad by any stretch. It's a great character piece for Homura, and given the ending, I would certainly look forward to another follow up.