Review of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

Introduction

Damn! I hate doing reviews like this one where I`m going to sound either completely schizophrenic or like that Harry Enfield character that used to agree with every point of view. The trouble is simply this; the film is both absolutely jaw-droppingly brilliant (some of the most imaginative CGI you`ll have ever clapped your eyes on) and jaw-droppingly bad (like a glorified Playstation game experience without the interactivity and fun).

Many games lovers will already be familiar with `Final Fantasy VII`, which was a top-seller in 1997, nearly a decade ago. Of course in gaming terms that`s a lifetime ago, and the re-rendering of the characters that were (at that time) little more than an approximation of figures created out of a little cluster of pixels, will now be almost unrecognisable. But maybe the highly convoluted story will ring some bells.

Naturally, the franchise took this successful formula and re-invented it with fresh incarnations as gaming technology has improved, further adding detail to this alternative world.

In truth, it`s remarkable that so detailed a CGI piece got funded as its movie predecessor, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, was a box-office flop in 2001.

So how to sum up the story?!

In theory, `FFVII` is set two years after the game ended.

Survivors of the meteor attack have now built a new town called `Edge` (frankly sounds better than `Milton Keynes`) which is right near the city that was previously destroyed. But a weird disease starts to infect the children of the town (the religious sounding `Geostigma`) as well as infecting Cloud Strife, who is trying to run a delivery business with Tifa Lockheart.

Despite living in hiding, he is attacked by three "brothers" and he learns of a plot to revive Sephiroth, his archenemy. (Are you keeping up? No? Neither did I for the most part!).

The three bad brothers (you can tell because of their preference for black leather) start to kidnap children, including a cute orphan named Denzel who lives with Tifa and his drop-dead gorgeous sister Marlene.

Cloud jumps aboard his superbike in an attempt to protect the children, while the three brothers discover that their "mother" is the remains of Jenova, who is causing the Geostigma. It`s a tough fight that means Cloud must call upon many friends to help along the way… and the whole team reunites for it`s relatively satisfying conclusion.

Though it might make (slightly) more sense when you watch it for yourself!

Video

Presented in an anamorphic 1.85:1 this transfer looks stunning, bar some sticking problems with the check-disc that had me skipping 5 minutes or so 35 minutes in. This is a perfectly rendered CGI world where everyone looks perfect, and no one is older than their early twenties.

Audio

The animation (unlike most anime) doesn`t easily lend itself to the US dub as the detail of lip movement is too great, though it`s acceptable enough if a little sterile and soul-less.

It`s an impressive 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround soundscape, in Japanese and English, that uses the soundstage to great effect.

The score is certainly worth a mention as it uses a reflective piano refrain (even during action sequences) that lends the movie an unusually melancholic air throughout.

Features

I only received Disc 1 so can`t really comment on the whole package but I think this generally ships with a second disc fairly brimming with features.

Disc 1 contains just one extra, a feature called `Reminiscence of Final Fantasy VII Story Digest` which runs for around 25 minutes. It`s really just a visual trawl through the key narrative stages of the original game (with captions and subs) to bring viewers up to speed. Frankly it`s like watching paint dry and if the main feature starts to feel like you`re watching a friend on the Playstation then this will literally feel just like that. On the other hand, if you`re serious about making head or tail of the main feature, it may be worth enduring BEFORE you watch the movie.

Conclusion

Watching `Final Fantasy VII` is like going to a friends to watch them play a really great new Playstation or X-Box game. There`s an initial rush of excitement at the quality and creativity of the animation (frequently breath-taking), yet as the minutes pass you wish that you could have a go, or at the very least do something else.

The movie is over-long at 100 minutes, tracing a paper-thin yet highly convoluted plot in twice the time it deserves, leaving the average viewer bewildered and befuddled. (Fans of the game may follow it a little better).

On the plus side, I have never seen such beautifully rendered CGI (and I count `Polar Express` in this analysis). The detail is simply stunning; with barely noticeable hair movement adding to the `real` feel of the piece for example, in a subtle but highly impressive rendering.

But sadly, the technical brilliance of the animation is not enough to rescue it from a narrative really only suitable for gaming. It`s not a film that I`d want to view twice, except perhaps in parts just to marvel at the beauty of the animation.