Review of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001) by Kai82 — 21 Feb 2021

Technically it was a masterpiece back then and there were even some people that thought that it could lead to actors becoming obsolete. Sadly it lacks in the story and character parts. Lets start at the beginning.

The Final Fantasy franchise is a long running series of role playing games by Square (later Square Enix). It is one of the most recognized and successful franchises in the industry with a loyal fanbase.

So many people including me were hyped when a Final Fantasy movie was produced. The trailers and animation looked amazing. It was the first time that we got realistic animated human characters. It blow away the minds of many and the attention reached even people that never played videogames or have heard of Final Fantasy.

It was a new milestone in animations and creating realistic characters. What we did not know back then was that this made the movie really expensive and it was a ton of work. We noted that the trailers did not look like it was related to any Final Fantasy game which was not strange as the games are no sequels of each other in this regard.

They are set in different worlds with new characters and sometimes really different mechanics and ideas (There are of cause some staples and reoccurring themes). Then we watched the movie and it was a bit divisive.

It is neither a masterpiece nor garbage. As fans we would say it is not Final Fantasy or to be more generous not Final Fantasy enough by far. It uses a few recognizable themes but is more like a post apocalyptic science fiction movie.

Recently I read that they wanted to make something that is for everyone and does not rely on knowledge of the games. This is the kind of decision that seems good on paper but annoys the viewers. For fans of the games it is unrelateable and for others it is just a standard movie with some good or unique ideas.

A perfect example for the middleground being the worst case. The story is set in the year 2065. Earth has been overrun by alien live forms that came to us via a meteorite. Humanity is nearly wiped out and hides in cities with shields as no human can survive on the outside.

This is caused because the alien live forms called Phantoms have ghost like characteristics. They are invisible to the naked eye and physical matter is not effecting them like us or how it should. What makes them even more dangerous its that they can kill by touch and seek out lifeforms.

However there are some strange or unfitting things like the Phantoms not using their advantages in a tactical way or seem not cooperating (They could have won and ended humanity long ago with ease even if slightly competent).

The protagonist Aki Ross is on a mission that could change the status quo but has to be secretive about as there is more to it then it seems. I stop here with this basic set up. The story is actually good and has its moments.

I think it is a fresh approach and a bit unique. I must also admit that it sounds better on paper and is not in the realm of the better stories in the genre. It uses themes from the Gaia theory that can be a bit confusing if you are unfamiliar with.

Like already said technically this was a masterpiece of the era. Everything looked amazing and the movie itself set the new standards. It comes with a slight weakness in facial animations as the emotions are sometimes not transferred well enough.

For the voice actors we got a dreamteam. For Aki Ross we have the great Ming-Na Wen who is now far more famous thanks to Agents of Shield and the Mandalorian. Then we have James Wood as general Hein who can be described as antagonist but I refuse to call him evil as I clearly see his motives and care for humanity.

Alec Baldwin as Gray Edwards and Donald Sutherland as Dr. Sid are an amazing addition to the cast. I think they have chosen a great team. I don't remember much of the soundtrack so I wont rate it. For me the negatives are that it is not Final Fantasy enough, the character development is just decent and the story itself misses the last push or pushes to awesomeness.

The ending while fitting is also a bit unsatisfying. For itself the reception was average except for the animations which were amazing. From box office standpoint it was a bomb and hurt Square Enix financially.

Overall I would have rated this movie a bit higher but after a few years I came to the conclusion that being a fan of the franchise made me less critical. Still worth watching as it has it moments and set new technical standards.

Far away from videogame movie adaptation garbage.