Final Fantasy VII - Advent Children [UMD for PSP] Reviews

• Brings back memories

  
  By A268EEWUXYCA8Q on 2005-09-16
  Cloud, Tifa, Sephiroth, Marlene, Barret, Vincent. The names could go on. This series reigns in many Final Fantasy fans' minds as being the best. Though in recent years a lot of people roll their eyes and say its over-rated (and it might be), for me, and for a lot of fans, Final Fantasy was a turning point in the genre not only in terms of graphics and presentation but also in story. I have been playing video games and RPGs since the very first NES. Final Fantasy VII was the first game that made me stop and go, wait when did a video game become something more than just pushing buttons?
  
  Now we have the official sequel, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Advent Children is basically a love note written for the fans of VII. Those who did not invest 40, 50, 60+ hours into the game will probably have no interest in it. But those who were shocked when (should I even say spoiler?) Sephiroth murders Aeris, who have a deep connection to the characters, and over the 40-60+ hours grew so attached to them that to this day they still draw fan art or look for that elusive way to get Aeris back in game(it doesn't exist lol), this movie will mean something.
  
  AC is a beautiful CG movie taking place two years after the events of FFVII. While the ending of VII was climactic and exhilerating and provided a resolution of sorts to the people of Midgar, it did not provide a resolution, happy or not, for Cloud. In fact, it left him empty and hurt as we find in the beginning of AC. What AC does is finish Cloud's story. Another reviewer here made a comment that he liked FFVII's ending. I do too, don't get me wrong. But the one thing it didn't do was end Cloud's story. Its not that there was an unhappy ending; to me, there really was no ending to his story. As I said, AC ends Cloud's story with a bang. And it is damn well worth the wait.
  
  I don't think it would be right of me to talk about what happens in AC. Part of the fun and surprise is to see how well it fits together, brings memories of the video game and works to create an emotional core. I will keep the review as spoiler free as possible because I know I'm tired of reading reviews where people stick in something that can ruin the whole movie.
  
  For those who didn't play or watch FFVII, this movie will not have much resonance. Like I said when I began, this movie is basically for the fans, both die-hard and casual. Those who loved FFVII will more than likely love this movie. AC is basically an action movie and the action is spectacular although the slow motion was used (while effectively) a little much. The sword play, the battles and the action is all directed with style oozing everywhere. The characters are all animated exceedingly well and the animators did a great job in making PS1 characters into spectacular CG. The musical score varies for me from being excellent to just okay. By far, the best moments are ones I can't talk about aurally for fear of spoiling surprises. Needless to say, the music is at its greatest when it brings in hints of FFVII, the video game.
  
  There are a lot of connections to both VII and the final fantasy series as a whole. From moogle dolls to The Turks, the game oozes both FFVII and FF; although I was disappointed in not seeing any chocobos, there are a few moments that made up for it. One in particular revolves around the games End Battle Theme. Hillarious, laugh out loud scene. There are some minor annoyances. A couple of the scenes felt episodic and not connected. Some scenes were directed very well and lead into each other or intercut between each other. But there are a couple scenes that stand out because they didn't feel attached to what was going on. In fact, it felt as if they were cutscenes from a video game. Did this detract from the movie? Not in the least, but its there nonetheless.
  
  What surprised me the most with this movie is that it wasn't done to milk the saga. I mean, of course its there to make money, and FFVII is a great way to do it because of fans' love for it. Anything in the business world is made around making money. But what I mean exactly is best represented in FFX-2. I am one who did not find FFX-2 at all interesting. In fact it is the only FF game I gave up on. It felt like it was a way of milking FFX for a little more money while the wait for FFXII kept getting longer and longer. However, AC is so intrinsically related to VII that it has a heart and emotion that I haven't seen in many movies released this year. I felt chills from the very opening moments as the narrator explained some of the events from VII and we see a flashback of Sephiroth standing in front of flames. And that was just the start of the thrills; there are scenes both emotional and thrilling to be found throughout the 1 hour 40 minutes of the film. And what satisfied me above all else was that Cloud's story finally received a perfect resolution.
  
  I think most fans have been hoping and wishing that Aeris would return and I think the creators give a great answer to this in this movie. I won't spoil the ending, I won't tell you who does and doesn't return. But I will tell you the resolution is damn well awesome and probably the most satisfying ending to what is by far many people's favorite (if cliched) choice for the Final Fantasy series. I do need to make a plea and I apologize for it, but if you downloaded this movie (like a certain reviewer did ^^) please support it when it comes out here in the States and buy it. We need to show support to Square-Enix that this is the kind of sequel we want to see. They spent a long time and a lot of money making a movie that is direct to DVD here in the states. We need to return the favor and support it.
  
  Square-Enix, my hats off to you for handling this with flair, tenderness and sympathy for the characters.
  
  

• Purely beautiful

  
  By A18MTD3VK78OKH on 2005-09-16
  I ordered the Japanese DVD and am glad for it.
  
  This movie takes place a few years after the FFVII game, with Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Cid, Red XII, Cait, Yuffie, and Vincent in the cast.
  
  After the fight in the end of Final Fantasy VII, some of the children around Midgar have become infected with cells of Jenova. But then the three silver haired men show up in search for their "mother" Jenova, with the cast of Final Fantasy standing in their way. It's up to Cloud and the gang to stop more battles from breaking out.
  
  The graphics of this movie are purely beautiful that any one would enjoy. They're not the cartoony type from Disney, nor anime, but something that people would expect from SquareEnix. I highly recommend this movie, even though those who haven't played the game might just like the graphics.
  
  

• A storytelling black hole. Devoid of any heart, depth, or solid direction.

