jenescuionut

(2013-05-16 23:46:49)

An extraordinary adventure

This is the most breath taking animation I had ever seen... This movieis the closest to reality animation I had seen... U guys that wereworking on this title are really the best pro's in this world. Thefirst movie (Spirits Within) was extraordinary, but this final releaseis the most beautiful animated film ever made. All the characters weremade with an extraordinary precision and care for details. I aminterested to know how many months or years was the team working?? Ithing for such an opera the team started to work as soon as the firstpart was released..I thank all of the team for this release... You all are my idols:)

magic-ball

(2013-05-16 09:02:33)

A guilty pleasure

The opening scene is set 498 after the rest of the movie. Red XIII (asentient leonine animal) is running through a canyon in a re-creationof the final FMV in "Final Fantasy 7", but the scene is shot like theintroductory FMV of that game. This signifies an ending and a newbeginning. This also heralds one important fact: to understand thismovie there must be familiarity with the game. For that reason, thismovie can only be done justice if its treated as an addendum, or as anhomage, but not as a stand alone movie.This is an incredibly ambitious film. Realistic CGI is uncommon due tofinancial expense and fears of the uncanny valley. "Advent Children"tries to seamlessly weave superhuman action and human drama togetherwhile expanding upon the lore of the widely beloved game. It indulgesin more artsy elements such as external metaphors and fracturedchronology, but doesn't skimp on the swordplay and fisticuffs. It bitesoff more than it can chew, however.In the game, Cloud confronts and overcomes his personal demons, hisloved ones accept him for who he is, and in the end he saves the entireworld alongside his friends. In the beginning of the movie, however, hehas resigned himself to a slow death. Geostigma, a degenerative diseaseafflicting Cloud, Rufus, and many of the surviving children of Midgar,was crudely shoved into the Final Fantasy 7 universe. Cloud would haveharbored the pathogen that causes it for years, but it convenientlychooses to manifest itself during the movie. The resolution to this isone of the most blatant examples of "deus ex machina" I've ever seen.Similar to the resolution of Geostigma, Sephiroth is introducedabruptly with little explanation. It was handled better - he wasreferred to previously, unbeknownst to everyone (even the audience)until Vincent somehow learns and reveals it late in the movie.Aeris/Aerith and Zack make a "live" appearance as well (this is evenindicated in the press materials!), which is problematic since they'resupposed to be dead and assimilated into the consciousness of theplanet. Flashbacks would have worked almost as well for their roles,but would have necessitated a different resolution to the Geostigmaproblem.Some of the best parts of the movie are the scenes with Rufus and Kadajtalking. They clearly have a grudging respect for each other, despitebeing adversaries. Rufus is wheelchair-bound and afflicted withGeostigma, is almost helpless, yet he speaks to Kadaj (almostdefinitely the most dangerous man alive) as though he were anyone else.Kadaj is almost childlike, yearning for recognition and willing toprove himself. Without these scenes, Kadaj would be just another badguy. The Turks are handled well, too.In the action sequences, the character's movements are intricate andare exaggerated like in many Chinese period films. The cinematographyis very western with its short camera shots. The CGI medium allows thecamera to be much more dynamic and the movements more stylized. Thatsounds good on paper, but in practice it's too much of a good thing.The realistic cyberpunk aesthetic is juxtaposed harshly against thecharacters actions, making them seem cartoonish and abusing thesuspension of disbelief. The camera is jarringly fast, diminishing thesense of transition between shots. The two hand-to-hand fight scenes,however, aren't marred by this too much, and they make for great fightscenes and the easily best in the movie.I was worried that Square-Enix would get lazy in the music departmentby arbitrarily splicing themes from the game into the movie. I waspleasantly surprised. The "Jenova battle" theme went perfectly with thefight with Kadaj, and a piano rendition of the battle themecomplimented well the fight between Tifa and Loz, two brawlers.This is a hard movie to summarize with a number. There are a lot ofthings I liked and disliked about it. I enjoyed it enough to write ameticulous and lengthy review. But to be blunt, Geostigma was the rootof the plot and it was flawed. The action scenes, the respites,wereflawed in execution. I didn't like how Cloud was characterized. For me,"Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children" is ultimately a guilty pleasure. 6 /10

speedysan

(2013-05-16 11:59:20)

eye candy, and no substance

Much like the video game before it, the Final Fantasy Movie is allhype, and no substance......people will go gaga for it, because of the pretty colors, andcharacters, and overlook the poor scripting and production, because itlooks good....but where a paper thin plot can be masked over the period of severalhours in a video game, it will quickly become apparent, when that sameplot is condensed to two hours for a film, that can't hold it's own,and relies on nostalgia to fill in the gaps.....which wouldn't be so bad, if the nostalgia were for something worthreminiscing......

palf91

(2013-05-16 02:25:44)

What Final Fantasy movies should be.

