Rating: 
Summary: A masterpiece of a film for the FF/Sci-fi junkie
Review: Ok, a lot of reviewers out there concentrated on the movies effects and realism and didn't think much of the story. I will admit that the amazing visuals kind of eclipse the storyline at times. Still this movie has other merits besides the increadible animation. The story is actually quite strong and has a vein in it that smacks of its director's (Sakaguchi) previous offerings but also offers us something new. The storyline, though underdeveloped in places, is actually very well thought out and something that Asimov fans will no doubt get a kick out of. Actually the term "spirits" doesn't properly define what Sakaguchi and his team were basing this on. The concept of "Gaia" is nothing really new, but never has it been integrated into a story so well as it is done here. I don't really want to compare it to the games since it really is a different thing entirely. Suffice to say much of the plot is original, and after viewing the movie a second time I came away with a much greater appreciation for it. I would venture as far as to say it is certainly one of the best movies to hit the theaters this year in both style and presentation (though I don't know if that says very much anymore). At the very least this is a spectacular film that takes amazing visuals to create a convincing animated world and combines them with a plot that is an elegant blend of sci-fi and fantasy. The average Joe will see this for the visuals (and the remarkably attractive Aki), but the true sci-fi fan such as myself will go back for the story which is no less spectacular then the visuals that so many people are talking about.
Rating: 
Summary: Sadly Fails to Live up to its Potential
Review: You can tell the instant the characters speak that something isn't right. Their faces seem not to be working in conjunction with their bodies or their voices, and its just plain weird. The lip synching is robotic and almost devoid of expression, as are the faces. These characters show no emotion, and don't even approach Toy Story standards, let alone real life. (Remember the rather subdued expressions of the Squall and company in Final Fantasy 8? This is *exactly* the same, no different) Strike 1.Don't expect to marvel at the graphics in this movie - I was more impressed with Shrek than FF:SW, which is sad. The great artwork of the Square games is simply not present, and the power of computer generated images was completely wasted. FF:SW is basically an Aliens-type movie with ghosts, and these ghosts provide the only inspiring use of CGI in the entire film. The rest might as well be live action, and had Square simply filmed everything live action and added the effects post-production, the film would have actually looked *better*! Compare this to the CGI-heavy Phantom Menace: while the CGI characters in that movie did not interact with the live actors very well, at least they looked somewhat believeable, and the visuals are still pretty stunning. That movie just blows this one away. Strike 2. So, once you accept the visuals, is there actually a good story to watch? Nope. The plot is cheesy, the dialog boring and predictable, and the theme of Gaia and spirituality is about as kindergarden as you can get. On top of that, Hironobu Sakaguchi botches his premere directoral effort. Most shots are long and flat looking, and the pacing and editing is stinted and failed to get me involved in the action. Strike 3, this movie is history. Sorry, folks, I was rooting for this movie more than any other this year. Lets just hope Lord of the Rings isn't this bad. One nice thing I did enjoy was all the subtle references to the games. Cid was present, and our heroine had to recover 8 spirits to save the world. Why are they always collecting things in sets? Also, Square has said that a special PS2 DVD will allow us to almost "play" this movie, moving the camera and characters around within the sets. Nice.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible advancement in movie making no one should miss
Review: About 32 years ago a meteor fell on Earth near the Caspian Mountains, resulting in the appearance of numerous creatures called Phantoms. Ever since then Earth has been infested by these aliens that claim the life of anyone they come in contact with, mankind are forced to erect new cities within barriers to protect themsevles against the onslaught. The year is 2065, and a group of doctors have finally found a way to save the Earth, but time in running short as they try to gather the 8 spirits needed to achieve that goal. Most of the reviews I've read on the web seemed to have a problem with the plot, some found it unbelievable while others disliked the bad dialouges. I do agree that the concept of the story is a bit over my head, but remember this is suppose to be a science fiction film, it is suppose to go beyond the boundaries of possibility and reality, at the same time stretching our imaginations. Directed and co-written by the great man Hironobu Sakaguchi himself, there are probably Eastern/Japanese influences to the story line that are unfamiliar and foreign to us. Of course there are many questions left