Saint Seiya: Heaven Chapter - Overture (2004) Poster

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6/10
So much wasted potential
Rectangular_businessman11 September 2012
Warning: Spoilers
In many ways, this isn't very different to the other "Saint Seiya movies", following a very similar premise and development.

Well, there are some differences, but in many ways (Like the other reviewers said) it is more of the same: A new enemy appears to conquer the Earth and Athena has to be saved again.

To be fair, this movie had some interesting elements that deserved to be taken in consideration: Like the others movies, this had a very interesting premise, with lots of potential of being something big and epic (In many ways, the whole movie feels like it were just the beginning of something much bigger, which unfortunately never happens) I liked the fact that some of the forgotten secondary characters from the series (Such as Eagle Marin) participate in the story (Though their role in this movie is brief and somewhat ambiguous) On the other side, I disliked the fact that this film focuses mostly on Seiya and Athena, with the other Bronze Saints having a very reduced and secondary role (they only appear during their respective fights against the minions of the new enemy and Hyoga and Shiryu almost doesn't have any line. And, like in the other movies Andromeda Shun has to be saved again by his brother Phoenix Ikki, but at least in this opportunity Shun is able to help his brother.) But unlike the other movies (And the original series) this film seems to have a darker and more pessimistic plot, as it were trying to be the equivalent of "The End of Evangelion" for the Saint Seiya universe.

Well, at least in this opportunity some of the new villains (Such as the Goddess Artemis and Icarus Touma) had a better character development and show some signs of personality (Unlike the flat villains from the other four movies) It must be said that while this movie solves a few of the mysteries from the original series (Such as the identity of Eagle Marin's brother) it actually manages to create a lot of new questions, which apparently are going to be left unanswered.

To get it worse, this movie ends with some kind of cliffhanger, being the last scene something ambiguous and confusing.

After all those years, and with new Saint Seiya animations being made (All of them unrelated with the story of this film) the chances of a sequel seem highly unlikely.

Maybe someday the viewers will have the chance to see a great final saga for the "Saint Seiya" anime, but meanwhile, I guess that this movie will remain as another example of what could have been.

5.5/10
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9/10
For the purists..
Nemeo197714 June 2019
This movie is...

Highly artistic in the drawing (shingo araki last movie), music (seiji yokoyama last movie) and storyline (kurumada)..

It is a dark , melancholic, but very mature in the plot.

That was the best saint seiya movie when combining all three

Sad that the plot was aborted at the end..
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10/10
Best Saint Seiya movie
donsanuk13 October 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I just watched Saint Seiya Asgard, Poseidon, Hades 1 2 and 3, the 3D movie, Netflix serie, and the 5 movies. With Hades chapter 1: Sanctuary, this movie is the best of all. Graphics and animation are beautiful. Finally there is an enemy with personality. There's more in fights than just repetitive skills. #SPOILERS AHEAD# Athena is more important here, as well as Seiya, but not tge other bronze Saints : this is a change, a big focus on Seiya ans Saori. There are no power ups. It's not : all the bronze Saints give their hope to Seiya, and/or Athena gives him a power up : Athena even removes the power up from Seiya. By himself, without the help of anyone or anything like a gold armor or god blood, he becomes so powerful that even Athena fears that this naked Seiya could hurt the god. This time, there's not really an ending fight as usual, it's surprising and so cool. The 4 other movies were so annoying that this one is a diamond. We don't really know what happens at the end, sad that there's no other movies after this one. 9/10 but 10 to up the stats
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3/10
More of the same
pedro-cruz-udjat3 April 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Athena's knights are back for one more battle against the gods. This time is Artemis and her angels that threaten the Earth... OK... I'm a fan of the series, but still i'm amazed at the total lack of originality of this movie.

Everything is the same as the previous movies, and the series. A god wants to destroy the Earth, Athena is in danger and only the Saints can same humanity, bla bla bla. The Saints led by Seiya have to defeat several enemies, that interestingly never attack in group(to get their asses kicked more easily, I imagine), and save Athena before she bleeds to death.

The problem is that nothing in the movie holds the viewer attention.