Haven't played the game? Don't bother. This is for the Final FantasyVII fans out there that beat the game, and no other will appreciatethis rare gem of a movie. Want to watch it and love it? Buy the game,beat it and then watch it. When's the last time you've seen anexcellent movie based on a video game? Well, this is it.The story takes place two years after the game and no short summariesare given to refresh your memory (though I doubt many would forget),and goes right into the one hour and forty-one minute adventure.All your favorite characters are there, even Cait Sith. The voiceacting is superb in the Japanese version, every character is castperfectly. Cloud sounds tough and broody, Tifa sounds kind yetstrong...Aeris is also perfect, she sounds exactly as I imagined. CaitSith sounds less cute than I imagined, but worked very well.The character models are spectacular, great textures and lighting. Theenvironments are breathtaking and the battles are choreographed in away to make The Matrix blush. The amazing camera work comes through inthe bike chases, for example, where your eyes are just screaming insatisfaction and your lungs breathing heavily without consent.The music is typical Uematsu quality, which means its top notch.Familiar tunes are remade to accompany Advent Children's graphicalleap, which meshes with the visual aspects very well. There's even aninside joke for the fans that involves music, it'll make you smile forsure.I did not watch it with subtitles since I'm half-Japanese so I can'tsay that the subtitles are any good. In Japanese, however, the dialogueis very good and every word sounds like it's coming from real livingbeings, not just actors. Impressive. I'll watch this again someday withsubtitles to see the differences since I've played both the Japaneseand American release of Final Fantasy VII.If you are a fan of Final Fantasy VII, buy this movie the day it comesout or pre-order it. If you haven't played the game but want to seethis movie very badly, don't waste your time: buy the game, beat it,and then come back for this DVD. I won't tell you to not watch it, butplay the game. It'll make the experience a lot better and won't leaveyou in the dust scratching your heads.Come back, old friends - it's time to go on an adventure again withyour brave comrades!

khangfuzhun

(2013-05-15 15:12:18)

Looked great! Unfortunately, not for the Final Fantasy-obsolete...

I saw the movie, it looked amazing, and the cameos of the maincharacters were amazing. But there were some flaws also.For one, the characters were way underdeveloped. The only ones who werea part of the actual story were really Cloud, Tifa, Marlene, the kidDenzel, and Vincent. All the others, Yuffie, Cid, Barret, Red XIII, andCait Sith were mainly cameos for fanservice. Square tried to portray adown-draught Cloud who feels he can't fix things, or save anyone, afterthe effects of geostigma, but it wasn't a very strong development atall, even when he somehow gained a bit of fighting confidence backlater on in the movie when he faces off with Ultimate Weapon and Kadajand Sephiroth. Tifa remained the same busty girl who tries to talk somesense into Cloud from the game, so there was no development there.Because of this serious underdeveloped tone, the movie felt very short,despite the fact that it was a feature-length 90 minutes. Should Squarehave worked on character development, it would have set a very nicepace for the movie, in lay with all the high-octane action.Another flaw, was that the illness called Geostigma, wasn't explainedvery clearly. It seemed to me that the illness deteriorated at thehealth of those who carried it. Though Cloud carried it, it only seemedto make his arm go crazy and give him migraines. But that was it. Thisshould have been fixed and defined clearly by Square.Another note to point out, just where did Kadaj and his gang erectfrom? Sure, they're Sephiroth clones, but just exactly where did theycome from? That wasn't clearly defined either in the film.Also, people who have never ever played the game before will neverunderstand the goings-on happening in the movie. This film was clearlymeant for fans of the game. Those who have never played the gameshouldn't even touch it. If you're gonna watch it for the CG, then bemy guest.The fight scenes, though they packed a ton of punch in them, some ofthem were too zoomed in to actually noticed what was happening. Werethey flipping or were they spinning in 720 degrees x 2? It was hard totell without wanting to pause to snapshot the frame. But those minorsetbacks didn't do much to take away from the excitement of thecharacters jumping around and slicing everything up.This movie had many things going for it. It was the most highlyanticipated release for Square-Enix, but it wasn't much what Iexpected, only because some things needed to be worked on, and therecould have been so much more added to it. It could easily have been a3-hour film that had good character development, great fight scenes,fixed camera angles that made more sense than zoom-ins, and a clearexplanation to why Geostigma was such a dreadful disease, thereforecreating a more directed purpose in the plot.However, despite all that, it was still a visual turkey feast for FinalFantasy fans and CG-lovers alike. Fans shouldn't be disappointed thatit looks this amazing and keeps the action high in your seats. I wouldgladly buy it and add it to my collection.

