Rating: 
Summary: Quatro
Review: On release, Final Fantasy remained in the top spot for two days. On it's third day it was overtaken by Legally Blonde and The Score, placing it in third place within the box office scene. On it's 12th day, Fantasy was buried under a pile led by Jurassic Park 3 and America's Sweetheart's that were competing to rake in the cash. Also at the time in full throttle: Shrek, Tomb Raider, Scary Movie 2, Dr Doolitle 2, Cat's and Dog's, and even A.I. Soon after Planet of the Apes appeared, and Final Fantasy was no more.
In short, Final Fantasy has become Hollywood's newest victim to bad timing. Many things have been said lightly, and thrown harshly at Final Fantasy: the spirit's within, but when something is done so well, there is no room for bashing. Computer Rendering has never been so breathtaking and rarely am I this pleased with how much work was put into a film, nor appreciated it more.
The story, I must admit, does have "the" good versus evil story line that is used in most every film...including Star Wars. Here's a blow, take a look at the highest grossing and most loved films and you will see that they all have that story line. It's in our religeon's, it's in our history, it's in our movies, it's in our blood: Go figure. Also there is complaint of the dialogue between character's being to simple and "everyday". Who would of thought that people speak in simple, every day term's. Heaven forbid we say, "Will I save the Earth before it's too late? I don't know how much time I have left."
Aki is driven by her dreams and a rapidly growing, cancer-like, phantom host that lives within her. As I do not personally believe in the religeon used in the film (i.e. Fantasy), I compared it to my own belief's and was astounded with the similarities. How refreshing to see something that has belief in itself.
Also, another thing I liked is how (even though people complain about the rest of the film) the ending retreat's from Hollywood's simple minded closures. There is no happy ending here my friends, rather a hope for something better.
This is the best looking dvd in my growing collection. The sound is wonderful and alive, though I would have liked a dts track. No complaint's mainly because the 5.1 digital track does everything it is supposed to. Final fantasy is flat out reference material.
When you have your friend's or family over and have just finished your no-bake cheese cake, your going to want to whip out the old dvd remote and show off your system. (That's the way I am, I don't know about you). Usually for sound you would pop in Gladiator, Saving Private Ryan, or The Matrix to show your speakers off. For picture you would get out Unbreakable, again the Matrix, or even Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. No more my friend, because now you have a 2 disc'er that will do more than tickle their senses.
As far as extra's, you can't...Can Not!...get much better. At least to date. Though Snow White is close and Ep. 1 a tie, you will be entertained by Final Fantasy's storage of fact's and fiction's. If your an average film nut like me, your knowledge will be tripled and your respect for the film maker's will be beyond word's.
Some advice, do not check out the features before watching the film. The extra's take you nearly frame by frame in the creative process, and could spoil the fun!
Very imaginative and extremely fine tuned film (dvd) that I and my family truly enjoyed. Don't let a victim of bad timing stay at rest. ~S.A.O.S.~
Rating:
Summary: What is every ones problem?
Review: It is what it is, a Fantasy adventure. I have realy enjoyed it. But let's get one thing straight, this type of content is not for every one. Episode 1, Harry Potter (how ever it is spelled) are designed for certain younger or more impressionable demographics, which you are probably not part of. This is not ment to be a sophisticated movie of Oscar winning proportions. This is one dope trip through imagination. Which has been fantastically materialised through a new experimental medium! A Fantastic Fantasy...
Rating: 
Summary: Historic but dull
Review: Having seen "Tron" when it played in theaters and now "Final Fantasy", I feel like someone who was a child when the Wright Brothers achieved flight and then lived to see the moon landing. There's no question that this is an historic milestone in film history. As such, it deserves viewing despite its well-documented shortcomings as a work of art. Not least among these is the disastrous voice-casting of Ming-Na (formerly Ming-Na Wen, but apparently graduated to single-name fabulousness - like Cher), an exceptionally inexpressive actress, as the heroine. No doubt Meryl Streep was unavailable but I can't believe that no one better could be found. Similarly, Alec Baldwin, a fine actor elsewhere (check out his powerful turn in "Glengarry Glen Ross"), sounds audibly embarrassed to find himself here.
