Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
3/4
Starring (voices): Ming-Na, Alec Baldwin, Donald Sutherland, James Woods, Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames
Rated PG-13 for Sci-Fi Action Violence
As computers grow more and more advanced, it became inevitable that Hollywood would try a movie like this: a big-budget animated extravaganza where the characters aren't cute, cuddly and funny. This is not a Disney movie. It's violent, suspenseful and intelligent.
My experiences with the Final Fantasy franchise is limited, but I don't recall any game that had this kind of a plot. In any event, it details the work of scientist Dr. Aki Ross (Ming-Na). She's looking for "spirits" that will help her and her partner, Dr. Sid (Sutherland) end an alien invasion that devastated the planet decades ago. But she is under a time crunch, because her opponent, General Hein (Woods), wants to use the Zeus cannon in a last ditch attempt to wipe out the Phantoms, and that may do more harm than good.
The voice acting is effective. They manage to accomplish what is necessary for a movie like this to succeed: earn our sympathy and not get lost amongst the visuals. Ming-Na, who was famous for playing Dr. Deb Chen on "ER" at the time of the film's release, is usually solid as the idealistic and determined Aki, although she has a few stiff moments. Alec Baldwin, on the other hand, has never been better. He's incredibly sympathetic and heroic (some credit has to go to the animation department, who makes his character, Gray, very studly). Donald Sutherland provides reliable support as the scientist with all the answers. James Woods is adequate. He's too nasty, especially for someone who has his reasons for doing the things that he does. The writing for his character is on the weak side, making him seem like a one-dimensional megalomaniac at times.
Storywise, the film traverses interesting territory. There's no movie that I've seen that has these kinds of ideas. It's a little on the thin side and doesn't always make sense (particularly at the end), but it's definitely interesting. It also doesn't feel like a video game put on screen. The film's plot isn't mindless babble that exists solely to fill space between the action scenes. It takes time to develop characters and a story. This is how you develop a movie from a video game.
But let's not beat around the bush any longer. The animation is incredible. Even today, when a big budget game can boast graphics that are almost life-like, the film's visual appeal is its strongest asset. Not only is it extraordinarily beautiful, but it's inventive. From the city landscapes to the cutscenes on the alien planet, the film is always dazzling to watch.
The film bombed at the box office, which is a shame. I'm not sure why. Were people turned off by the unusual story? Not enough action (doubtful, considering how much there is). But it sucks. Think of what kind of movies we're missing because Hollywood won't try this again.
Starring (voices): Ming-Na, Alec Baldwin, Donald Sutherland, James Woods, Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames
Rated PG-13 for Sci-Fi Action Violence
As computers grow more and more advanced, it became inevitable that Hollywood would try a movie like this: a big-budget animated extravaganza where the characters aren't cute, cuddly and funny. This is not a Disney movie. It's violent, suspenseful and intelligent.
My experiences with the Final Fantasy franchise is limited, but I don't recall any game that had this kind of a plot. In any event, it details the work of scientist Dr. Aki Ross (Ming-Na). She's looking for "spirits" that will help her and her partner, Dr. Sid (Sutherland) end an alien invasion that devastated the planet decades ago. But she is under a time crunch, because her opponent, General Hein (Woods), wants to use the Zeus cannon in a last ditch attempt to wipe out the Phantoms, and that may do more harm than good.
The voice acting is effective. They manage to accomplish what is necessary for a movie like this to succeed: earn our sympathy and not get lost amongst the visuals. Ming-Na, who was famous for playing Dr. Deb Chen on "ER" at the time of the film's release, is usually solid as the idealistic and determined Aki, although she has a few stiff moments. Alec Baldwin, on the other hand, has never been better. He's incredibly sympathetic and heroic (some credit has to go to the animation department, who makes his character, Gray, very studly). Donald Sutherland provides reliable support as the scientist with all the answers. James Woods is adequate. He's too nasty, especially for someone who has his reasons for doing the things that he does. The writing for his character is on the weak side, making him seem like a one-dimensional megalomaniac at times.
Storywise, the film traverses interesting territory. There's no movie that I've seen that has these kinds of ideas. It's a little on the thin side and doesn't always make sense (particularly at the end), but it's definitely interesting. It also doesn't feel like a video game put on screen. The film's plot isn't mindless babble that exists solely to fill space between the action scenes. It takes time to develop characters and a story. This is how you develop a movie from a video game.
But let's not beat around the bush any longer. The animation is incredible. Even today, when a big budget game can boast graphics that are almost life-like, the film's visual appeal is its strongest asset. Not only is it extraordinarily beautiful, but it's inventive. From the city landscapes to the cutscenes on the alien planet, the film is always dazzling to watch.
The film bombed at the box office, which is a shame. I'm not sure why. Were people turned off by the unusual story? Not enough action (doubtful, considering how much there is). But it sucks. Think of what kind of movies we're missing because Hollywood won't try this again.
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