I would rather that, I mean there's the whole thing that the entire audience knows the Ed and Al don't succeed on their new uranium quest that just makes everything so hollow :/

Well, the series did make that point an inevitable conclusion. In episode 50, Hohenheim and Edward both know that Earth-Prime is going to get the atomic bomb (with a real photograph of a mushroom cloud to emphasize it).

This is how I view it. Edward leaving behind everything that matters the most to him, in order to prevent more conflicts between the two worlds.

First time I watched the movie, I hadn't seen any of the FMA anime (nor read the manga), so I barely knew what it was. And that first time, I absolutely loved it, and the way it ended. It was so sad. But sad in a good way. When you're sitting there, about to start bawling (or, at least feels like you could start bawling), and then suddenly it is revealed that Al, the person Ed loves most, and with whom he has experienced so much, actually did follow him through the gate... that is just pure joy. Sad joy. Or joyous sadness.

But then the beautiful anime came and spoiled the movie for me. The way the anime ends is pretty much perfect, sad but hopeful. And yes, it does leave a whole lotta room for a possible sequel or follow-up. Which I wouldn't mind - it's just that after watching the whole first excellent series, the movie felt kind of unnecessary. It's in-coherent in some places, the characters doesn't get too much time for development, and it felt like they didn't use the concept of Edward being in the other world, in the prelude of WWII, to it's full potential. They could have done so much more here. I feel they missed some great oppurtunities.

The overall impression I got (the second time I watched it) was that the movie was just a cheap way of cashing in some more on the successful FMA franchise in general, and the anime in particular. It felt underdeveloped. It didn't do anything the anime didn't do better. And what it did do, with it's original story, wasn't that great, either.

This said, I have to agree with Claudius that those who hate the movie's ending are probably viewing it the wrong way. Isn't it a little... immature (maybe?) ... to hate it because your favourite pairing didn't end up the way you'd want it to? (If that now is the reason...)

I hated the ending because it left a sour taste in my mouth. Ed and Al leaving a childhood friend behind without so much of a heartfelt goodbye.

I mean Winry, Ed, and Al are all childhood friends. I would have rather had them end it with a pairing (...yes ) or AT LEAST the three together, leaving the future to our imagination.

I LOVED the movie...the only problem I have with it is when Ed finally sees his brother in his own body. It's so......relaxed. Like "yo"

WHAT?!

YOU'VE WORKED YOUR ARSE OFF FOR YEARS ED TO GET HIS BODY AND YOU JUST SAY "yeah...." WHAT?! Y.Y

It was somewhat both happy and sad. There were good moments. Anyway, I'm just glad that Ed and Al got finally be together, that was all I wanted. It was so saaaaad when Ed was leaving Al behind but it was so big relief that he came to Ed in that armor after all. Winry was left alone and Ed had to left his own world all over again as well as Al, everything behind. Bittersweet. But luckily they have each other and the whole new world ahead.

And I admit that I cried. ô_o Weird.

sigh. its just all that work to end up in a different world never seeing their friends again... so sad. and alchemy isnt even possible there and they want to get that bomb back, WITH WWII coming... just depresses me

Honestly. I've watched this film over 5 times already, and no matter how much I try to look at things in a different light, I just can't get myself to be satisfied of the ending.

Okay, so I admit I am an EdWin fan. But that's not the main thing that bothered me. I mean, Ed left basically everything - his home, his friends, his brother behind.
So yeah, I do understand the concept of sacrificing yourself in order to help the ones you love, but.. it just didn't feel right for this series. I mean, for years the Elrics travelled and tried to find a way to restore their bodies, while helping others along the way.. they went through so much during their quest, met so many people, and yet it all had to end like this. Sure, they finally had each other, but that still doesn't justify the fact that they're gone on another world, and would be considered pretty much dead for Amestris people.

I do like sad endings on films, I really do. But for FMA, I'd have loved to see a happier one. It just feelt right, considering of all the things Ed and Al went through.

But again, this was just my opinion. I really hope that the manga and Brotherhood will give the happy ending this time, so I can finally let go of that bitterness I felt towards the movie.

^ @Trakonda - dont forget that he also leave his mom's grave. i love the anime, and the movie. it's apic!! the movie is the first FMA thing i watched, WITHOUT subs, and i cant really understand the story, only can understand a view conversations at that time. but yes, i cried in the end, not weird, it's sad, joyous sad? yeah maybe. i mean yes, ed left everything, EVERYTHING he had, but it's for the good's sake. and he's now mature, he knows what's best. even roy just let him go.
it's sour, bitter sweet ending. yes, i'm an edwin shipper. but that's not the main case. I LOVE THE ENDING!! but i prefer a happy ending though. or a funny ending to make a cliff hanger.
when the ending theme song played i was like "OMG". and out of breath for 5 minutes maybe o.O
i wonder what will ed do later, what's his job? who will he marry? he moved? he's in the military again? found some other same people? curious. hell.