unanswered, but the bottom line is to keep an open mind, and you should find yourself enjoying the movie just that much more, instead of focusing on the little flaws in the plot. The computer generated characters are extremely realistic and lifelike, with each gestures, each arch of the eye brows, and each twist of the mouth, all of these details add a little bit more human qualities into these artificial actors. Voice acting in Final Fantasy is top notched, provided by many great talents of Hollywood, giving more depths in the character development. Plagued by unexplained dreams, Dr. Aki Ross (Ming-Na) works with the knowledgeable Dr. Sid (Donald Sutherland) in finding a cure for the alien infestation. Supported by the loyal and trustworthy Gray Edwards (Alec Baldwin), captain of the Deep Eye squad, along with its members: the humorous Neil Fleming (Steve Buscemi), the courageous Ryan Whittaker (Ving Rhames) and honorable Jane Proudfoot (Peri Gilpin). Even the manipulative General Hein (James Woods) became emotionally tied to me, Final Fantasy succeeded triumphantly in this area, because I actually did care for these characters and what happens to them, finding myself yearning to know more about who they are. There isn't a real villian in this movie, rather, it tells a tale of the struggles and conflicts between human beliefs, ideals and emotions. Final Fantasy: The Spirit Within is a big step forward in the film industry, it is unlike anything I've seen before, breathtaking visuals, beautiful artworks, with so many details to take in I found no dull moments, no scenes that seem to drag on endlessly. Although it is not a movie that everyone will love, it should still be seen by any film lovers for its uniqueness, and hopefully the first of many to come. It doesn't matter if you're a science fiction fan or not, and it is irrelevant if you have played the game or not, Final Fantasy stands by itself in its own category, and is revolutionary in both its concept and execution, I highly recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: I saw it. I liked it.
Review: People seem to be trashing this film on several levels, mostly technical. I went to see it out of technical interest and enjoyed the story. Very, very good. Like they said on NPR, it's not Citizen Cane... but niether was Star Wars.
Rating:
Summary: This movie won't disappoint you
Review: I finally decided to go see the movie today, and I'm glad I did. By watching trailers and previews, I thought this would be another sci-fi alien invasion type of movie. Wow, I was completely wrong. A lot of people are complaining that this movie doesn't have the elements that we usually expect to see in FF series. After almost two hours of watching, I've come to conclusion that this is as good as FF can get. This movie isn't about just aliens and tech/science, but rather spirits of every living thing. Also, the movie in the beginning throws a lot of unanswered questions at you. However, as the plot progresses, it answers each question slowly, allowing you to have the full satisfaction of knowing what is going on. Anyways, I won't go into details, but this is exactly what FF series is about. The only difference is that the time is set in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Great sci-fi movie
Review: After drooling over the trailers for six months solid, I was overjoyed when Final Fantasy opened on the 11th, and rushed off to see it the same day. And to my great relief, it was worth it. If you've been sitting under a rock for the past couple months, here's the reason people like me were drooling over it: The entire movie, every minute, is completely computer generated. And folks, this is the most life-like generation ever on screen; its as real as fake gets, until the next big CGI movie. It blows any Disney animated movie out of the water and makes Titen AE look like childhood scribblings. The run down? First, the story has no relationship at all with the games. This is a good thing. (Trust me, I'm a fan of the games; you do NOT want this movie made with FF7's storyline) The year is 2065, and a meteor has landed on Earth, bringing with it an invasion of alien phantoms that consume "bioethergic energy", an energy found in all life forms and is what gives them a spirit. (The Spirits Within? Make sense now?) The phantoms have ravaged most of the world, very efficiently killing any human they run into, and the survivers live in cities protected by sheilds. One woman, Aki Ross, beleives she can create a wave make from eight spirit energies that will counter-act the phantoms; the bad guy, some military hardnose, wants to forego research and fire a spacebased cannon at the phantoms meteor, but Aki is concerned doing so will damage the Giae spirit of Earth. There it is. How does it measure up? First, the main reason to see this movie is the visual effects; as noted, they are incredible. Now its not perfect. Not once in the movie did I think I was watching real actors. But after a few minutes in, you don't notice it. You know its not real, but the fact that its CGI fades into subconscius, except in certain amazingly stunning scenes (the climax comes to mind) and when you remember its CGI, all