Should I not have watched this after disliking the first movie? Yes. I stupidly had a tiny kernel of hope that it would somehow be different than the first movie, which, non-spoiler alert, it's not! Should I have stopped watching from the beginning? Also yes, but the writer in me wants to see what the hell they're doing to the story. (I am not impressed...)

Things I like:
- Lin, good casting choice
- Al's scream at the end
- I guess Envy's true form? (with the FX caveat below)

Things I didn't like:
- The plot! Unsurprisingly. You can tell which parts they're smushing together but it leaves me pretty frustrated by the lack of... good details/consequences that are left out (the train scene, meeting Lin, meeting Mei, Ed getting injured in that "fall," Al losing his hand to Gluttony, ETC)
- Some characters just look stupid the more I see them (Gluttony and Armstrong, which to be fair are hard to portray "accurately" but. Not this way either)
- FX is still not good, it looks very Fake, like most of the decor - I don't think there was much set. They also ignore the alchemy laws - if a wall becomes a TON of weapons, there's little to no wall left, sorry not sorry
- I had a glimpse at wikipedia and ok, they waited to make the movies until the technology got better for CGI, but I
wouldn't go so far as say they succeeded in challenging Hollywood's FX like they wanted (though I hope they pave the way
for Japan to become better at it/use it more)
- Fight scenes are meh, if not obviously fake. From the angles and the editing it's very easy to see *how* it was faked, which is a bummer and always brings me out of immersion (which, again to be fair, I didn't have from the get go, so, rock of salt)
- Adding in Winry everywhere for lack of other characters and a mashed plot, not a fan, even though I love Winry but this... this is done with abandon and it makes it obvious she's going to be in Danger and needing ~to be rescued~ so when it happens it's not at all surprising or shocking (because it keeps happening 🙃)
- Similarly, very little emotional resonance and impact throughout (again). I don't find the poignant moments successful at all, this is very much a live action that relies on viewers already knowing FMA rather than building up characters and letting us see them grow and have use get attached to them (and if you watched the movies first, please do yourself a favor and watch Brotherhood or read the manga, I promise it's worth it)
- Pet peeve but the Ishval flashback(s) we get through Hawkeye *should NOT* include Scar's story?? Those are two different POVs! Find another way to show us Scar's past (like making a series instead of a trilogy 😭)
- Related but, a lot of flashbacks aren't clearly flashbacks, which detracts from, I don't know, continuity/following the story?
- Mustang getting a scratch on his leg and like, bowing out of the fight?? Nope, don't buy it, it's contrary to his character, unless he's legitimately bleeding out (and needs to cauterize himself)

So. No I would not recommend any FMA fan to watch any of these movies, take those 6+hrs and use them on the other content.