Real Actor or Cartoon Character? Look closely!!! (Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (DVD))

Member Name: ross1979

Product:	Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (DVD)
Date:	20/08/01 (67 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great realistic animation, Tense and interesting

Disadvantages: suspect storyline

Do we still need actors? This question sprung to my mind, with a half-seriousness, while watching 'Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within'. Thankfully, after watching the whole film, the answer remains fairly obvious, but in the future it may require a little more thought.

The computer generated characters in this film are almost scary because they are so realistic. Aki Ross, the main animated star, is proof that computer simulation is again reaching new heights. She has the skin tone, the expressive face, the freckles, the glistening eyes, the movement, etc. It is by no means perfect, but it is getting there.

But was the film, based on the 'final fantasy' computer game, worth anymore than a vehicle for displaying these new found graphical abilities?

The plot is set in the relatively near future where most of Earth is a wasteland after having been invaded by aliens who are capable of infecting humans and of taking their souls. Humans now live in 'New New York city' which is levitating in space, while 'Old New York City' is a high-rise ruin occupied by the seemingly evil spirits.

An army trained to contain and destory the alien spirits is led by captain Gray Edwards, who is voiced by Alec Baldwin. You might remeber, since he has been busy this summer in 'Pearl Harbour' and his voice as Butch in 'Cats and Dogs'. Aki, who's voice is supplied by Ming-Na, is your typical noughties heroine who is beautiful, clever, strong yet with a vulnerability.

The film has an impressive look with a great deal of variation. While it is dull in places, there are interruptions of Aki's dreams where surreal landscapes are filled with hideous, loping creatures charging is a battle-like manner. Furthermore, the facial expressions on some of the animated characters are marvellous. It is fascinating just to watch and admire the effort which must have gone into studying and creating
these expressions. There is occasional coldness in their manner and their movement has lapses of unbelievability, but they are certainly the most convincing animations I have ever seen!

The story unfortunately does serve somewhat as a vehicle for the visual achievements. The typical war-time characters with the noble soldiers, evil generals, and triumph in the face of adversity are all very old hat. It holds your interest most of the time, but there is nothing spectacularly new here.

The surreal dreams which are a link to understanding the alien spirits are one of the most memorable set of scenes in the film. Also, the scenes where the souls leave the human bodies are fairly powerful and the stalking of the humans by the spirits are fairly tense and gripping. Overall, acceptable but no masterpiece!

The attempts at realistic animation does not always work, somewhat thankfully. Right now, we can always tell that a film is animated. But how long before it takes a trained eye to tell the difference?

Summary: