FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN (****)
Every so often, a movie milestone comes along. Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST was the first animated film to make of computer generated images (CGI) with sweeping effect. Then came along TOY STORY which was the first completely CGI animated movie. FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN is a notable landmark in its attempts to replicate human actors with CGI ones. But that’s not what makes it special.
I have never seen a movie like this. Disney’s DINOSAUR comes close, but when you see prehistoric creatures talking when they have no real capability of speech, it kind of ruins the moment for you. No such ridiculous moments are found in FINAL FANTASY. I have run out of superlatives to describe how stunning the film looks. You will never see a movie as visually astonishing as this.
What makes the film so wonderful to look at are two aspects: First, detail.. Director Hironobu Sakaguchi (Director of the Video Game: FINAL FANTASY VIII) shows how much he cares for this project by the richness of his images. You can tell that a director loves his work when he puts so much into all the little things. No CGI movie before this has put so much on the screen, thanks in part to technological advances in computer science.
Second, creativity. Sakaguchi seems like a wellspring of new ideas. The creatures, landscapes, cities, action sequences, weaponry, are so original. I’ve never seen images such as these, and his wealth of imagination is so welcome from the commercial excess and mainstream thinking of Hollywood. His creative energy is wondrous to behold. It is no wonder that this movie took 4 years to make from a collaboration of Japanese and American filmmakers (It’s amusing to note that the credits show so many computer science titles e.g. Software Engineers and System Administrators).
The story revolves around Aki (Ming-Na of THE JOY LUCK CLUB) a young female scientist who is trying to discover a way to defeat an alien infestation that has overcome the Earth. Her mentor Dr. Sid (Donald Sutherland of SPACE COWBOYS) provides her guidance, and her love interest Grey (Alec Baldwin of GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS) provides her protection. They try to find 8 spirits which hold the key to the defeat of the aliens. But it’s a race against time since General Hein (James Woods of GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI) wishes to destroy the aliens using a destructive weapon called the Zeus cannon.
I have to admit that the plot is not original, but it is told very well. Donald Sutherland provides a wonderful voice-over as Dr. Sid. He’s always had the reputation of being able to sound so wise. He carries the emotional brunt of all of the characters. Everyone else is ok, but can anyone tell me that they’ll watch this movie because of the acting? Mind you, the mood of this film is at times dark and cold, it may upset young ones, and is targeted toward mature audiences. It’s not Disney.
Those familiar with the video game will recognize Sakaguchi’s touches and spirituality. Certain names will sound familiar, even the way some of the characters dress. The underlying theme that he wishes to impart is that technological advances can get you so far… but it is the spirit that truly drives humanity to its full potential. And it is that spirit that will help us reach our dreams. Cynics will not enjoy this movie very much, but its imagery is more than worth seeing. FINAL FANTASY is one of the best movies of the year. And can be described in one word: Visionary.
Posted by FLIPCRITIC at July 11, 2001 12:00 AM