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Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
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picture to order this DVD
The summer movie season for 2001 seems to
be both unique and similar at the same time. On the one hand, Final
Fantasy: The Spirits Within is a visual marvel, and a revolution
(or perhaps, even an evolution) in computer generated characters.
However, it isn't the first movie-based-on-a-video-game released this
summer; that dubious honor goes to Tomb
Raider. It is also not even the first totally
computer-rendered animated feature this summer; that honor goes to Shrek.
This picture is not as good as the latter, though is leaps and bounds
better than the former. That said, however, it is still one of the better
films I saw all summer...even if it didn't strike me as well as Shrek. First,
let me promise you this: at no point will my review for this film --a film
based on a video game-- resort to saying something stupid like, "Gee,
this looks like it was based on a video game." Well...DUH!
"Final
Fantasy," FYI, is actually one of the best RPG sagas available
on any video game system (with recent ports available for PC computers).
Unlike other sagas, each story is different, with completely different
main characters. While this means every story must hold its own, quite
surprisingly, each unique story is still as intriguing as the first. Final
Fantasy 9 was the latest installment, and it is perhaps one of the
few "9th"-sequel-games that ever deserved a high grade from so many
different multimedia critics. Which
brings us to the film. The year is 2065 on a
very downtrodden Earth; one with very few humans left! It has been 31
years since a meteor struck Earth, containing a menagerie of opaque,
energy-type aliens, that kill humans by taking their life-force spirit (or
"ghost", if you prefer) right out of their bodies, with merely a
touch! The remaining humans survive in small cities protected by energy
shields which hold off the alien threat. Among
these surviving humans is a female scientist named Dr. Aki Ross (voice of
Ming-Na), who is slowly discovering life forms that have been able to
survive outside of the protection of the city. If she can find enough of
these forms of life --a plant here, an animal there-- maybe she can use
these life forms, to protect humankind from the aliens, permanently.
Helping her on this mission is a soldier boyfriend (of sorts) named Gray
Edwards (Alec Baldwin), her scientist/mentor Dr. Sid (Donald Sutherland),
and the rag-tag team of soldiers under Edwards' command. In addition to
the alien threat, Aki finds even bigger confrontations from General Hein
(James Woods), who feels that using a sort of space-based "doomsday
weapon" on the aliens is the better approach. Aki must prove him
wrong, before it's too late... The
biggest draw for this film is the FX, all of which are done with CGI
tricks like modern movies such as Toy
Story, Antz, and Shrek.
This time, however, the CGI goes one step further, making the characters
seem almost life-like in appearance. Hair blows in the wind, in
environments that almost seem as lifelike as the live-action backgrounds
in Disney's Dinosaur.
However, it's computer generated animation through and through, and it's
simply breathtaking. I dare anyone to sit through this film, in a
full sized theater, and not go, "Cool!" From the see-through,
glowing aliens, to the ruins of "Old New York," this is yet
another great sci-fi vision, in a summer already filled with them. This
is what makes the CGI decision so wise; unlike its "video game film" predecessors (Super Mario Bros,
Tomb Raider, etc.), Final Fantasy: TSW is successful in realizing one thing; a game that made its name with
CGI visuals, should be a CGI-savvy film. Sure, such digital puppetry is still in its infancy
--regardless of films like Toy Story
and Antz-- and yet this film is a step in the right
direction. Critics may gloat that they can tell these characters are not
real; to these cinematic detectives, I say...of course they aren't
real. On the one hand, their expressions and movements are dead-on; on
the other hand, they are as fictional as any comic book character. That's
what makes them the best of both worlds; the perfect blend of reality and
(final) fantasy.
I won't spoil the ending for this film; a
bigger question is at hand: if this film, itself, succeeds in its own
mission. The true mark of success for a film based on any media type
(novel, TV show, or even video game) is to keep true to the spirit of the
original work, and perhaps even get people interested in buying that
product themselves. Suffice to say, as a fan of the game series, I was
very pleased with the final product. As for people unfamiliar with the
game series, a theater patron next to me confessed prior to the film's
start, to not having played the games at all. Halfway through the picture
--during one of Aki's visually stunning "dream sequences"-- the
gamer-to-be leaned into my ear and said, "You know, I'll have to try one of these
games someday!" That in itself is perhaps the best rating a film like
this can
receive.
The DVD :
How do I put this delicately? Even if you slightly liked this film, you
will LOVE this DVD. Why? Because the two-disc set has everything a fan of
the movie --or the RPG game series-- would want on a DVD disc. Place the
second disc (behind the scenes features) in your DVD player, for example,
and see a clip of the movie play, stopped by a director yelling,
"Cut!" Aki, just like a real-life actress, is then seen
walking off the "movie set," passing live action cast and crew,
and to a computer screen filled with the bonus materials. What a cool way
to start disc 2!
This second disc is filled with extras
galore. Be sure to click on the symbols at the bottom of the main screen,
for animated (complete with musical score) looks at the 3D model
"busts" used to bring Aki to life, and an abandoned storyboard
sequence, of a romantic dinner between Aki and Gray. Best of all is a documentary,
which even though it looks to be a mere half hour long, is actually a lot
more elaborate than just that; clicking your DVD remote's Enter key, at
key moments of the documentary, sends you to a more elaborate look at the
elements of the film discussed at that part of the documentary. Click
"next," or wait until the close-up ends, and the documentary
continues. Such an "interactive documentary" makes for an
inspired, intriguing addition.
Wait! There's more! See the two symbols at
the bottom of the screen? Well, one takes you back to the main menu (to
see the documentary).
Last though not least, though, is Aki in
her own music video! See that video frame, to the bottom right of the
second "Highlights Menu" page? click on it, and be shown a very
humorous, over-two-minute parody of Michael Jackson's "Thriller"
video, starring Aki, and the other men, women, and aliens from the film!
Cool addition...even if a little cryptically placed on the disc.
 Also available on VHS: Final Fantasy - The Spirits Within (VHS)
| All text, Title
graphics, and pix not of reviewed products, are created by Techtite,
copyright 1999-2001; all rights reserved. Picture of DVD cover is used only for the purpose of review (and to make shopping for
product easier); it by no means represents any affiliation with Techtite
and the distributors of this product. For further "legalese"
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