Rating: 
Summary: Worth Owning
Review: Perhaps the reason for this movie not performing well at the box-office is because it never was well suited for the masses in terms of the US market even though I believe its a modified version of Japanese Animation. Unmodified it would have most likely done much worse, cost more to the consumer to buy the DVD or tape, a limited market product.Many may state the storyline is difficult to understand and I would agree, all the more reason why, unlike most movies, this movie is worth owning rather than renting or buying on the secondary market. The extras on the DVD are a most welcome addition and rather extensive compared to most if not all. In the event they should release an international version that would appeal to me more and would definitely be on my buy list. Unlike most movies, regardless of its success, they will appear on the secondary market in rather large numbers because, understandably, most consumers, including myself, can't justify owning/keeping the movie for multiple viewing, Final Fantasy is an exception to this rule in my collection. I bought this movie the day it was released.
Rating: 
Summary: Final Fantasy: Much better than expected.
Review: The movement and attention to detail of the human characters is truly breathtaking. No less care was taken in creating the spectacular environments, ships, effects and lighting in the rest of the film. Its an unprecedented achievement.
Earth has been overrun by strange spirit creatures who have devastated the planet. Their translucent bodies roam the skies and move as comfortably through solid matter as they do air. Their movements when passing through humans are instantly deadly. A weapon has been developed to destroy the invaders but it use has the potential to destroy the energizing force of the earth. Two scientists believe they are close to creating a new weapon that effecively neutralizes the enemy and will leave the earth in tact. The experimental weapon is almost complete but requires them to find the last two of eight spirits that make up the dangerous entities. When all are gathered they can create a wave that cancels out their power by duplicating an image of their energy pattern. Unfortunately General Hein (voiced by James Woods) believes there is no time to wait and wishes to immediately deploy the Zeus canon disregarding the risk to the planet. Dr. Aki (Ming Na Wen) and Dr. Sid assisted by a small marine force are in a race against the clock to save the earth from potential destruction from the aliens and their own weapon.
The voice acting is very good as is the emotional expressiveness of the animated facial expressions and body language. The story which I felt was going to be a little metaphysical, esoteric and difficult, turned out to be very easy and straight forward. Perhaps only the last few minutes were slightly obscure . While not incredible, I found the story very watchable and kept me interested through the duration. In the end I was quite happy I didn't pass on it as I did when it was in the theaters. The DVD is packed with an abundance of extras. While I wished I had time to hear the director's commentary, I passed instead to watch the 'making of' documentary. As it does not give any important plot points away, it might be a good primer to watch first. It brings some good insight into the film's creation and adds some nice details to watch out for when seeing the film for the first time. Visually the film is five stars and I would have given the film three and a half stars overall if it were possible.
Rating:
Summary: Spiritually and Graphically Awesome!
Review: This movie is awesome for its lifelike computer animation alone. However, even more important to me are the idea's conveyed in the movie. Although I'm not sure I agree that the Earth is alive, the movie touched my spiritual side in a very positive way that most movies fail to do today. So many writers/directors seem afraid to stray too far from the standard God and Heaven belief and they fail to reach people like me. Even the greatest sci-fi flicks of recent times (The Matrix) avoid the spiritual question entirely. This movie touched me like Star Wars and "The Force" did. I'm happy to be adding it to my DVD collection.
Rating: 
Summary: Great CG, horrible story
Review: Yes, it's amazing that this movie is completely computer generated. It's an unimaginable task to construct and animate a movie of this detail, and kudos to the army of animators and artists who created it. But the plot is awful - there is little in the way of suspense, emotion, or intrigue, and the ending was very disappointing. The CG characters and acting are wooden, and due to some shortcomings in animation, especially with their eyes, they never come across as anything other than puppets (the more cartoonish "Toy Story" characters did a better job of appearing life-like). The story is very mystical in nature, and since it obeys no rules and its "revelations" make no sense, you can't invest in it or be rewarded by it. Bottom-line: If you're a CG fan and must see it, rent it. If you're after an enjoyable movie with a decent story, skip it.
Rating: 
Summary: Come on people......................