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie, Awesome features
Review: I loved this movie from the begining, and think that it is a must buy for anybody who enjoys science fiction. The visuals are stunning. While I do concede that some of the script writing could have been better, we should give a first time movie director some slack. After all, people consider other movies classics despite sub-par scripts eg: Independence Day. This movie in my mind is far better than Independence Day though. For me personally this DVD was a great buy. I am looking to go into animation as a major, and especially computer animation so the special features were cool. You see the movie with animator commentaries, and actually watch most of the movie in different stages of development from the story board to different levels of the 3d modeling. I found this fascinating, and it definately helped me appreciate the technical triumph this movie is. Truth of the matter is that this movie can be enjoyed by anybody who wants a tense, action packed, and visually stunnning film to watch.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty good for a first try
Review: In a word, I very much enjoyed this movie. I passed up the theatrical release in favor of the DVD release, and am very satisfied with my purchase. I have an extensive background in Japanese culture, so I had no problem understanding the ideas behind the plot. Those who watched "Princess Mononoke" might have understood the idea of "wounded, confused spirit" easily. I wondered at the monotonous acting of Ming-Na, but I think it was intended rather than accidental. The stunning visual need not be reiterated. It was something I'd never seen before. I could see that it still needed improvement at places, but overall it was worth the admission alone.
Rating:
Summary: Great depth, effects, etc.
Review: This movie had excellent animation with both the backgrounds and the characters. The people were believable and the story killer!
Rating:
Summary: The Final Fantasy Of Greatness
Review: I believe that this DVD is worthy of the creators of Final Fantasy itself. In essence, the movie is leaps ahead of its own time, and it does the Final Fantasy franchise just as much justice, if not more, than the games themselves. Combine out-of-this-world graphics with a killer soundtrack and a kick butt star- studded lineup of actors, this is the one to buy.
Rating:
Summary: Dr. Aki Ross is one knock-out computer-generated scientist!
Review: The year is 2065 and phantom aliens have taken over Earth. Only terminally ill scientist Dr. Aki Ross, who's been infected by the aliens, can save the world. With the help of a military squadron called Deep Eyes, led by team leader Captain Gray (it seems that the Ben Affleck look-alike Gray and the good doctor were one-time sweeties who haven't exactly gotten over each other), Dr. Ross scours war-torn Earth in search of the key to save the planet before the aliens completely overrun it. I was speechless after seeing the cutting-edge computer-generated effects. Everything down to the way Dr. Ross swings her hair is super-slick, and I haven't even mentioned the special effects!
Rating:
Summary: Great for fans of the movie and animation in general
Review: This DVD is fantastic. The picture and sound quality are very well done, there is a great documentary with little things that pop up every few minutes that give more information if you want it. Lots and lots of galleries filled with progressive shots that show the same scenes being broken down and added up with lighting, shaders, effects and so forth. The Thriller video is very funny, but they don't sing. Plenty of secrets that have neat photo galleries. Overall, a great DVD package for a great movie. Buy it if you like the movie, rent it if you like computer animation.
Rating:
Summary: WE'VE GOT SPIRIT, YES WE DO...
Review: Without question, FINAL FANTASY is a marvel to behold. The technical breakthroughs made here in the advancement of true to life CGI is stunning and at times breathtaking (while at other times it looks to be no better than a current PS2 release - but only very rarely), and for that alone this two disc special edition should be collected... as for the rest, FINAL FANTASY as a film finds itself all too often stuck in the mud. Listless vocal performances (save for Donald Sutherland whose voice is so rich and textured it's impossible for him to give a listless perfomance, much less a bad one) mixed with a story line that is at once far reaching, ambitious and complex, is forced to sit beside a standard Hollywood sci-fi action adventure coupled with the all too familiar romantic subplot and no surprises... but don't let that put you off getting the movie. While it's entertainment value as a film is limited, the special edition is packed with value. From two sets of film maker commentaries (one from Square America and one from Square Japan - in japanese, be prepared to read a lot of subtitles for that one), an isolated music track with feature commentary, concepts, storyboards, a mini movie, delated footage, an editing studio and more, more, more - FINAL FANTASY on DVD is a library of information for those interested in the both how the film was developed and what movies will look like in the next twenty five years. While it's true actors have nothing to fear yet, the fact that Dr. Aki Ross's hair is at once both uncanny and unsettlingly real will lead you to beleive that one day all actors, real or created, will use the digital process like make up is used today.
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