(2013-05-14 20:46:53)

Best CG Movie Ever

I have been waiting for this movie to come out for 5 years and now after the release date being push back so many times it is finally out and I have to say it is defiantly the best CG movie I have ever seen, it is true to the game and the graphics are absolutely astonishing. Even if you have not played the game I think it should still be enjoyable because the story is great and if you don't even like that kind of movie the graphics are not something you want to miss. It is great seeing all of the whole gang from Final Fantasy VII together and every fight scene is a jaw dropper. I greatly encourage anyone to buy this movie.

xeno_dictator

(2013-05-13 07:43:26)

Needed improvement

I am a fan of the Final Fantasy film and video game series. What I findappealing to these games is their mixture of a morality story withcomplex global philosophies. It combines a fascination of both magickand the aesthetic of a used future. Star Wars has also receivedrecognition for the possession of these elements.I wanted to see this film for a while. I was not sure how they would beable to establish a film adaptation/sequel to one of the most wellknown in the series. There is no doubt that they were able to let theseries continue where it left off.What I disliked about the film was the overemphasis on CGI fightingsequences and glorified violence. Too many of the characters were alltoo one-dimensional, but they did show a chance to have been much more.I wish they had more meaningful dialog between the characters todemonstrate the true character within these individuals.Characters such as Kadaj and his gang were different from Sephiroth,e.g. the gang suffered from an infection of geostigma that completelyabsorbed their bodies. All that was desired was for the pain to goaway, and the only way that could be established was through a unitywith Jenova. Their desperation lead to many cruel acts against mankindbecause they could not be given what they needed. Their lives were inmany ways tragic. These factors reminded me of the mortality the nexussix replicants possessed in Blade Runner.Ah yes, Blade Runner! This is a true science fiction testament. Thecreators of Advent Children should have looked more into the characterportrayal in this film. If they could incorporate those elements, thenAdvent children could have been more appreciable.

the_evil_dr_knarf

(2013-05-13 01:03:52)

why was this allowed to happen!?

