Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale

Name: Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Released: 2017-02-18
Cast: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Haruka Tomatsu, Kanae Itou, Ayana Taketatsu, Rina Hidaka

2017 | 119 min | Animation, Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Friday Night Flick

Why it’s a Friday Night Flick

Critics loved it (100% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences rate it highly (7.7 out of 10). Make plans for this one.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it: Made for sci-fi fans, fantasy fans and action fans. If you loved Predator, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood: Feel-good.
The pace: Fast-moving, at 1 hr 59 min.
What might put you off: It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

In 2026, a new machine called the Augma is developed to compete against the NerveGear and its successor, the Amusphere. A next-gen wearable device, the Augma doesn't have a full-dive function like its predecessors. Instead, it uses Augmented Reality to get players into the game. It is safe, user-friendly and lets users play while they are conscious, making it an instant hit on the market. The most popular game on the system is “Ordinal Scale” an ARMMORPG developed exclusively for the Augma. Asuna and the gang have already been playing OS for a while, by the time Kirito decides to join them. They’re about to find out that Ordinal Scale isn’t all fun and games…

How it earned its rating

CriticsVery strong
100% on Rotten Tomatoes
AudiencesStrong
7.7 out of 10
AwardsNot counted
Awards data unavailable, so this isn't counted
Box office & staying powerSolid
$29 million worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 32K people sought it out in the past year