The ending of the movie created my obsession with Roy/Winry! LOL

so I ended up loving it so much that I wrote a fanfic all about it! I have also cried several times watching it, it was a beautifully made movie.

I was very happy because al was so so so so so so so cool in the movie, but the ending was dumb.
ed and al didn't have to stay on the worng side of the gate.
al could have transmuted his soul into armor and closed the gate on the german side whil ed and al stayed on they're own side!!
so I just pretend that that was what happened, because its fiction so there's nothing wrong with changing it around.

I agree with you there; Al could have put his soul in the armour. But the makers of this movie just had to make it sad.

I had very mixed emotions at the end of the movie. Firstly, Edward was just too old. That made me sad. He annoyed me in the movie. He didn't even seem remotely happy when Winry and he reunited. And then he was being mean to Al at the end. I'm not an Al fan... but I was on his side at the end of the movie.

I was crying so much towards the end!!! I am VERY emotional with anime that it's actually crazy.

They definitely should make another movie. It just... ended! It needs a more happier ending.

Ed was not too old. 2 years had passed.
His reunion with Winry was heartfelt. He smiled, showed scarlet cheeks, etc.
And how was he mean to Al? It was Al who thought Ed hated him for opening the Gate and killing Wrath (remember, Al has no memory of Sloth or Greed, so he thinks he's the only killer in the family), but Ed showed no intention of punishing ot bullocking his brother at all. Ed's leaving was more like a blessing to Al than a mean abandonment. Al has suffered enough; why should he too leave his homeworld to ensure its safety? Ed was doing it for Al's own good. And there is no guarantee Al's armor-possession would be able to close the Gate in time. Alchemy doesn't quite work in that world, and Al would not have enough time to think up a plan on how to close the Gate.

He seemed old to me I guess I was just used to the series Ed. He grew up to suddenly for my liking.
I see what you mean about the reunion, but I was expecting a more... full on welcoming. Like a run in hug or something. More tears of happiness.
But Al was so sad when he threatened to leave!!! It made me cry... Ed was doing the right thing, but he was upsetting his brother and leaving him with a bad image of him.

That's how I see it, but I'm not the same as everyone else.

he only seemed to be acting too old because he was sad and missed his old world. people don't act young when they're depressed. if you look back at it, there are moments when he acts just how he did in the anime, and those moments always have something to do with the world ed missed so much.
the only reason ed still seemed old when he reached his own world was because a war was taking place.

but I still ed and al DID NOT HAVE TO STAY ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE GATE. there were simple ways around it.

nice point...sadly the guys couldnt think it up , in the heat of battle

the battle was actually over at the time. They had already defeated ekhart and most of her soldiers.

Yeah, but Edward wasn't thinking right at the time it happened

^^exactly...the guy just lost it in the end....Cos is the first anime that actually made me cry (

yah well al is good at thinking during drastic times he could have thought up that plan.
it was Bones that messed up, not the characters.

Yes, Edward, in the end, made me cry too. He just sounded so mean, even if he was sort of doing the right thing.

well , thats obvious...gotta hand it to bones though , for creating Cos ..i liked it..and have to admit that it was animated briliantly

I know. I love the movie but I think they should redo the ending

I definitely agree to that ^^

It should have been happier!! :(

Wow only one thing can be said out about the ending it was the worst .... i hated it edward and al not in there world without winry and what about roy and hawkeye? and they left the ending of the movie open

im disapointed

I felt happy and sad - both at the same time. It was kind of weird, actually...

*Spoiler alert*
I was happy, because Ed and Al were together again after years of searching for each other
I was sad, because they lost all their friends in the other world, because they were apart from all the other great people in their world (especially Winrey!!) (is that how you spell her name...?)

I was... I don't know, confused maybe? - because if the way Ed behaved in some parts of the movie. At the end of the series he kept going on about how he would somehow find a way for him and Al to be together again - then in the movie, after he found out Al was alive (when Al transmuted his soul into that armour and met with Ed in "our" world) he was saying he didn't have to go back anymore. That was weird for me. I always thought Ed wanted to BE with his brother - aparently that had changed to KNOWING his brother was alive, not BEING together with him. That disappointed me a little. Then, when "Earth-Al" sent him back and he was with all of his friends in his world again, I was so happy for all of them - I was sure everything was gonna turn out good.