  
  By A37G6UPLDGH81P on 2006-01-17
  Back in the summer of 2001, Hironobu Sakaguchi released the first movie to bear the final fantasy moniker. It was a film that had a quality storyline, brilliant direction that segued from subtlety, to using scenes that involved symbolism in their imagery to communicate emotion, as well as scenes of subtlety and scenes of flat out action. But it was also an animated film released to the western world, with preconceptions that all animated fare is for children. It also lacked any real references to past final fantasy titles, so the video game crowd avoided it. Video Game films also have a rather poor history so the general movie going audience avoided it. Which left a rather small portion of the movie going audience that were open minded or adventurous enough to view this film. Sadly, this film performed poorly at the box office. The ramifications of this poor performance resulted in Hironobu Sakaguchi eventually leaving square to form his own company, and now Tetsuya Nomura throws in his cinematic attempt into the film making industry. So how does Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children stack up?
  
  One would be correct in stating that Advent Children deftly avoids all the mistakes that Spirits Within Made. Its marketing and advertising has been in full blitz for the past few years, making sure the gaming audience knows full well about this product. It is also a direct continuation of Final Fantasy VII, the Final Fantasy game that while being slightly simpler and having a story of lesser mature impact then past Final Fantasy titles before it, managed to introduce the mainstream gaming audience to RPG's with its THEN groundbreaking cinema's and uncanny Hollywood direction. So the target audience is getting a film that they can immediately identify with and access immediately, this is all well and good. But while Advent Children succeeds where spirits within failed, it also retroactively stumbles where Spirits Within succeeded.
  
  Spirits within had a labyrinthine tale of faith, hope, meaning, loss. It was a well told tale that had just enough substance too it to make you think if you bothered to try. It also had stellar direction, and a deft hand at storytelling that rarely missed a beat or lead you down a path that didn't have meaning to the overall tale. Advent Children on the other hand, feels like it was written by an eight year old. The film starts out interestingly enough, with a disease ravaging the planet known as geostigma. The story implies that geostigma is fatal, and remarkably painful. This is where the storytelling and direction initially fall apart. Rarely is geostigma shown to be horrid or frightening. The most affecting scene would be the films main character, Cloud Strife, having a seizure in his arm before passing out in a peaceful looking slumber. He is in no way debilitated by the disease, as the film shows him early on fighting with uncanny ability. Nor is it ever shown to have any major symptoms. A deft storyteller would attempt to make the audience feel the characters afflicted by showing gruesome deaths or other frightening ailments. We never see any such signs, thus resulting in whatever emotional pathos we might have felt being rendered unfeelable.
  
  The film also makes many more storytelling missteps. Cloud is also suffering from a sort of Survivors guilt, as in the original story of FFVII he saw his love interest murdered before his eyes, and feels it is his fault and wants forgiveness. He mopes and pontificates throughout most of the film, and while I wont spoil how, the resolution of this inner conflict comes with a verbal exchange that lasts less then 15 seconds. It feels as though both the script writer and director were both tired of this plot thread, and decided to dispose of it immediately rather then have it play out to any real conclusion.
  
  Sadly, the story devolves into the use of Deus Ex Machina for the resolution of its major crisis points conflicts, with the use of a spirit from one one FFVII's deceased characters showing up frequently towards the end, taking on solid form to help out in a battle, resurrecting a slain character, as well as treating injuries and tending to sick children in full physical form. How a character that has been dead for two years do so much, I'm not sure. The film starts off with simple spectral visitations, then loses control and has said character resolve all dramatic points to result in a happy ending instead of one with some dramatic meaning.
  
  Ive gone on length about the story, and Advent Children is a film that seems to pride itself on its action scenes. These too are seemingly lacking any real care or thought. The character of Tifa has an early scene where she battles one of the three new villains, in a contest of physical and martial ability. This scene makes constant use of slow motion, and camera pans. The action will constantly slow down as the two characters charge or prepare to deliver a blow, then speeds up to the point where the blow and several followups are all delivered in less then a seconds time. The animation quality in this scene is atrocious, and feels more like a slide show interspersed with scenes that are played out in fast forward. And whenever both combatants animate, its done in the fast forward sense, or is done with motion blurs. The slow motion blurs imitate The matrix films use of bullet time, but they don't use it anywhere near as effectively. The overall effect is ameteurish and silly looking. And the scene itself has numerous moments where still shots of the characters move using the blur effect, which is as undescribably awful to watch as it is laughable.
  
  Following combat scenes are also similarly disjointed and bordering on nonsensical. Cloud Runs along tree's at a vertical angle as if he is spiderman, and hovers in the air for a considerable passage of time while deflecting assaults from an attacker. There are numerous influences in the film making, most notably from Hong Kong cinema such as Wuxia (Fantasy type martial arts films, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero would both be considered Wuxia) and John Woo's Hong Kong work are all referenced, but it is never imitated effectively, but rather it seems as though the director (Nomura be thy name) watched various trailers from some top ranked HK films and Japanese anime, and tried to emulate the brief moments of genious without any idea of the substance behind it. There is a scene late in the film that unashamedly imitated Iron Monkey's final fight scene, with combatants leaping from structure to narrow structure, and catching companions who are in danger of falling and hurling them to safer footing or to a better attack position. But where iron monkey used this dynamic sparingly, Advent Children takes things into the absurd with each character seemingly taking turns throwing and being thrown.
  
  Aurally the film is a mixed bag, I respect composer Uematsu as a composer, but he's done better. This is mostly due to the fact that almost 1/3 of the tracks in AC are remixes from the game. Nobuo Uematsu is a composer that has had his works performed in live symphonies, wasting such a talent by just using a large amount of remixes is a waste of his talents. By and large the new works from Uematsu just do not stand out very much. One gets the impression of a half hearted work ethic out of Uematsu this time around, which is understandable considering his having left square, and his work on AC was either due to a fat paycheque or contractual obligations. There are a few instances of flash and his typical charisma, but they are few and far between.
  
  Seeing all the high ratings for Advent Children, one can only assume that people out there must really like the game of Final Fantasy VII, or be unfamiliar with much of Hong Kong Cinema, and easily impressed by the imitation of its flash, without the substance. The story is trite and shallow, the dialogue is laughable and has a childs feel. In one scene where a group of children are kidnapped, the character of Tifa (who is now clouds love interest) takes time out worrying about the fate of the children and nags cloud about why he doesn't respond to her phone calls, and why he spends so much time alone. I had to replay the scene multiple times because not only is she nagging at him about everything under the sun, going on a mile a minute, but some of the dialogue was so trite I laughed at how silly the film was getting, when it was trying to be poignant and meaningful.
  
