Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
When a headstrong street orphan, Seiya, in search of his abducted sister unwittingly taps into hidden powers, he discovers he might be the only person alive who can protect a reincarnated goddess, sent to watch over humanity. Can he let his past go and embrace his destiny to become a Knight of the Zodiac?
Knights of the Zodiac (2023) is a live-action adaptation of the beloved Saint Seiya manga/anime that largely fails to distinguish itself. The plot follows a rote chosen-one orphan arc with little surprise or depth, hitting familiar beats without meaningful character development. Acting is serviceable but unremarkable, with the cast struggling against a thin script. Cinematography is competent but generic, offering little visual imagination despite the fantastical source material. While the Saint Seiya IP itself is distinctive, this adaptation strips away much of what made the original novel — the execution feels formulaic and derivative of countless superhero origin stories. The ending sets up sequels without satisfying resolution, leaving the film feeling incomplete. A middling adaptation that neither honors its source material particularly well nor succeeds as a standalone action-fantasy.