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QUICK PLOT SUMMARY:
Animation - A female scientist makes a last stand on Earth with the help of a ragtag team of soldiers against an invasion of alien phantoms.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13
- The MPAA rated this film PG-13 for sci-fi action violence.
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Reviewer's Corner
Fantastic Fantasy
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It seems like everyone has been buzzing about Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within for well over a year now. Video game geeks everywhere have been drooling over tiny box versions of the trailer to tide them over until the film was released. Normally, I'd tell them to get a life. But now that I've seen it, I understand completely what the hype was all about.
Based on the wildly popular Playstation game created by director Hironobu Sakaguchi, this animated post apocalyptic saga (set on Earth in 2065) focuses on two remaining humans that believe that all life-forms are characterized by signature spiritual waves. By collecting 8 specifically charged spirits, these doctors of science hope to peacefully disarm the invading "phantoms" that have destroyed most of human life. Except everyone else that's left on the planet is convinced that destroying the entities is their only real hope for survival.
The cool part about the story is that every single aspect of it was created by the artists. No real locations, people, vehicles or props were used. They say it took over two years to perfect the 60,000 hairs on Aki's head, which until you see it, you won't understand why anyone would waste so much time on something like that. Skin tones, textures and facial expressions, as well as minute details such as clothing wrinkles are so intricate, characters often look totally real. They haven't achieved perfection, but dang, they're close.
James Woods, Donald Sutherland and Alec Baldwin head up this cast of voices, which also includes Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames and Michael Clarke Duncan. I was thankful they didn't try to make these characters resemble their voiced counterparts. Ming Na is the brave Aki, a Chinese-born actress raised in Pittsburgh who we already know as the voice of Fa in Mulan, and June in The Joy Luck Club. What many people don't know is that she also manages At Last, an Asian boy band.
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within took over four years to make, and cost a whopping $140 million dollars. I'm sure affording the venture wasn't a problem for Sakaguchi, since his games have sold over 33 million copies of its nine different versions since 1987. This enterprise knows exactly what they are doing. Each new adventure leads fans to the next thing they will need to buy. The Spirits Within soundtrack contains an exclusive Playstation 2 game preview of Final Fantasy X, and we all know that Christmas is bound to be when we'll see the new game.
Usually I get pretty steamed when I think that I am a victim of merchandising ploys, but I have to hand it to Sakaguchi and producer Chris Lee. These business men have created an amazing source of revenue that doesn't look to be slowing down any time soon. Beyond that, the film itself is a joy to watch, despite how dark and gloomy the story is. Most definitely a break-through in computer generated animation, but also a break-through for film overall, as this one nearly proves flesh-and-blood actors could one day be a thing of the past.
Reviewed by C.A. Batchelor
What do YOU think? -- July 12, 2001
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WHO SHOULD SEE THIS MOVIE:
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- AS A DATE MOVIE
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- Good Bet - Many people have been waiting for this film to come out, and chances are this film would be a great device to ask that special new someone out. Lots of violence, but nothing gory or too upsetting, so even teen daters can enjoy this one.
- CHICK FLICK
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- Good Bet - The story revolves around a smart female doctor, and there is another tough female in the crew, which the ladies should be able to identify with to some degree. Women who like sci-fi and have an appreciation for computer generated animation should definitely see this advancement in technology.
- GUYS MOVIE
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- Great Bet - There's no doubt this film is meant for the fellas, especially those who have finished Final Fantasy VII on Playstation and have seen the movie ending will find this film to be more of the same incredible animation.
- CHILDREN
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- Poor Bet - This sci-fi film is not your basic cartoon and is rated PG-13 with good reason. The violence isn't gory, but the scenes are intense and the language would be way over the kids' heads. Plus there are a few profanities and a scene where the two characters make out, which could make parents of 7 year olds uncomfortable.
- TEENAGERS
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- Great Bet - Teenagers are so lucky these days with the technologically advanced animation they get to see on the big screen. Definitely a film the teens will want to watch, with a spiritual theme that might just be good for them.
- GENERATION X
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- Great Bet - Those who have spent more hours than they can count playing the Final Fantasy games should know this story is completely new. The animation here is a must-see for the big screen, and the story is deep enough Gen Xers might want to see it more than once.
- BABY BOOMERS
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- Good Bet - Celebrity voices such as James Woods, Alec Baldwin, Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi and Michael Clarke Duncan should be a big plus. Boomers won't be able to believe the detailed imagery such as the characters' pores, beards and flowing heads of hair that seem so real. Boomers might find some of the plot gets muddled in parts, but mostly this spiritual film is a must-see for any fans of animation.
- MATURE AUDIENCES
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- Good Bet - Even the seniors will be fascinated by this extraordinary display of the latest computer generated animation. Grandpa won't be able to believe this entire film was made without human actors, since the characters look so real.
- INTELLECTUALS
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- Great Bet - An interesting spiritual twist to the plot should keep the intellectuals discussing the possibilities of Guya long after the film is over. Those who work in the field of animation will definitely need to check out this next wave in the technology.
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WHAT PARENTS SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE THEIR CHILDREN SEE THIS MOVIE:
MOVIE DETAILS:
- VIOLENT ACTS
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- Extreme - The main bad guys in this film are phantoms that pass through victims and rip their souls out of their bodies. Throughout the film, the bulk of the violence involves these beings killing dozens of people by ripping their souls from them. Meanwhile people try to shoot giant laser like weapons and often are successful in killing the phantoms. A dream sequence that is repeated several times shows two alien forces killing each other in a war, and later being destroyed by a nuclear type explosion. Men hold weapons on a few different people; a woman is shot in the chest; a crew is forced to drive a vehicle through a huge glass wall; a man is stabbed through with a piece of metal; a man shoots and crashes through glass; a man fires a giant laser beam style "cannon" that destroys everything it hits within a huge radius; a space station blows up, killing those in it.
- SEX/NUDITY
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- Very Little - A man and woman kiss passionately for one brief scene.
- PROFANITY
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- Some - 2 SH-words; 7 hells; 5 damns; 1 S.O.B; 1 "freakin'" in place of the F-word; a handful of derogatory references to deity.
- TENSE SCENES
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- Abundant - The phantoms are scary every time they come out, which is in nearly every scene; several nightmares scenes of an alien war; someone is stricken with an alien invasion of the body that causes that person race against time to find a cure; someone passes out from a serious health problem; someone puts a gun to his own head; the final conflict.
- IMMORAL/ILLEGAL BEHAVIORS
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- Extreme - Destruction of human life; breaking procedure; ignoring orders and warnings; revenge; murder.
- QUESTIONABLE CONTENT / UNHEALTHY BEHAVIORS
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- Very Little - Doctors perform experiments on themselves.
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- Children's Value Rating
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This film is too violent and intense for children.
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