  I don't think Im asking too much for action scenes to have some semblance of direction, for animation to have a consistent quality to it, for the story to be able to have some semblance of depth and logic, Advent Children lacks any of this. There are some moments of entertainment to be had, as the background characters of the Turks (think of an organized secret police of a large company) are amusing and have some great lines and scenes. But they all come in too late, and do too little to save this disaster. I've always found Tetsuya Nomura to be an inferior director and storyteller to Hironobu Sakaguchi, but his work in past video games easily surpasses his attempt to create a motion picture. Advent Children is less a film and more of one mans Final Fantasy VII fanfiction brought to life. I don't mind being the odd reviewer out by recommending this film be avoided at all costs.
  
  

• About Release Date...

  
  By A2OL4H8WTM3ACM on 2006-01-07
  I actually e-mailed Amazon about the release date to find out about it, and they simply stated that there no longer IS a release date yet. So they replaced it with 2010. When they are updated with the information, the new release date will be posted. So I suppose you just have to keep on checking this page to find out.
  
  As for the date being pushed back, perhaps they want to release the movie out to theatres in the states first? I have no idea. Just a guess :)
  
  

• And you thought FF: The Spirits Within was bad...

  
  By A1RP4LYW4C85S2 on 2005-11-22
  First off let me say that I'm a *huge* fan of the PlayStation game in which this is based on and I'm an even bigger fan of all things CGI. Naturally, when I had the opportunity to see this a couple of weeks ago (Japanese release borrowed from a friend) I was thrilled. Alas, I was *hugely* disappointed. Final Fantasy: Advent Children is nothing more than a long and boring series of ridiculously complicated action sequences designed merely to show off what the animators could do with a computer, and woven together by *very short* bits of stupid, incomprehensible dialogue. To say the plot is weak and makes no sense would be the understatement of the year: THERE IS NO PLOT.
  
  HERE BE SPOILERS:
  
  At one point in the "movie" a bunch of kids are abducted and hypnotized into some sort of trance with no one bothering to even try to explain the purpose of such action. Later, a big monster shows up in the middle of Midgar and starts obliterating people and buildings left and right (yeah, think Godzilla) for no other apparent reason than to have an excuse for the heroes of the game to pop out of nowhere and save the day in the most absurd action sequence EVER -without even saying 'Hello' to each other first. Oh, and remember the kids in trance? Well, they miraculously snap out of it, again with no explanation
  
  Anyhow...my final advise is stay off this title. If you're nostalgic about the game and definitely need to see it, borrow it from a friend like I did or get a bootleg copy. This is NOT worth your money.
  
  R.V.
  
  
• What is wrong with these people?
  By A2ZS8TWUL1QTRH on 2005-09-24
  I can't believe all of these rave reviews of this movie. To me, I think it is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. I myself have played the Final Fantasy 7 game to death and know who everyone is already. I am a big fan of the game since it has a decent story, but FF7 Advent Children fell way short for me.
  
  The major problem with the movie is it is predictable beyond all reason. The plot was basically a repeat of a dummied down version of the game. The only major difference is there is a virus Geostigma killing those who have Jenova's cells within them, Cloud has a couple of kids, and there isn't a gigantic meteor coming to destroy the world. There were no twists, the plot was extrememly linear and unoriginal. How many movies have the bad guys taking advantage of little children? How many movies have copied fight scenes from The Matrix? How many movies have a bad guy who's sanity is questionable? The answer to that is TOO MANY.
  
  I found it sad about how the movie handled all of the heros. You find out nothing about what happened during the past two years of their life. I guess nothind did since they just popped into the movie to save the day when the big bad monster appeared. I also found it strange how Cloud was still moping over the death of Aerith, and didn't want to fight. The movie gave no explanation why he became such a sissy in the past two years in the first place- no tramatic events, nothing.
  
  If you want the plot here it is- three guys like Sephiroth search for Jenova. They attack the heros. The badies steal several children. Another fight like The Matrix. The bad guys summon a big bad monster which the good guys beat. Then the badies find Jenova's head. Sephiroth comes back to destroy the world and gets beaten by Cloud again. All the people are cured from their virus by magical water and happily ever after.
  
  The only reason to watch this movie is to say that you have. The 3D graphics are good. Some of the visuals were stunning, but then again there was nothing original. You aren't missing out on much.
  
  
• Sequel to a Masterpiece, yet a Horrible Movie
  By AUX5AV1NK1U8Z on 2006-04-28
  While this may be the sequel to the video game masterpiece Final Fantasy VII, its merits as a movie are few. The plot is void of all key ingredients that make a movie fun; there is no direction in this movie that makes you care about these people; and the acting (shared in part by the movie's direction, its "actor" voice-overs, and the computer graphics themselves) leaves this piece in the dust. Not even the fight scenes help this movie -- which are not well choreographed or very believable -- even with a dose of fantasy.
  
  While this movie may excel at showcasing computer animation, they almost get in the way of you wanting to put your heart in this movie. The stark contrast between engineering hair to fall perfectly with the laws of physics and the lack of attention to the things that really matter in a movie will keep fans of Final Fantasy VII from putting their heart in this movie.
  
  In short, those that played the Final Fantasy VII game will find this movie inadequate and almost insulting -- resembling a Saturday-morning cartoon based on an epic masterpiece.
  
  Those that have never played the game will be completely lost. At least they can just say its a horrible movie without facing the feeling of a broken heart delivered in the form of watching their favorite gaming epic utterly insulted.
  
  
• Exactly what I expected.
  By A29EAS376WQNWI on 2005-09-16
  First, I'll say that I got exactly what I expected out of it, which was a fairly neat, albeit brainless, action flick. By brainless, I mean exactly that. The entire movie is a blatant deus ex machina designed to bring back Sephiroth for one last fight, so there's absolutely no new character development. In the end, Advent Children is nothing but a glorified side story because none of the plot threads left hanging in the game are resolved.
  
