Rating: 
Summary: Unbelievably beautiful
Review: Unlike so many of the gamers who were disappointed by this movie, I actually paid attention to the details leaked to the public over the past few years. I was not expecting a video game put to film. I wasn't expecting anything except amazing animation... which I got along with so much more.I am a big fan of the Final Fantasy game series, and not just because of the action and excitement of the role-playing adventures. Hidden "between the lines" of these games are actually deep spiritual messages and themes of love, friendship and our connection with the planet. Of course these messages are easy to miss or ignore while paying the video games, but unfortunately for the dense and shallow, they were impossible to miss in the movie.From the moment the movie started I was drawn in and sat enraptured until the last bittersweet moments of this beautiful film. It was the spectacular animation that caught me at first, there were times when I actually forgot that I was watching animated characters. But it was the original twist on the would-be typical alien invaders plot and the deeper message of our spiritual connection to our mother earth that melted my heart.In spite of the beauty of the animation, I think this movie would have been better acted by "real people". It is unfortunate that because of the title "Final Fantasy" and the fact that it was a "cartoon" its beauty and depth were missed by so many. I am not surprised that the meaning and "point" of this film were lost on the majority of moviegoers. After all, we live in a time when people experience "reality" by watching Survivor and MTV's Real World and think our planet is just a lifeless rock to be pillaged and plundered. What did the creators expect by marketing this film to a bunch of gamers? Ironically, many of my friends who hate the video games loved the movie as much as I... go figure.I am so glad to see that this movie wasn't lost on everyone. The positive reviews I see give me some hope at least.
Rating: 
Summary: Final Fantasy -- The Spirits Within
Review: Final Fantasy -- The Spirits Within This was absolutely the worst film I have seen in years. I have kept a baseline idea of how the story goes in The Final Fantasy Saga and this to me hit nowhere to home. Perhaps the only thing that was accurate about it was that the end was totally bizarre, aside from that the movie was unbelievably ridiculous and the lines were really, really stupid. They totally lost where they were going with the story of the mad deranged Red spirits who were consuming everything on the planet and at the end they are somewhat friendly. And God knows what the story developers were trying to symbolize with eagle flying overhead at the end after the world has been completely obliterated and she is lying there with her dead love in her arms out in the middle of some rock. The entire theatre was laughing hysterically all the way through the movie, this must clearly represent a failure film and if it does not what does. I would not recommend this movie at all. It lack continuity, intrigue and is rather vapid to any-movie-foregoer who has any iota of what a real story line and production is all about. 1* @ best.-Justin H...
Rating:
Summary: Will Become A Classic!
Review: Now, I know that this film didn't get great reviews or do good at the box office, But there are so many people who loved it! I loved it! And all of these extra features on this 2 disc set look great! I believe Final Fantasy will become a classic! Look at "The Nightmare Before Christmas"! That was a box office bomb! Yet it is one of the highest selling video/ Dvd titles! The animation looks so real. My dad didn't realize the actors weren't human until about 15 minuites into the film. The story line is complex, but I'll do my best to explain it to you. The story takes place in the future. Humans live in an inclosed shelter because aliens called phantoms are running free on Earth. Aki and a professor are trying to collect spirits within living things to save the earth's spirit. When the leaders of Earth decide to get rid of the phantoms by using a giant lazer and zaping their source of power, Aki and the professor fear that their time is running out ...
Rating: 
Summary: Not what I was expecting but...
Review: I was expecting quite a bit more from this film, perhaps because I've been with the game series since it's earliest incarnations here in the US. I've seen these themes before, yes, generic, maybe, a bad movie? Not really. Look, this movie could have been a lot better. We all know it. We all have our complaints. My biggest complaint was that someone other the Uematsu composed the score for this movie. Uematsu, of course, has done the music for all ten games thus far. I rather enjoyed the story, although I could see 'inspiration' from Aliens and Starship Troopers, the dialougue fit the film, though when Aki would cry and no tears came out of her eyes I found that disturbing. The facial expressions were all dead on, but no tears? Did anyone else find this puzzling? The movie was too short and had an ending that you have to be very into anime to understand or be able to cope with. Over all the movie was enjoyable for anime fans like myself, but those who do not follow Final Fantasy as a game series, or Japanese animation may be baffled by the movie's plot, or may find the movie's story sterile and unenjoyable. More that it's plot the visual presentation has got to win some technical awards at the Academy Awards (Oscars) this year, since this is singlehandedly the most visually impressive film since The Phantom Menace, the images were so close! Imagine what it will be like when video games look this good!
Rating: 
Summary: A breakthrough in visual arts, an ok movie
Review: No, the world is not ready to replace actors. Final Fantasy shows that we've come a long way in visual effects. It is visually stunning with completely digital sets, creatures, props, etc. And while the "cast" looks amazing, it shows that we still have a way to go. The secret to enjoying this film is to not directly watch the characters lips, which becomes distracting due to lip synch problems. The story itself seems simplistic and is overshadowed by the effects. But that didn't keep me from enjoying it.