you can do is think "Wow." The fight scenes rank near the same catergory; while they seemed a little disjointed to me, they're still great to watch. On acting, unfortunantly, the movie falls a little short. While they had top voice talents, like Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi, and Donald Southerland, about a third of the dialouge is poorly written and will make you wince in you seat. Luckily, Steve Buscemi comes up with enough snappy one liners to make Bond envious, and the rest is acceptable enough. The movies second flaw comes in the storyline; if you read the above plot description and thought "Mmm-kaayyy *nod and smile*" we are on the same wavelength. Had they held to the premise of bioethergic energy, most people would have accepted. After all, hardly anyone went "Mmm-kaayyy" when Obi-Wan descibed the Force. However, the storyline brings in spirts and souls as well, and a Mother Spirit, the living spirt of the Earth, to which all souls return. This is where the envelop breaks for me; I can accept bioethergic energy, but the "Gaia Mother Spirit" is too much. It goes from mystic to weird. Another less important fault in the storyline is some aspects are predictable and cliche. Of course the big space cannon is a bad idea! Of course the bad general is going to do everything he can to get it fired. Of course he won't believe he's wrong even when the proof is shot up his nose with an air compressor! And naturally (here's the real irriatating point) the environmentalists and beleives in Gaia are the good guys and the big nasty military men with their big nasty guns are the bad guys. Depending on how you look at it, this may appeal to you; to me, its just an irratation along with the occasional bad dialouge. All in all, Final Fantasy is a worthy movie; if I could, I'd give it 4 1/2 stars. Annoyances and a bit of weirdness aside, this is a great ride through stunning animation, cool fights, some good one-liners, darn cool looking (and almost scary) aliens, and a storyline that is intriguing, despite the aforementioned weirdness. I'm looking forward to the next venture in all CGI movies, but Final Fantasy will remain a groundbreaker.
Rating:
Summary: Final Fantasy = Must See
Review: Words cannot express how much of a masterpiece this movie is - Sure, it doesn't exactly have the 'feel' of the games, but it is still a movie worth seeing for die-hard FF fans! GO SEE! NOW! Or I'll feed you to.. .. 'them'.
Rating:
Summary: CGI Fans, get ready to drool...
Review: For those of you who've been watching 3-D animation through the years, this is the big payoff. Never mind the game(s) - go and watch the movie as a true breakthrough in the art. Don't get bogged down in the plot or the voice acting - they're fine for what they are, and the real treat here is the animation. Watch it, enjoy it - it's a great 2-hour trip.
Rating:
Summary: Can A Movie Be Good And Bad At The Same Time!?!
Review: Okay people lets get one thing striaght: I have officialy seen the movie! With that being said this movie takes a few steps forward only to take a few steps back and start off right where it began: A good idea! Now I'm not even going to bother telling you about how good the graphics are because I'm sure you already know they are so I'm going to jump right to the story, and the story is a mixed bag! Now I'm not going to brief you on the story because to tell you the truth, the story is one of the most confusing story's I've seen since Final Fantasy VIII! It just seems to be going on with out the audience knowing whats going on! It's quite ridicules in fact to be watching a sci-fi film and not know what's going on! Yes people, the Final Fantasy movie is NOT a fantasy movie!!! Don't expect to see castles, knights, swordsplay, dragons, or even magic and summons! The only thing this movie has that the games have is a charicter named Cid. Yes that's it. I could go on forever on why this film didn't work for me, but to tell you the truth that be like trying to explain why Squal and Rinoa got together in the game Final Fantasy VIII! It's THAT complicated!!! So here's my final say on the film: If you're intrested to see the film based on the type of animation used then you'll be pleased!!! However if you're going for a compelling plot then I recomend you look elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: just saw it!!!!
Review: Hey well i have to say it was a great movie all in all through but some of it was really confusing. i guess i should have read up on it before i saw it. well the rumours are false, it dosen't take off ANY of the games, its a very indiviual story. I think it has to be the saddest movie I've ever seen. The end is tear-jerking...at least for me. I loved it though. Some hardcore fans might have been disappointed though **my brother**, but most shouldn't be. I'm not going to give out any spoilers because I want you to see it for yourself! But I have to just add that the concept that the people in the movie use is related I think, to Paganism. That's all I'm going to tell you. I hope you enjoy it but if you cry in movies then I recommend you bring some tissues. ;) L8er
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