  The CG is impressive, but the detail on the characters is a noticable step back from what was seen in The Spirits Within, although their movements are much cleaner. The biggest problem with the movie is the direction of the fight scenes. Camera angles change horrendously fast in an attempt to make the action seem more frenetic, but it winds up just making certain scenes jumbled and confusing and detracts heavily from the overall experience.
  
  Basically, the tone of it is exactly what you'd expect from a Final Fantasy movie and it's precisely what fans have been clamoring for. It's fast-paced and very fantasy-oriented, even going so far as to include summons and limit breaks from the game. However, as a serious film, it falls very flat compared to The Spirits Within, which does stand on its own as a fairly engaging piece of filmmaking, even if it wasn't to the liking of Final Fantasy fans.
  
  Also, don't think that giving me Not Useful ratings is hurting my feelings in any way. All it does is prove my superiority over fanboys/fangirls who don't realize that the point here isn't to praise the thing, but to share our thoughts on it. If my objective opinion threatens you so much, you're barking up the wrong tree in your attempt at revenge.
  
  
• Where is this suppossed movie?
  By A11F9E2UH0HQYZ on 2006-01-23
  This is total(place imaginative word here)! Where is the movie? I ordered it before it was to come out in 2006 and now it says 2010! Thats NOT what I ordered. Who orders a movie 4 YEARS BEFORE ITS PUT OUT!? No one! Thats why it is incredibly stupid that they pushed it back! I urge others who ordered it to write and ask whats going on. Dont order this movie from Amazon because you could probly find it out EARLIER somewhere else!
  
  
• A note for those unfamiliar with Sony's landmark RPG game...
  By A3G2G872VHVJMA on 2006-07-06
  As an avid FFVII player & fan, I could easily dribble 5000 words on the beautiful animation and incredible fight sequences. However, most (if not in all probability all) of those who have never even heard of Cloud and Sephiroth are going to have trouble following along. I really wanted my girlfriend to watch it with me so I took about 40 minutes to prep her for what she finally understood to be the sequel to the game (this was extremely tough considering the game can easily take about 99 hours of thorough playing to finish). And alas!, even with the summary and endless answering to a barrage of questions like "What is mako?", "What is Jenova?", "Sephiroth's will?", she still didn't quite understand what the movie was about. In the end, my desperate and equally futile attempt in proving her time wasn't wasted sounded something like, "Well the fighting was cool wasn't it?".
  
  My own personal disappointment was that the English dialogue differed so greatly from the Japanese version. While neither were great in and of themselves, the Japanese dialogue was superior to the cheesier and sometimes dorky English version. (The only improvement, in my opinion, in the Japanese to English voiceover was the actor who spoke for Vincent. Good voice for dark character.)
  
  All in all, this is a movie exclusively for FFVII aficionados (like me), CGI fans, and anyone who really appreciates excellent fantasy fight sequences--and for good reason, the creators didn't attempt to pander to any other target audience.
  
  Conclusion. If you fit one of the people groups above, have at it. Otherwise, sidestep what you probably couldn't appreciate.
  
  
• About the release date typo (and more)
  By A2ROLZYQ9K053O on 2006-01-03
  For everyone that's groaning about the 2010 release date - it's a typo. All you have to do is check the Internet Movie Database (the official public database for the industry, found at www.imdb.com) and check the release dates section for this title and you'll see that the proper US release date is January 10, 2006 (it's at the bottom of the release dates list).
  
  Okay, for the actual review, I've seen an import version of this and absolutely loved it!! I never actually played the original video game, and only really know a little bit about it, but I was able to keep up with the story just fine. The graphics are absolutely gorgeous, the music sucks you in...
  
  Yeah, I didn't even have to think twice about pre-ordering this.
  
  
• Wow... what a disappointment!!
  By AXH0UZUZ7GFZK on 2006-05-03
  The CG animation is good, but that's the only thing good about the entire movie. At least in Final Fantasy:The Spirits Within, it felt like a movie because it had a decently written script. The script is the worst part of the movie. The dialogue is mundane, cheesy, and all-around just horrible. The plot is hard to follow because the movie is more about showing off it's animation than it is about the storyline. When an entire scene is supposed to be understood by a character saying a few words, rather than descriptive dialogues, monologues, etc. like a movie is supposed to be, you get lost in the scene's meaning.
  
  I love the music from the FF series, but it just does not work for a movie. They should have hired someone to write a decent score because the entire movie seemed so dull without one. The mastering was horrible too and the sound effects were so cheesy that I had to force myself to watch the whole movie. When a character is in the heat of battle and says something... how about making it seem believable??? How about screaming it, or at least putting some sort of emotion behind it?? It's not supposed to sound like some dude sitting in a lounge chair reading a dull book. There was no excitement in any of the actors' voices at any point in the entire movie. I have never been so embarrassed on behalf of a movie company because the sound editing and mastering was absolutely horrible.
  
  This could have been done SO much better if they had hired someone who knew how to write a screenplay. Japan needs to stick to video games and leave movie-making to Hollywood. Square-Enix destroyed any potential that this movie had. The two hour movie was so boring it fel like 30 hours (like the game) but nowhere close to being as exciting as the game. I have been looking forward to a sequal to FF7 for so long and this is the biggest disappointment I could have imagined.
  
  
• What?
  By A2V54GHPYD3VI2 on 2007-03-07
  First of all, let me make clear where I stand/my pov. I'm a female college student who DID play FFVII not when it came out. I played it a year or two ago. I really liked FFVII.
  
  I did not like this film, however. Like I wrote in my blog, this film is about 100 minutes long and approximately 70 minutes are action sequences, 20 minutes are flashbacks and 10 minutes are plot related. There was almost NO plot what-so-ever. (Lol because of this negative response, watch the "helpfulness" meter above become very low... that always seems to happen with people who don't like something.) Final Fantasy is always known for it's great character interactions and story and I think the FF team tried to make up for FF Spirits Within by doing the complete opposite. FFSW was all plot, FFVII is all action, no plot.
  
  The action, however, was very good. I loved how they translated the gameplay into action sequences. I really enjoyed how they got past the jumping high in the air by doing throws for the limit break (I forgot what it is called in FFVII).
  
  *Possible Spoiler Here*
  But the plot was terrible. I REALLY wish they could have gotten equal parts plot and action. The only thing I got out of the plot (besides Kadaj and what he was doing, etc) was that Cloud says "I'm weak" at one point and then says "I'm strong" at another, and I'm thinking "WHAT? When did the transition take place? During the flashbacks which were almost carbon copies of the scenes in the game?" He just SAYS "I'm weak/strong" and as a watcher you're supposed to believe it immediately.
  *End Possible Spoiler*
  
  There were so many action sequences, believe it or not, I GOT BORED of them. While they were really cool in themselves, it's like watching Die Hard a billion times in a row. Seeing the same thing for a LONG time makes you bored.--Lol though I must admit Seph was a sexy beast hahhaa!
  
  The only thing that is really worth watching other than playing the game is Final Fantasy VII: The Last Order... Clears things up about the game. Don't think its on this US copy, I thought it might be on the Japanese one... but this new Limited Edition set might have it. If not, search around online.
  
  
• Visually Stunning, Intellectually Stunted
  By A3CFLF2860HEYG on 2006-05-10
  As a fan of the original game, I felt compelled to inform other fans about my opinions regarding this movie, as reviews for this movie seem overly positive. First of all, let me say that I played, played, and replayed FFVII at the age of 17 when it was first released for the PC. I appreciated a lot of things about the game but what I liked most was the storyline, and how it resembled a classic mythological tale. I heard information about the movie's development a long time ago, saw the various trailers, and was very excited and waited in anticipation for the release date, which was delayed time and time again.
  
  On the movie itself, there are two areas where this movie truly excels: action, and visuals. When it comes to action this movie certainly doesn't disappoint. The classic FFVII fight music plays for many of the battles (nostalgic for some, predictable for others) and swords clash with amazing speed. The visuals are also truly stunning. I've always appreciated the animation style of SquareSoft and particularly enjoyed a realistic rendition of these mainly androgynous Caucasian cartoon characters.
  
  Aside from the ludicrous and hard-to-follow fight scenes, there was very little else to hold the movie together. It was very difficult to tell what was going on in the movie, even for a person that studied the mythological structure of FFVII. The lines were dry and consisted mostly of dramatic exclamation of character's names. Add that to the bad English voice acting and it's almost unbearable.
  
  The edits in this movie needed serious work. If you're a sugar-pumped teenager with ADD you might call the edits fast-paced. If you're not, they're choppy, underdeveloped, and agonizingly jarring. I don't always need to see a different camera angle every two seconds, and would prefer more time to take in all the imagery that I'm being presented with.
  
  Overall, I thought this film deserved two stars because while its visuals and nostalgic value may be it's only saving grace, they are nevertheless secondary to plotline and pacing, which were in serious short supply.
  
  Maybe I'm getting old. Maybe my taste for film has refined some since I was 17. Maybe this movie's not meant for mature audiences. If so please disregard my review and purchase this movie. However, if you are considering purchasing this movie and are over the age of 20, please take my review to heart before making this purchase.
  
  
• "Sadness was the price to see it end"
  By A1M4NJYP0WNL8Q on 2006-09-25
  Set two years after the conclusion of the FF VII console game, this story picks up when a new disease, Geostigma, seems to be infecting the world. Most believe that it is further proof that the world has rejected humanity. Cloud Strife, the conflicted hero of the original game has chosen to live a solitary life, unwilling to take action because of his part in the tragic events of the game. But an attack as he returns to Midgard, and pressure from such disparate folks as Tifa Lockhart and Rufus Shinra, begins to draw him out of his shell. Three brothers Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz are searching for 'mother,' the remains of Jenova, the alien life form that nearly destroyed the planet, in order to resurrect Sephiroth. When they kidnap the children of Midgard to further their aims, Cloud goes into action. Still fighting his own internal battles the ex-SOLDIER pitches in with a vengeance, sensing that this is his last opportunity for healing.
  
  That, and about an hour of running battles is the plot of the film. More than enough, by the way, to give every Final Fantasy fan in the universe a hundred minutes of fun, thrills, and even a few carefully hidden tears. I would never have expected that a CGI recreation of what was one of the best of the games to be even better than the game it was modeled upon. Directors Tetsuya Nomura and Takeshi Nozue are geniuses, plain and simple. The graphics are pure Final Fantasy, but rather than push for hyper-detailed style that CGI often uses, the film maintains a slightly soft focus and pays great care to the naturalness and expressiveness of the characters. Except when they are leaping and racing about during fights. In the latter case prepare yourself from some truly delightful choreography. So what, after all, if Cloud gets boosted a couple thousand feet in the air in a blazing example of teamwork, it's great to watch him take a the monster apart.
  
  A big surprise is the acting. Both the Japanese version and the English dubbing are excellent. I experienced no disconnect whatever between what I expected the characters to sound like and what they did sound like. This, coupled with the fluid animation, creates an unusual level of realism. The music was 'good enough' but not up to the par of the rest of the production. For an interesting insight in how far animation has come take a look at the excerpts from the original game. FF VII was the first games to start setting the bar for console games, but there is still a long way to go before FF X or the soon to be released FF XII. Yet it's impossible to deny the playability of the game itsel, and this film proves that even an old story can wear new clothes.
  
  
• Best CG Movie of 2005
  By A1HWIRN8WLV0Z1 on 2005-09-14
  This was imho the best CG movie of the year. As an avid Final Fantasy fan, I can say that if you've played the original game you MUST see this movie.
  
  I'm sure many of you have seen the blasphemy that was The Spirits Within. If you're expecting it to be as boring and overdramatic... no. Each scene is filled with action and blessed eye-candy, and I must say this was worth the seven or eight year wait (since the original PlayStation game). The plot IS deep, and fills in nearly all of the plot-holes the original game left open.
  
  I do wish SQEX would have used the other characters more (ie. Cid, Yuffie, Barret, Vincent, Red XII, and Reeve/Cait Sith), however with all of the pluses to this movie I would hardly consider the lack of appearences from the other characters a huge drawback.
  
  Even if you haven't played the game, you will be pleased by all you see. I suggest this to everyone looking for a good action or CG movie. It really is just that awesome.
  
  
• Overhyped
  By A6TC3WKRT4ON2 on 2005-09-28
  As is the case with all films based on popular genre, the initial reaction is that a certain film is the best thing in the world. This was said about Tomb Raider when it first came out, and seeing how quickly it went to video is testament to the phenomenon that a big license adaptation on film gets rave reviews in the first week from the fanboys who waited on their heels for 4 years to see it. Then in the second week, the regular Joes see it as being nothing all too spectacular.
  
  It's also a bit unfair in this regard. The fanboys are going to see this film, and think it's stupendous just because it contains all their favorite characters. Therefore, the movie rests on a cushion of egocentric praise constructed by such people who are obviously biased in favor towards the film. Therefore, the genuine critics and movie fanatics will see it with the expectation of being blown away, and think it's the pits.
  
  I guess I can't blame people for automatically gawking over the spectacular special effects that saturate this film, but as we have seen in recent years with big budget films such as "Fantastic Four", there is such thing as overkill. The movie is unfortunately wraught with excessive technical effects, such as unnecessary camera movements through the 3d environment, flare effects, and facetious usage of the dreaded "bullet time".
  
  The only thing this movie has going for it is the resurgence of the old characters, even though their dialogue and actions aren't really in the same consistent character as it was in the game. Again, I can't blame people for overlooking the complete lack of character depth and development, because Advent Children at least fits the bill for fulfilling the demographic's strong desire to see their favorite FF7 heroes in full high resolution glory.
  
  Animation is quirky at times, either an element of lackluster model rigging or obtuse timing between keyframes. You know, the technical stuff that doesn't come together, resulting in an effect that frequently breaks the audiences' voluntary temporary dismissal of reality.
  
  It's very good fanservice, and is probably going to be idolized by fans of the genre, as well as those who felt that the first Final Fantasy movie was good. But it's fanservice nonetheless, and nothing more. A brainless plot achieves its complete delivery halfway through, petering out during the second half leaving only a predictable turn of events that even the most novice anime efficienado can see coming from miles away. The characters remain static throughout, undergoing no personal change or revelation on their own part, again leaving for an unfulfilling movie experience.
  
  It's a chocolate easter bunny. Looks delicious on the outside, but it's completely empty on the inside. After applying some heated observation, it begins to melt. I would give it 3 stars for being merely subpar, but seeing as this took four years to create, it's getting a very generous 2.
  
  
  
  Pros: Spectacular visual effects in parts. It's not as excrutiating as Spirits Within.
  
  Cons: Story is lacking in many parts, and suffers from continuity in a few parts. English voice acting is, as expected, attrocious. Some very hokey lines. Cliche. Predictable. Zero drive to watch it again. Awful cinematography. Quirky animation.
  
  Watch this if: You're an avid FF7 fan who just has to see everything associated with the series, and doesn't in the least care about story. Plus, if you have a Blockbuster card available, this is definitely rental material.
  
  
• 4 Years of waiting. Worth every SECOND!
  By A2S371TCQEG3W3 on 2005-11-16
  For the sake of all those waiting for the English release, I won't spoil anything ^.~
  
  The pure greatness of this release can only be seen through the sheer multitude of fans crowding into an already packed theater for a showing.
  
  As a fangirl who has been eagerly awaiting the release since it was announced several years ago (and threw a fit each of the four or five times it was delayed), I've seen the movie 23 times and I have not tired of it yet. However, the best way to describe the movie without any spoilers is through the fans themselves.
  
  At Anime Weekend Atlanta XI (2005), two showings of a Subtitled FFVII: Advent Children were scheduled at 11pm and 1 am. Needless to say, the room was packed for the first showing as soon as the doors were opened an hour prior. I believe the seating capacity was 250. They stuffed in 400. The second showing, which I went to, was a bit less crowded being so late/early. 280 people. I honestly believe that no one left the theater dissapointed.
  
  "To those who loved this world and have spent their time together with their companions in this world in the past: reunite once again to endure this time".
  Such I cheer I never again want to hear. I think I went deaf for a moment or so.
  
  From those words to the end of the credits, everyone was either on the edge of their seat or had already fallen out of it.
  
  Unlike the "Spirits Within" movie that flopped a few years back, this is true Final Fantasy. New-gen fans cheered at the familiar attacks and moves straight from the ps1 game. The stunning graphics and the rendering of their beloved characters in fluid CGI brought many veteran fanboys to tears.
  
  Anyone who's seen it can probably keenly recall Cloud's last fight against a certain spoilerific character. The fans were screaming from "It's been a while, Cloud" to "I... will not become a mere memory". In particular, it's easy to recall the last few moments of the battle. Once everyone realized what was going on, the entire theater was up on their feet roaring to the very last.
  
  We laughed, we cried (okay, -I- cried), someone shouted "OMG RUFUS GOT HOT!", and some other randomness, but it was a great end to Saturday night and one I won't readily forget.
  
  
• Not worth it
  By AMEZ9L5UAIDL0 on 2006-04-13
  Take a deep, dramatic, great RPG, change the story completely into a shallow unending fight scene, compress the approximately 60 hours of the game into 2, and you'll have Advent Children.
  
  
• It's missing the 30min animated feature
  By AEWPWQ8L1B3QK on 2006-04-19
  I've seen the Japanese version of this. In the Japanese version, there's an extra 30min hand-animated (an in not CG) prequel, that was absolutely excellent. It was much better than the main feture imo. Unfortunately, Squeenix (Square/Enix) has decided to screw us over, and not release it over here. Well, to that I say SCREW YOU Squeenix!! I will not be buying this tripe.
  
  Wait for the Super-Extra Bonus Edition, or whatever, to come out, that will include the 30min extra.
  
  
• The Fainl Fantasy you've been waiting for
  By A3V74GEOUUDAJE on 2005-11-17
  I bought this movie and had high expectations for it. ALthough I did not put it in my dvd player for about two days, I was happy when I did.
  The Story
  Kadag, Loz and Yazoo are all searching for Jenova's lost head through cloud. They refer to CLoud as big brother.
  Kadag seems to be able to summon creatures called shadow creepers and a large behemoth called bathomet or something. The fight scenes are very impressive. Some of the best moments in the movie are with REno and Rude of the Turks. I was laughing real hard when they appear on screen. Their are little moments in the film that you'll have to watch for, like when Tifa is fighting Loz in the church and he is buried under some debris, his cell phone starts ringing. Listen real careful to his ring tone, although I'm sure you'll hear it anyway.
  I bought the single edition, but I'm going to buy the Double disk edition if it ever comes out ino America. The two disk set is worth waiting for because it has an anime on it about when Cloud and Zac were traveling alone and when Septhiroth finds out that he is descended from Jenova. This movie is a must have for any Final Fantasy VII fan.
  
  
• NICE TO LOOK AT, BUT THATS IT!!!!!!!!
  By A38U4RFKWNL6OH on 2006-05-02
  No doubt this is one beautiful movie to look at, that's where it ends. Fight scenes are so fast and all over the place you cant even keep up, it's flashing pictures going so fast it gives you a headache!!!!! And the plot, let's not even go there, because unless your some Final Fantasy Zombie Fanatic you dont know whats going on, you feel like you walked in the middle of a story and your job is to figure it out. Sorry but unless your part of the Final Fantasy Zombie Fanatic FAN BASE you might wan't to stay clear of this one.
  
  
• God, this movie sucked.
  By A2D63YVNIA9027 on 2006-05-03
  I can't beleive a lot of people were waiting years for this piece of junk. This could of been released in a week. Don't they know the Matrix got old already? This is nothing but stupid unrealistic action with people literally flying and the slow motion to boot. Advent Children is no where near as cool as it thinks it is.
  
  Bottom line, this movie has disappointment written all over it. And even hardcore Final Fantasy 7 fans who won't admit it, will get bored of it soon. There is one scene that stands out as even more ridiculous than the rest and that's hard to accomplish trust me. It's where cloud jumpes into the air and flys up for miles and miles I mean the scene takes like 5 minutes. It gets better the other FFVII characters all happend to be on higher ground and as cloud reaches each one of them, they give him a hand by grabbing his hand and tossing him up higher.
  
  
  
• ABOUT TIME!!
  By A3EXLYISGHAN9J on 2007-01-22
  I have waited for this since the movie came out in America. I had bought the Japanese boxset (370$ mind you) and have refused to buy the American release until a boxset came out here as well.
  
  Though you don't get nearly as much as the Japanese boxset this is something a TRUE Final Fantasy VII fan should have. Granted last year they came out with a "Special Edition" and most fans have this, but if you're a true FF7 collector this boxset should be added to your collection.
  
  After this comes out now I just wait for FF7:AC-COMPLETE-, The Japanese Special edition that has more scenes, more battle sequences and better graphics.
  
  
• Great Movie.
  By A3KVVOV9ZWBH7I on 2005-09-16
  I believe this to be a great movie that went far beyond my expectations. I thought it was gonna be just an action movie, but the story was actually quite engrossing, this may just be because I love the Final Fantasy series, with VII being my favorite. The story will most definitely lose people that don't know the story of the game at all. The 3d was incredible and keeps the characters extremely close to their playstation game counterparts while still being very realistic. I personally think it was much better than TSW and that the action scenes were well done. Don't get me wrong, I found TSW to be a very good movie. This movie may not be for the fans, but for ANYONE that has played even a portion of the game, this movie is a must-see.
  
  
• Very disappointing...
  By A1M29FA2O9UHQN on 2005-10-07
  As a true lover of Final Fantasy VII for Playstation, I was eager to put my hands on this movie and bring back some memories.
  After having seen the film, I came up to be very disappointed, because of one simple thing: this is not cinema, it's just an exercise of style.
  
  While I do agree with the fact that the graphics and the coreography is somewhat stunning and breathtaking, the music is well done, what truly lacks is the screenplay.
  If someone has not played FF7 the plot will be totally inconsistent.
  As I've played it I can say:"The plot could be done MUCH MUCH better".
  The story is slow and painfully confusing, there is no true reason for the coming of Sephiroth in the scene (well... the only usephul phrase to understand this is "come back into my dreams"), the whole plot is almost meaningless.
  
  If I could give an advice to the artists, I'd say this: less computers and more logic.
  
  
• Square-Enix's labor of love.
  By AM1DHKGILEKW3 on 2006-03-24
  Let me open by saying that I've been a fan of the Final Fantasy series for the majority of my life. I grew up with a parent that thought video games should teach something. She heard about a text heavy game called "Final Fantasy" for the NES and she brought it home. From that moment forward I was hooked. Final Fantasy has always been about places to go and friends to meet. I still remember the first moment Final Fantasy VII's graphics graced my eyes, and I remember the tears I cried when Aerith died, and the laughter shared when the hero's finally came through. These are my friends here. Since those endless days and nights of gaming in 1997, Final Fantasy has evolved graphically but always seemed to have maintained the feel created by FFVII. Since so many more concepts were introduced, and an adopted love for the new characters came about (mainly Rinoa...Yuna...), I had all but forgotten about an FFVII sequal. Then it happened... I began to see articles upon articles and screenshots, movie clips... then merchandice... Oh my. There were my friends again, from the very first game I played that made me cry... think... explore the human condition... that made me attached. My friends, in the glorious graphics topping even the CGI used in FFX. I became excited! I heard of this story... clouds back??! Future times? Turks??! Mother?! Yes! This was an addition to the story that I spent nights and nights slowly unraveling! Then the fateful day came. I heard that Advent Children was to be released in Japan... I waited for the date and prayed for a sign. Two days later I was gifted with the hiro fansub japanese divx release of the movie. And as I watched I looked for her... Where is she? Where is she? And then... Aerith... I still can't qualm my tears or stop my heart from beating so heavily. It was everything I could have hoped it to be... Everything I dreamed of... Please if you feel as emotional about this release as I do, pre-order a copy of it for yourself... :) thx
  