Rating:
Summary: EVOLUTIONARY FOR DVD
Review: ZUMA DIGITAL, the innovative design and development studio that enables powerful new applications for new media, has produced an evolutionary milemarker in the home entertainment industry for Columbia Tri-Star Home Entertainment with the DVD release of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. The DVD is scheduled for release 23 October 2001. Columbia Tri-Star tapped the team at ZUMA for all areas of the DVD production including the filming, editorial and post for all of the added-value features, the design and creative as well as the ROM and Web content. Final Fantasy will ship as a two disc DVD-9 set. "Our goal was to realize a new paradigm in the development of interactive entertainment", notes Blaine Graboyes ZUMA founder and chief creative officer, "both in our approach to the entire production as well as our vision for the final product." ZUMA worked directly with Square Pictures, the film's production company, to best understand, explore and present the project on DVD (as opposed to the established approach of reusing previously produced EPK and marketing materials). ZUMA collaborated directly with Square and Columbia in the development of the added-value content and visual design for DVD, beginning in November 2000 through August 2001. Disc One is a traditional DVD-Video movie, although the design and functionality of the disc is possibly the first instance of DVD content being produced at an equivalent level to the feature film itself. Special Features include 4 commentary tracks and a Boards and Blasts version of the film, showing most of the film in development from storyboards to rough animations to final film. Disc Two truly explores the boundaries of the DVD format, disposing with a traditional hierarchical, outline menu layout, and instead using an Interactive Documentary as the central content and navigational system. During the 30 minute documentary viewers can watch special feature segments which are accessed when link out windows appear on screen. The entire documentary and link outs are composited into a holographic interface, similar to the film itself, giving the entire DVD a seamless feel between movies and games. In addition to the 30 minute original documentary, ZUMA produced 17 link out segments ranging from 45 seconds to 11 minutes in length (some with optional commentaries), covering subjects such as the render farm at Square, the GAIA theory, pre-concept art, and compositing breakdowns. A Highlights Menu provides access to a dozen other features including the Character Files (video bios on the 7 main characters, their animators and VO actors) and the SHUFFLER (allows a user to re-edit a scene from the film). In total Disc Two contains over 100 minutes of original added-value content. After nearly ten months of collaboration between ZUMA DIGITAL, Square Pictures and Columbia Tri-Satr, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within will reach the public on DVD in October, establishing a new milemarker for the possibilities of interactive entertainment, and proving that the DVD format can be used as an artistic medium beyond the film.
Rating:
Summary: Good Movie, Great Series
Review: Ok, it must be said that the movie was not the best movie ever made, but it is still a major advance in the computer generated graphics industry. My addiction to the Final Fantasy game series is what made me eager to see Final Fantasy movie. I did not come to the theater with high expectations of either plot or script...but imagine my suprise when both seem to choreograph well with the stunning graphics and special effects. This movie was overall well-made, and it continues the great quality of the name Final Fantasy. I reccomend this movie to anybody looking for a good movie with great graphics and imagination. You drama and sappy romantic movie-seekers, seek on.
Rating:
Summary: Outfrickingstanding
Review: Seen a lot of cranky reviews on the boards here from people who weren't held enough as children. This movie seems to have fallen victim to the same criticism that Titan AE fell victim too. Titan AE was good and very entertaining but definetely had it's goofy plot errors and rough dialogue. All in all it was a good movie though and I was more than happy to buy it. When I sat down to watch Final Fantasy, I was not only so busy marveling and the quality of work and effort that went into it, I hardly noticed a plot, I was actually presently surprised at what plot was actually there. No, I wasn't on drugs, it was just an incredibly well done movie that really did prove to be the best video game movie ever, despite the fact that it really wasn't that tied into the movie. This, I think, brought out a lot of the anger toward this movie. Loyal Final Fantasy players wanted their game and they didn't get it.
Rating:
Summary: Final Fantasy ... Hopefully!
Review: This was terrible ... where do I start ... would it be with the terrible voice acting, or the stupid storyline. It has one of those "the world is gonna be destroyed" storylines. Hmmm I wonder how they could ever think of that. Its not like its been used a thousand times before. Good animation is the only thing that this movie does right.
Rating: 
Summary: Great animation, but not satisfying enough overall.
Review: "Thumbs Down!" First off, I never like the video game, and still can't understand this movie! I get the plot, but I just don't understand it's point. Why 3-D animation? It works, and the animation is great, but it just flops with story, and is very slow moving in my opinion. I think the voice was terrible, and just to watch a video game in the movie theater makes me wonder what in the heck I'm doing... I thought it was going to be good, but it was just a big summer flop. Don't get excited over this entertainment loser.
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