Review of Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel - II. Lost Butterfly

If you've seen previous Fate titles they usually have some form of glory or grand theatricality. This movie continues from the last in how this Route of the original Fate/Stay Night visual novel is completely grounded in its reality with harsh truths and painful choices that is utterly unlike most seasonal anime. It is much more comparable to the movie Your Name in how believable it is. The little bit of fantasy in the story is a type of magic that adds a horror movie or mystery feeling to the world. It's full of characters that know the hidden truth of magic and the familieswho pursue more knowledge for their personal benefit or for the better of all humanity.

However, just like the previous movie, the story continues its drastic change from a glorious and honorable free for all fight to the death in pursuit of a wish from the Holy Grail into a macabre massacre of the participants by an unknown being or force. To the Masters, this being is kind of understood as a corruption of the grail but its intentions and abilities are beyond all imagining. It would be apt to call this being a sort of Freddy Kruger or Eldritch horror that can't be communicated with or stopped.
A true monster.

That isn't to say there are no light hearted and hopeful moments. There are some cathartic moments for some characters that had it coming, but obviously that type of happiness in this film is bitter sweet since it reminds you how no one is likely to escape from these events unharmed. There are also a couple moments that were set up by Fate/Zero that were finally discussed and characters reconnected in some very touching scenes. That said, most of the characters have lost most of their family in one tragedy or another so there isn't much happiness that can be felt other than in the present state of their lives. Which is during a life and death battle... It is for this reason that this part in the movie trilogy feels mostly like a mental breakdown of most of the main characters goals and past tragedies.

Sakura is of course the centerpiece of this Route so it focuses on her personal connections to Shirou, Shinji, Rider, and Rin. She is forced to confront everyone who has been affected by her choice to avoid the Holy Grail War and the family situation that was thrust upon her. As touching and tragic as the story is, I can't say that there is much finality to anything since as I said this is a build up to the Route's conclusive final movie. There is a climax, but it's used as a cliffhanger. This will be excellent narrative pacing in preparation for what comes next but by itself this movie doesn't have a chance to live up to the action of the previous movie or the twists that have happened and are yet to come and be explained in the next movie.

While there are no CGI issues like in the first movie, there were some questionable frames of some shots that looked oddly bad compared to the rest of the movie, but it was only at about 3 spots. That said, nothing looks particularly spectacular, and the fights are mostly one sided and/or anti-climactic so the bit of choreography that was used felt kind of wasted.

My enjoyment is only matched by my anticipation for what's to come...in one year when the next movie comes out. I'm certain that once every movie in this trilogy is readily available to be bought and watched at one's leisure it will be a 10/10 masterpiece. Memorable for years to come. But until that time comes, years down the line, I can't give this anymore than an 8/10.
It is after all, the second act in a three act story.