Rating: 
Summary: Masterful
Review: If you think this movie looks intersting, but you are skeptical, let me clear it up for you. Final Fantasy is one of the most thought-provoking, imaginative, beautiful and groundbreaking films EVER. I am glad to see that people around here are reviewing it well, but there are several comments even in positive reviews that need clearing up. There are not plot holes unless *you* don't piece together the puzzle. That is one of the many high points of the film. Much of what you see tells a story and evokes emotion. It may not be the most surprising or "Hollywood-ified" movies out there, but I grinned through the whole movie. The emotion and awe I felt was unbelievable. During the closing moments of the film an awed silence fell over everyone, it was peaceful... And who can forget the animation. So many people say that it looks so real that they should have used real actors - this would not work. Walt Disney was faced with the same questions when he created Snow White. CG is simply a better way of telling this tale. It is amazing to watch - you can get so much enjoyment just from watching. But do more than that - try to notice the subtle hints and hidden character developement - notice the stunning originality of Final Fantasy. And don't forget the features of the DVD. Two discs packed with tons of cool stuff, lke extra footage, outakes and a documentary. There is also scene by scene commentary. One of the most exciting features is that in the last scene, you can manipulate the camera and such then record and play back your new scene in the movie. Look at the description for full details - there's too much on the DVD to describe here. Oh! And do yourselves a favor. When you buy this movie (and you WILL!) try to experience it on a large screen with loud sound, it really helps and contributes to the "feeling". Not that it won't be great anywhere you see it!
Rating:
Summary: An answer to the critics
Review: I get tired of hearing the overused criticisms of the movie that it's just some kind of promo for immerging technology or that it's based on a video game, or that the reviewers 'just didn't get the plot.' For those out there who don't know what 'Final Fantasy: The Spirit's Within' is all about, let me give you some background. For years, this company called Squaresoft has been making this series of video games that have been huge on story and computer graphic cutscenes. The stories are related to each other--but in a totally unconventional way. They do not take place in the same world and do not have any characters in common. Instead what unites them is entirely thematic. For example, the world is always some fusion of fantasy and technology. There may be reactors that run off of magical energy, or magic may be the forgotten legacy of some high-tech civilization, but there's always a connection between the two. In this one it's a connection between the metaphysical world of spirits and 'Gaia' who is literally the spirit of our planet, from which we all originate. Also, every Final Fantasy story has a mystery to be solved--questions you ruminate over as the pieces slowly fall into place. Final Fantasy is a masterful example of the storytelling abilities of the people behind the games. It was meant as for the people who love their games and only wished the cinematics could last longer and show more, before reverting back to blocky polygon characters. It's a well crafted and imaginative story, with an ending that makes you think (up there with "2001: A Space Oddessy" as far as thought-provoking cryptic endings) So that's why I get mad when I hear people put the movie down as just a movie inspired by a video game, or as a justification to showboat some amazing digital effects. Such people seem to have totally missed the point.
Rating: 
Summary: Animation makes up for story
Review: Now, the only reason I really really really liked this was because of the superb animation. But the story had me lost throughout most of it. The cohersion I'm used to just wasn't present, and I think that could have been improved upon greatly. But it is worth seeing. Maybe you'll understand it better than me :)
Rating: 
Summary: Great animation but.......
Review: The animation and the graphics in the movie are absolutely stunning. At the beginning of the movie I was really wondering how they made it look so very real. A shame that they kind of messed up the whole story. While the visuals were great the story wasn't the least bit involving. After the first 20min I was just watching the graphics, the rest was too boring. The idea was there but it totally lacked real emotion and passion. The end really disappointed me, I expected a lot more, the beginning was way better. If they get the story right and put in some real emotions next time it will be one of the best movies but now it's not that good.
Rating:
Summary: It's Got The Face Animation but That's It
Review: I went to see Fianl Fantasy with the lowest expectations, I watched a film that hadn't lived up to that. Yeah the animation is great and is above the standards of other anmation films such as Toy Story 1&2, SO WHAT!
Shrek another animation film that arrived at cinemas around the same time was really good. WHY? It had all the right incredients to make a terrific film. It was amusing in many places but at the same time had heart and a decent plot. The jokes were well timed and the mushy, lovey-dovey stuff didn't over stay it's welcome to the colouful veiwing. The voices fit the characters like a glove. However Final Fantasy had a flat script. I mean that the characters were bland and one dimensional. Not only that but the faces didn't at all fit the voices. For example Alec Baldwins character looked like Ben Affleck. The cahratcers themselves apperaed to us as puppets with life. They weren't at all like humans. For the fact that the film is a actuallly too long for an animated film that it drags out and the efects become boring and dull causing boredom from veiwing it. I belive this to be the case because the creators had one goal; to create life like (in the facial department) humans, therfore ignoring the right ingredients to make a good film. SHAME for a film with so much potential. I give this DVD two stars because of the features availible. There are loads. If this is bought, it will only be for the extras. WHY do they have to give thos films of a weak nature so many features. In reality this DVD deserves 1 star and 1 star only.
Rating: 
Summary: Visual candy hindered acting and animation.
Review: This movie was a technical feat, make no doubt about it. But it is clear that the acting and facial animation needs a lot of work before this technology really comes of age.
The movement of the characters were motion captured (using real people to digitally "capture" their motions), yet the facial movements and --worst of all-- their speech were stiff and unconvincing. You can look at stills of the film and say "wow, that's real!" but as soon as they start talking you know they are still traditionally animated digital creattions. Of course, it is only time before Pixar/Disney or PDI take the technology another step to really knock our socks off!!
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful.^____^
Review: WARNING!Spoilers ahead! This movie,waas my favorite movie of the summer. The movie was based along the same lines as FF7,and 8. Now,OF COURSE they're are going to be some die hard fans out there who probably hated the movie because it doesn't have the same magical feal as the games do. But what does that matter?The creators didn't EXACTLY have the amount of time to work on character development as they did with the games. The -only- thing I didn't like about this movie,is the fact that all of the supporting characters died(Jane,Neil,and Ryan).;___;I really,almost started crying when Neil died.>.<It made me so mad...
Rating:
Summary: REAL TALENT <------------<<<
Review: If you are graphics designer and you have worked with 3d models, textures and animation, you will understand that Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is not just a good movie. It's an art made by real professionals. The way the characters talk, walk, run, see, they all look so real. Maybe there were no good secondary plots in the movie, but the main plot was really good. Belive me, at the end of the movie, you won't remember that they weren't real, you will only remember that it was a good movie.
Rating:
Summary: Support the General!
Review: Though I heard a few negative things about this movie, it definitely did not disappoint. I was first taken by the cgi. The best I have ever seen without a doubt. I also believe that the movie had a solid plot which was easy to follow and made enjoyable viewing. The scenarios were spectacular, the characters were wonderfully designed, showed lots of emotion and were a refreshing change from real actors. The best thing about the movie was definitely General Hein!
Rating:
Summary: Pretty bad...
Review: ...all I'm saying, though, is that it would have been much improved if, at some point when they were on the planet, the following exchange had taken place: Black guy: Smells like chocobos! Female lead: Let's try using this carrot. Male lead: Oh! The big chocobo! Background music: bom bombom bombom, bombom bom bom.
| 