The more annoying thing is the constant rattling of the Saints about their total devotion to Athena and the fact that they would they gladly die for her. Pratically every dialog focus on this, and it's 1h30m of film! Instead of grabbing a chance to make a movie with a different approach to the Saint Seya universe, instead we get exactly the same message of the previous movies and the series. Why bother making this then?? Another low point is the battles. Althougt the fights are very well choreographed and the movements of the characters are very fluid, there is no suspense about the outcome. The Saints take a tremendous amount of punishment, and then some, but there is no doubt that they will win in the end, normally with only one hit on the opponent. So all the fights don't make much of an impression, instead the Saints being a punching bag for 90% of the duration of the battles.

On the plus side we have an excellent animation with a good attention to detail and a very good atmosphere, particularly the way water is shown through the movie.

Only recommended for hardcore fans.
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9/10
I wish there was more
crisharo11 June 2020
This movie changes the Saint Seiya genre for good. Leave the "Shounen" side in the background and take a more "Seinen" oriented direction. It includes more mature themes, the animation is incredible, the music is outstanding and it has a very attractive artistic style.
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3/10
A terrible movie
acontreras-243 February 2011
Warning: Spoilers
After watching Hades, I was full of expectation waiting for Saint Seiya: Tenkai-hen josô - Overture. And now after I watched I am fully disappointed. Besides the fact that the animation was better than ever, the movie has many deficient. To begin with, the plot was extremely poor (the same that always: the Saints of Athena have to save the Goddess before the time run off). In addition, the dialogs and the battle were also very lacking (Seiya repeated constantly that his mission was to safe Athena - every minute he screamed that, very annoying. The battles, on the other side, were predictable: the Saints face against invincible enemies who kick the Saints' ass; however, the Saints overcome their own powers and defeated the previously "invincible" enemies in a single attack). Finally, the end was very complex and without a clear plot. To sum up, before Saint Seiya: Tenkai-hen josô - Overture I was waiting for the next saga, nevertheless after the movie I am not waiting anymore.
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4/10
A beautiful abortion of a movie, best buried and forgotten.
mrda19812 May 2012
Lushly animated epilogue to the series (which has, thankfully, since been retconned), featuring the Saints facing off against Moon Goddess Artemis. Would have been better off without at least half an hour of its running time; and, stripped of any interesting enemies to fight, the rather creepy religious fanaticism of Seiya and co toward their goddess, Athena, is uncomfortably prominent. To top it all off, it concludes on a decidedly undecided note, leading one to lament one's lost ninety minutes. Ah, well: at least Seiya doesn't spam the crap out of his Ryu Sei Ken attack, this time, so gratitude for minor mercies, and all that...
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5/10
useless movie
erminahotmail25 March 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Then this is the fifth Saint Seiya film released in 2004 then This film is set after the battle of Hades and Seiya remained in a wheelchair in the meantime Athena's sister Artemis who wants Baronissi via Great Temple is as always our heroes must stop her So whatwhat do you think about this film that I didn't like And it's not even as good as the four films of the 80s this film is really bad, that is to say that for me I didn't like anything in this film except two things the animation is the fights though I don't consider this film very, very badOtherwise I'll give it a much lower rating So Amen there's a moment that I really don't understand works The knight and the unicorn and it's the snake How come I attack not seiya But if first they defended him to save seiya's sister and I won't even talk of Seiya's companions because they only dothose extras when they face The Two Angels and then they are no longer seen and then the story is too boring to be continued any further and every moment that happened I was always too bored and then the bad guys are not very good And then I just can't understand how bad Artemis wasjust a totally useless villain because she doesn't do anything for the whole film and then at the final discount She suddenly compares the sun god But I don't understand why if in the third film it was a lot and Seiya already faces him he tries to throw a punch and that's how the film ends but reallyI swear the film ends just like this because this was supposed to be a continuation for her we didn't really have it because there was actually a discussion between the production and Masami Kurumada that's why they didn't make the sequel It's incredible that this kind of thing happens Theproblem is why it had these problems and then they show this thing to show another film but they don't do the same thing that also happened in films like Street fighter in 1994 Eragon The last airbender is Green Lantern it's this is part of one of them And I am alsohappy like this because I was also afraid that the other film could become even more boring. So this was just the useless ending to conclude with a rating of 5.
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