But then ED - AGAIN - surprised and disappointed me by telling his brother to stay in their world, and that he would go back and destroy the portal. At that point I was thinking "WTF?! You're finally together again, stop being so NOBLE for God's sake, just stay with Al!" and then I was yelling "NO, STOP HIM!" at the screen at the moment Mustang didn't let go of Al, who was trying to do just what I was hoping for... When Winrey said goodbye to Ed, I started crying, I was so frustrated. But then, Al climbed out of that suit and told Ed he wanted to be where he was, do what he did and learn what he learned... i didn't stop crying, altough I wasn't really sure WHY I was crying at that moment. Then, when the movie was over, I had the strangest feeling... as if I had lost something. And then I realized, of all the animes I've seen so far and enjoyed a LOT, Full Metal Alchemist had something that the others didn't have. It has what I like to call the "epic-factor" - seriously, I've never seen such awesome scenes with EXACTLY the right music to go with them (I also mean the episodes of the series here) and never know heroes that were so... real. Just... well... epic. I felt like I'd really MET Ed and Al, as if they really were a part of life outside the screen.

I became so attached to the story, to the characters, to that whole other world, if you know what I mean.
Maybe I'm just being sentimental. Maybe I'm overreacting. But anyway - I loved the anime, both the series and the film, I was sad that it ended and a bit... well, you could say a BIT disappointed by the ending, but still. The most important thing was that in the end Ed and Al were together again. They should have ended up in their world, not in ours, but as Ed's dad and Dante both said, nothing is perfectly complete, you can't expect equivalency all the time. Even though I go the feeling Ed wanted to get away from Al at first, somehow now, looking back, I don't believe that. Maybe Ed just grew up during his time alone on our earth and realized that he had little hope of seeing Al again. Maybe he didn't want to get his hopes up for fear of being disappointed. I, when I was watching the movie, got an almost childish hope that everything would turn out perfect - even though I had a feeling things don't work that way in FMA. That's another reason why I loved this anime - it's more realistic than anything else I've seen. Sure, I love happy endings, but the FMA ending was realistic (okay, it's fantasy, so you can't really say it's REALISTIC, but you know what I mean). That's why I can't say I HATED the ending. It was okay. Could have been better, but considering everything WORSE that could have happended - I was afraid Ed would be ALONE on the other side O__O - it turned out okay.

So after having watched all there is to watch, I can't say I feel JUST happy or JUST sad or whatever - I've got mixed feelings about this one. Overall I enjoyed the anime, not just the movie but the series as well.

It's a relief to find someone who actually has a mature view of the ending. Other responses have been an urge to yell at the TV, break the TV, or wish bodily harm on the creators...

Anyhoo, Edward wants to know if his brother is alive. He thought sacrificing himself would bring his brother back. The fact that he is still alive gives him the grim notion that the sacrifice didn't work and that Al is gone. Edward wants proof to know for sure.

When his wish is fulfilled, Edward is all-too-ready to go back home. But Fritz Lang's information sends him back to reality. The Thule Society and the Nazi Party are planning to invade and conquer the FMA world. Their technology is more advanced; if they can defeat a Homunculus, then what chances do the Alchemists have? Ed realizes that returning home isn't worth seeing it become a conquered ruin where his family and friends can get killed. So, content that Al is not only alive but in human form again, Ed accepts living here. He's sad, but he can bear it.

The invasion by Eckhart confirms his dark fears. His reason for returning to our world has to do with their Gate: it is still open and will remain open. Closing the Gate in the FMA world solves nothing; The Thule Society still invaded Lior with a one-way Gate. Just think of the future! The Nazi Putsch failed in 1923, but the Party thrived and Hitler finally came to power in 1933. Hitler will eventually find a way to safely transfer humans to the FMA world and conquer it (they can certainly do a lot of tests by sparing a lot of undesirables like Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals, and mentally-challenged persons...). Edward realized he had no choice but to nip it in the bud. As the big brother, Ed wants Al to remain safe.

I didn't find it as dark and depressing as everyone else did. It was rather wonderful IMO. Ed and Al are together again, with a new world to explore (movies, baseball, flying machines, etc). Sure, WWII is coming, but the problems that may await them is no different from the problems that awaited them the day they burned their house and went to Central (the difference is Ed and Al are battle-hardened survivors now). Plus, Hughes finally got his happy ending.

^ This 100%

Especially in regards to the Hughes ending. Those fleeting seconds where we see Hughes turning from a darker path and growing into the man we knew and loved from the television series were, for me, some of the most touching moments in the entire show.

Indeed. I can dare say that this is the closest FMA ever got to the romantic elements of HughesXGracia (Both versions had too much Elysia-time, or the expressions of love were made separately but not together). The scenes are few but lovely. Hughes' cold confrontation with Noa, then his face melting into shock when Gracia confronts him, his expression showing he'd rather be shot a hundred times than disappoint that woman he so loved. And, of course, that final scene where Hughes decides to face Gracia about his feelings (and the scene at the cemetery implies he was successful). A lot of people who complain about the movie's lack of romantic fulfillment omit this resolution.