OK let's establish a few things. firstly, i've spent a long weekendarguing that the silent hill movie ISN'T utter garbage. see, some folkon this website seem to think that all movies born of video games arefated to be worse than a hydrochloric acid facial. movies like adventchildren do not make my case any easier. secondly, i am a big fan offinal fantasy 7 (the game this is based on). the PSone game was aplot-driven 100 hour long RPG. in short it rocked. the key to it'ssuccess was the convoluted character driven heartfelt drama at thecentre of it all. a sequel to such a well received game has got to begood right? the primary problem with advent children is the plot. there isn't one.no really. this movie is 6% nonsense talking and 94% sword blastingaction. don't get me wrong, the beautiful animation makes for gorgeousaction sequences, but one can only take so much of cloud (a mere human)chopping city-sized dragons in half whilst flying thru the air beforeyelling "how is that possible!!?" at your telly. cloud can't fly. henever could. there are several frames in this movie where cloudsextreme inexplicable flying skills can only be described as just that.it's all just far too......Japanese.my second major grievance is the characters. any fan of the game willbe familiar with the varied cast of heroes, just don't expect them toactually do anything in this movie. the likes of barret, cid and yuffieshow up briefly and without explanation in a minority of scenes toshoot stuff and, well, that's it. they are given absolutely no storywhatsoever (red xiii has ONE line in the whole thing) and do notcontribute to the plot one iota. and why exactly was cait sithScottish? not that i'm racist (i'm Scottish!) but it just seemed oddlyout of place when all other characters were predictable American. thenthere was sephiroth. arguably the coolest bad guy to ever grace thelittle gray box. SURELY they couldn't mess that up, right!? indeed, theactual appearance of sephiroth is a welcome one, if for nostalgia sakeif nothing else. however, it is extremely evident that fan-boynostalgia is the only real reason that sephiroth is in this movie inthe first place. he appears for no real reason (something to do with aclone absorbing jenova's head...what!?) and proceeds to talk nonsenseand hit things. then he grows a wing and disappears. okaaaaaaay. my third and biggest complaint about this straight-to-DVD movie is it'stone. i was a little surprised by the pg rating on the case, given themasses of potential violence within. however upon watching i'm honestlysurprised it wasn't rated universal. this movie was clearly designedfor kids. the characters goof around and call each other laughablychildish names like 'meany'. they run in ridiculous ways clearlydesigned to humour the under-fives. honestly, this thing is directedlike it's a cartoon. no adult drama. no tension. no engaging plot. nodecent characterisation. just two hours of motor bike chases (which btwclearly ripped off the bike chase in the game!) and childish idiocy.the only thing to recommend this movie is it's lush visuals. very welldone. however, any game fan looking for more than empty eye-candy willbe sorely disappointed by this soulless insult to that fine game.avoid.

martin_easth

(2013-05-10 22:15:18)

Great, is it not?

I will keep this comment really short. When I heard about this movie(Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children) I thought that it would be a greatmovie.But when i started watching it i realized that it was MUCH MUCH BETTERthan i could have imagined. The story is so intense, and all thecamera-angles and stuff it is just great.This movie has all that kinds of camera-angles and intersections incombat. What i mean is that during a fight sometimes the screen splitsinto four different pieces each showing the fight from a differentangle.To conclude this: You cannot be told how good this is, you have to seeit for yourself. You will be amazed.

icewolf9

(2013-05-10 16:14:17)

Awesome.

Okay, I'm not going to lie to you. If you haven't played FFVII or arenot a fan of the game, you probably will think this film is prettypoor, save the graphics.For those of us that have been highly anticipating this film for nighon 3 years or so, you will love it.As we all know, the film is set 2 years after the end of the game, andthere's a little background information for those of us who haveforgotten the main plot (shame on you!), so you won't be leftcompletely in the dark.But once it kicks off, you really have to pay attention, or you'll beleft with a 'what on earth just happened?' feeling. This is the beautyof repeat viewings. First time round I didn't blink once, I was sooverwhelmed by the graphics. Second, I paid more attention to theactual story details, so third time round was by far the best viewing.So, graphically, it's in another league. The camera angles put theMatrix to shame, and the fighting is so fast, blink and, quiteliterally, you will miss it.The sound is all taken from the original game, albeit remixed, and isoften pretty heavy. The music changes are a bit 'iffy' in places; itcould be hardcore rock one minute, then suddenly change to a romanticsong, but on the whole it's very well done.The characters are all as we remember - although they've had an updatein their wardrobes, however I wish that the film had more of certaincharacters, and less of others... you'll know what I mean when youwatch...The overall feel of the film is pretty serious, deep and dark, justlike the game, though there are some genuinely funny moments in it,which provide a welcome distraction. All in all, it's an EXCELLENT film, which I'd definitely give 10 out of10. True, some of the fighting is a tad corny, and the music changesare overly-dramatic, but since it's the characters we all know andlove, I don't care! Enjoy!

(2013-05-10 20:58:29)

Aaaamazing...

I watched the japanese vesrion of the movie and somehow managed to get english subtitles, because I could not wait any longer.The computer generated animations are the best I've ever seen. The story, simple yet intrigating, takes plce two years after the end of the game. The characters' design, locations, weapons, and absolutely everything in this movie is superb.A MUST SEE FOR EVERYONE.Soundtrack is spectacular. All music is just perfect for the moment, and little details make it a musical achievement for the Square Enix team.Fight scenes are incredible, Well, everything about this movie is just great.

(2013-05-10 09:31:28)

release date of 2010 !?

Is the release date above for real ? I've searched all over and found nothing to support or dispute it....

(2013-05-09 09:56:04)

Hot (Haven't played Final Fantasy since 6)

I copped the bootleg to this and will definately buy the DVD. It's good. The story was confusing as hell because I didn't really play the game, but it's on my wish list now.The action in this movie was amazing. I dug the realistic visuals, but they still weren't afraid to make the action unrealistic. It does defeat the point to try to make fiction so close to reality. That's what messed un Spirits Within. Even though I liked that movie too the second time around with no expectations.

Judas-Savior-666

(2013-05-09 06:28:46)

An Excellent Finish to A Grand Story

I do not have much to say than this is a great finish to the story.Most people have said that there is not enough plot and its just eyecandy.But think about it, everything was explained in FFVII you cannotadd more plot to such a grand story it would ruin it. They did the bestthat they could do and I think that this should be taken more as AFinal FMV.. the last fight. Graphics - 10/10, Absolutely amazing Story 8.5/10 - don't think they could of expanded it that much more.And the stuff they could put in there was clever enough I thought. Characters 9/10 - Well most of them have already been explained duringthe game but still could not fit it all into 90 mins. Sound - 10/10, since i am a metal fan I loved the fight music.. andpiano just reaches right in there..It is a great ST and I was notdisappointed.Tilt/Replay 10/10 - Enjoyable every time. Overall- 9/10 (FF Fan View 10/10)I personally think this is what was needed, a fight to end it all.. theplot was already in place. The action was necessary as much as peoplecomplained. I loved every second of this movie. It was a pleasure tovisit the world of FFVII just one last time.Just remember this.. most movies that have been made form a game havebeen directed by movie directors i think this is pretty great for ateam of game directors.. Don't think I've seen a better game to movie..Thankyou Square, I think you did it right!

(2013-05-07 16:27:19)

Final Fantasy VII - Advent Children

This movie is three syllables, AH-MAZ-ING! In this beautiful computer graphics animated, action-packed movie, many of the fan favorites from the original Final Fantasy VII game return. Characters such as Vincent Valentine, Tifa Lockheart, Yuffie, Red XIII, Cloud, and even the most malignant Squaresoft villian of all time, Sephiroth appear in this movie. The story takes place two years after the Playstation game and the story doesn't necessarily require you to know much about the game (it's easy to pick up on the storyline). This has probably been the best CG work I have ever seen in a movie. The graphics will definately blow you away. Highly recommended, 5 stars!!!!

Cornpick

(2013-05-07 05:13:26)

A decent watch for FF7 fans

So after the initial disappointment of the first Final Fantasy movie,which seemed to bare next to no resemblance to the Final Fantasyseries, Final Fantasy: Advent Children has released itself to a warmreception and, now, a dedicated fanbase. And the reason for the filmssuccess is understandable as it has lush graphics, fast moving fightsequences and some cool as hell characters. However, if you haven'tplayed FF7 then it is likely that you will not enjoy this film as it'sstoryline carries on from the game without previous explanation andyour likely to get lost from the plot even if you have played the game.Secondly, there is no character development, without previous knowledgefrom the game your opinions on the characters are limited to 'cool' and'not cool'. Of course, for FF7 fans the film is almost guaranteed toentertain, at least for nostalgic reasons, and it's cool seeing all thecharacters you grew to love from the game rendered in some prettyamazing computer animation. One last complaint, the film, at least inmy opinion, attempted to cram too much into less than two hours andtherefore the last half hour or so seems horribly rushed. If you playedand enjoyed FF7 than it is a worthwhile watch, though nothing toospecial. If you have not played FF7 then it is best that you play itfirst before watching this film.

(2013-05-05 20:32:35)

Perfect for FF7 Fans

If you haven't played the game at all, or even worse, have never played an FF game in your entire life, then this film will be terribly confusing for you. But on the other hand, if you are one of those fans who possible loves the game more than any other one you own, and does understand what happened in it, then it should be perfect for you, as it was perfect for me ^^As for those who say it has no plot.. please either actually play the game or try and watch it again to get a clearer idea of what's going on.

neothe1

(2013-05-05 06:25:53)

One Word... Amazing.