Review: Squaresoft has truly sold out this time. This abomination of a motion picture is so terrible, it's unbelieved. I love the Final Fantasy video games, each game is rich in storyline and character development. This movie however, is an absolute insult to the series. Fans looking for a movie that would do justice to their beloved seires will not find it here. This is just another way to milk more money out of the FF series. It's insulting to the game's fans, and Sqaure themselves. Their picture company is going out of buisness too, guess you know why....... Basically, this film screams eye candy. The graphic animation is gorgeous, I'll admit that. Still, this is only the shell to an empty, hollow inside. This film's beauty is only on the outside. Once you look deeper, you'll find a truly depressing experiance. This is a nothing more than a cheezy sci-fi flick no better than any other. The only reason it has any appeal at all is due to it's graphic animation. If it was not animated, and real people were playing, then no one would care. The film's storyline is more confusing than FF8's junction system. You meet useless characters, barely any plot twists, and an overlong experiance that will make you want to play frisbee with this dvd. Aside from the graphics, there's no redeeming value whatsoever, it's a long, painful experiance. The diolouge is awful, with no emotion whatsoever. After playing games like FF7 and FF9, you really feel for the characters. Here, I honestly couldn't care what happened to these undeveloped characters. They are all boring and bland. So, if this film wasn't animated, no one would care about it. It's only selling well do to that. Come on people, look deeper into this film, and see it's empty hollow inside. For Square, this is even more embarrasing then Secret of Evermore.
Rating:
Summary: Almost...
Review: "Final Fantasy" is quite the technical achievement, and a very intriguing movie to watch. It plays to me like an Americanized anime complete with a male lead that looks like Ben Affleck (though with the voice of Alec Baldwin). It's an enjoyable viewing experience despite some iffy dialogue and some slow spots. But does the DVD live up to the film, breaking barriers and being a technological wonder? Well, not quite. Sure, there are plenty of extras here, but they're not that useful. Many of them simply involve looking at animatics or storyboards, something that seems pointless when you're dealing with an animated movie. It's animated, the whole thing is "drawn." Why do we need to see storyboards? Anyways, there's also the documentary, which seems lacking in many areas (not the least of which being the absolutely awful music that plays throughout it). There's almost no focus on the voice talent, and you never really get a sense of how this movie is made; it's a bunch of talking heads. Of course, this DVD comes on the heels of the outstanding "Phantom Menace" package, so I guess anything will seem lame by comparison. Then there's this editing feature, where you can shuffle a scene to your own liking. I couldn't understand how to do it, I don't know about you. When your DVD feature needs and instruction book, it's not a good feature, if you ask me. Then there's the picture quality, which I must say is rather lacking considering it's been taken directly from the digital source material. This is a grainy, sometimes downright dirty looking transfer that is outshined by many released culled from film prints. But, again, it is a technical marvel, a feast for the eyes, as they say. Just try to get it on sale.
Rating:
Summary: Great effects Yawning Story Line
Review: The wonderous awe of computer animated humans and effects were beyond fantastic, but failed to keep me from fighting sleep. The story line was predictable and I still wonder what it had to do with the computer game series of the same name. The voices of Alec Baldwin and Donald Sutherland had about as much feeling and depth as footprint on a tile floor. I found the interactive documentary and DVD ROM features much more entertaining. Save your money and rent; it or better yet wait for it to hit HBO.
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully Done
Review: The beautiful graphic will leave your jaws open and the plot, while a bit typical, is still interesting. This movie is awesome, period.
Rating:
Summary: Its Awesome Baby!
Review: Just the quality of the DVD alone is quite a mind blower. Since this movie was entirely digital, the movie shines brightly in its all digital transfer. The picture is sharp, the sound very good. I am still in awe of the crisp and clear graphics have come accross. Unlike other movies (well computer generated anyway) Final Fantasy--The Spirits Within, is a great addition to your DVD library. If you're a graphic designer like me...ok, ok, ok, let me rephrase that...If you're a computer geek as I am, you can't believe how clear the ALL DIGITAL print is. If you've seen Final Fantasy in the theatres, you'll be very pleased with the DVD. The initial story for me anyway, is alright, but I must admit I am more impressed with the animation and especially how the Dr. Sid character appears to be more life-like than the rest of the virtual cast. The extra features (including a tribute to Micheal Jackson) are great with a lead in to Aki shooting a scene from the movie. Again, I can't get over how crystal clear this movie is on a TV tube. Now if only I can just get myself an HDTV to view it on. If you're into graphics, computers, or just love movies with a great visual appearance--Final Fantasy--The Spirits Within is one you should see.
Rating:
Summary: Needs to work with story
Review: The animation was very good. SQUARE's animation has been high quality. The story is the problem. I was bored in the theatre. I have been reading Japanese comic books since my elementary school age, and own 4 game machines. Final Fantasy presented nothing more than the average level in the respect of the story. It is a good example to learn that master work in visual presentation doesn't get filmmakers to get them to the top. This is the first trial for SQUARE, I hope their second procudtion will be better. I thought "Final Fantasy 9"(Game) was more fun to play than watching this movie.
| 