I thought Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children was truly amazing. A lotof people on the message boards say this movie isn't for those whohaven't played FFVII but i disagree. I have not played ANY of the FFgames and have not even seen The Spirits Within. I heard a lot aboutthis movie and saw a few trailers here and there and i thought itlooked very cool. So my neighbor, who is a fan of the FF series, let meborrow the Japanese version. the first time through i thought it wasone of the coolest looking movies i have ever seen. So I went out andbought the English version to better understand the story. afterwatching it in English, i completely understand. I asked my neighborfor some of the back story of FFVII and I really do understand all ofit. This is one of my top favorite movies and i haven't played any ofthe games. For all of the people saying you must beat FFVII in order tounderstand Advent Children I must disagree. Final Fantasy VII: AdventChildren can be for anyone. If you haven't played any of the FF games,this movie is still well worth renting. =]]

rylojr1977

(2013-05-05 14:04:24)

On-screen evolution

As a fan of all things Japanese - films, Anime, Manga, video games etc,this comment was always going to be biased. But then again, FinalFantasy has a huge following in the west also, so I can't be alone!!The uninitiated may be too far behind, so I wont bother with explainingthe background, storyline (which even for a fan is boggling) orcharacters of the movie Advent Children. It is truly a "word of mouth"film - and that's one of the reason that I think it's so cool - Therewas no bullshit Hollywood-style promos when it was first released, soonly the enlightened or truly curious could discover it. For everyoneelse, there is Ghost Rider. Or the latest Adam Sandler film. Or........point made? I'll just say that anyone who has ever speculatedas to what is possible on screen, and where cinema of the future isheading, should check this out without hesitation. The visuals aretruly stunning - as many other have commented, words do not do themjustice. Any random still taken from the film has a lifelike, humanquality, and could stand as artwork in themselves. The sound is alsofantastic, a classic orchestral soundtrack mixed with hard-rock andpumping technobeats for the films action scenes. Ah yes, the actionscenes.....Think of some of the great stylistic moments in action /sci-fi cinema......The Star Destroyer roaring overhead from EpisodeIV......The T1000 walking through the metal bars from T2......TheMatrix lobby shootout.....The Nazi truck chase from Raiders.....wrapthem all up, magnify it by 50 and you're still not there. The action isutterly fantastic, defying physics and taking the viewer into placeonly possible in dreams. The imagination and thought that has gone intoit is truly breathtaking. The replay factor for this is high, and assoon as you have seen it for the first time, you will want to tell yourfriends about it, and make them watch it. Thats about the highestrecommendation I can give it. Go in with an open mind, and you will bethrilled and astonished.

Mrohnoes

(2013-05-05 00:29:00)

Fantastic CGI and great fight scenes can't make up for a plot that's nigh incomprehensible

I had heard about this movie many a time, and to me it seemed to be amovie that you either loved or hated. I had heard that the movie had noplot but sometimes I heard that it had a great plot. I decided to takeit upon myself to take a look at the movie. The summary up there shouldtell you what I think of the movie. For one thing, the CGI isabsolutely mind-blowing! I mean this movie came out in 2005! You wouldthink it came from the future, like say, 2020, but no, it's 2005. Also,the fight scenes were a blast to watch and there's plenty of sword playand explosions to keep you entertained. Sadly, though, that's where thepositive ends. Out of all the movies I've seen, this movie had to bethe one movie where I couldn't begin to understand what the hell wasgoing on. If you wanna know the plot, get an FFVII fan to tell you. Atleast in EVERY OTHER MOVIE EVER MADE, you could, at the very least, geta vague idea of what's going on. This movie, however, will confuse thehell out of its audience, unless they're FFVII fans, then they'llprobably understand a bit of it. I'm not an FFVII fan, so I didn'tunderstand, so I'll play the games instead, like you should. I did saythis seemed like a love-hate movie, but honestly, I don't hate it, asthe good things about the movie are really good. The movies I hate areones that enrage me in one or more ways (looking at you HoodwinkedToo!). This is not one of those movies. If you love the movie, good foryou, you'll probably need to explain the plot to me. If not, that'salso fine. Whether you love the movie or not, is up to you. Mrohnoes,out.