  
• An unbiased viewpoint from a guy who knows Final Fantasy (and movies)
  By A39PDV8ISJIJ55 on 2006-04-27
  The first thing that one realizes upon watching this movie is that it is relies almost entirely on A: the nostalgia impact for Final Fantasy 7 fans, and B: neat special effects. While this is not such a bad thing, we must objectively admit that Final Fantasy 7 is not the defining game of all gamedom, nor of all role-playing gamedom. Yes, it had financial success. Yes, it brought scores and scores of people into the genre who had never had prior experience with a "magic point". But why did all these people convert? Because this game pushed the envelope? Because it raised the bar? No, not technically speaking. Mainly, it brought a few things that were sorely lacking in the genre at the time, namely fun, cool-ness, and relief from the stagnation of medieval times. You get to ride motorcycles! You get a big-flippin' sword, and spiky hair! Oh wait, we had that in Chrono Trigger already, nevermind.
  
  Many would argue that the main innovation of this title was actually the story, but this cannot reasonably be factually supported. We have a bad guy, we have bigger bad guys, they're bad, we should whack them. Pretty typical. The idea of draining life force from the planet for industrial purposes was fairly interesting, though it's really just an introductory plot to the real evil as you soon find out. What went a much longer way was the surrounding intricacy, and, as they say, the devil is in the details. Having really cool character concepts (beyond just cool art) helps, but the interactions were pretty solid. We actually gave a damn about the relationships between Cloud, Tifa, and Aeris. Some of the "bonus" characters were a tad under-developed, but by that point we were mostly so thoroughly entrenched into actually becoming the protagonist that we barely noticed or cared all that much. This is much more emotionally involving than the second most popular game in the series at the time (FF3), which despite being wonderful and beautiful had a great number more protagonists, and in retrospect left us feeling a little disconnected and tugged around at times. Many purists at the time had beef with the materia system, which was certainly not a logical step forward from the Esper system, but ended up being a valuable plot device for the game, though just a neat trinket for the movie.
  
  So, since I'm trying to explain what strengths were brought forward from the game into the movie, let me just say that they could have done better. A few recognizable music themes re-appear, not to mention a new and very dramatic choral theme where the main lyric is, you guessed it, "Sephiroth". Unfortunately, this theme, and much of the rest of the movie, is absolutely sullied by ridiculously cheesy and uninspired driving 90's rock. It was very insulting, and reminiscent of Power Rangers fight songs. It was absolutely laughable and shameful at times, like when a jolly little waltz kicks in when Cloud is being stabbed by Sephiroth. Where were the noble composers we had come to expect? Pushed aside so that Godsmack fans with little in the way of music appreciation could get their rocks off. Speaking of insulting, and I don't know whether to blame the localization team or the Japanese writers, but Cloud's line to Sephiroth of "Stay where you belong, in my dreams!" was absolutely abysmal. And don't forget the snappy "Your mom is cool... wait, what am I saying?" delivered to the Remnants by our friend Reno.
  
  The character development, despite a newly invented ultra-brooding side for Cloud, was pretty much left to prior knowledge of the game. I patiently sat through the "Reminisce" feature, which was actually a welcome addition as two of the three people I had watched the movie with had never finished the game. Consider it a refresher course in Final Fantasy 7... and one last chance to remember how convoluted and unnecessarily long the plot was. Also, many of the characters specifically received fewer lines because they were cleverly trying to conceal the ridiculous accents given by the US voice actors. To be fair, though, the US voice acting was for the most part pretty great, though I probably could have found a better Sephiroth at the local community college drama department.
  
  Though enjoyable as an action movie, don't look for much in the way of something to really sink your teeth into. There are a few scenes that slam the brakes on the pace for no apparent reason, (like where Cloud and Tifa pass out, or the overly-emphasized comic relief from the Turks), so maybe even the action fans would be pissed, despite the fact that they even included the beloved Limit Breaks. Like the first Final Fantasy movie, I think I will find many people trading this one in over the coming years, as all the people who had no interest in the Final Fantasy aspect of it start to decide it just isn't worth owning when it could get you four dollars towards the new Nickelback CD. I don't hold the game to be utterly sacred as others do, but I think it could have made a better movie. Forgive me for being the devil's advocate, but this review is mainly for those who don't snuggle with Moogle plush dolls at night.
  
  ...now I'm going to go log onto Final Fantasy XI.
  
  
• Good actions scenes, but a very Retarded storyline
  By A1N8K1X0OLLADY on 2006-04-28
  I am honestly a persons who likes sci-fi movies, but the bad storyline and stupid script in Advent Children makes it a total waste of your money.
  
  There are MANY parts in the movie that will make you question whats is going on ? and what is the motive for evil characters actions ? You will leave this movie still scratching your head for answers !!!
  
  I recomend that you buy Kung-Fu Hustle instead. Its a lot better and it has some CG animation in it too!
  
  
• I realize I will be burned at the stakes, but...
  By AE8LL9S715YTE on 2006-06-05
  I watched the movie today. And I felt really cheated having waited for something like this after so long, but getting so little. The movie itself, CGI, was attractively done. Almost like watching a real movie. Almost like watching real people acting and reacting to surroundings. It would be interesting to see if the PS3 brings back FFVII and use these sorts of graphics. In fact I hope that they do. And yes, before you attack, thinking I know nothing about the original game, I am a big fan of VII, I still have it and still play it when the desire strikes. And yet behind all this beautiful artwork, I felt like I was wanting more. This wanting more comes in three bullets.
  
  One. The villains were only "eh," in the sense that they did not have the all important background given that would have made them more dangerous, more intriguing, more hateful by we the movie audience. The villains were nothing more than three Sephiroths with different hairstyle per character. Yes they were exciting in the battles, but CGI can only go so far, if there isn't a cemented background, I can only shrug and say "ok...what else?" I would have loved to have had the movie get more involved into what was going on in the villain's mind beside wanting them to go find their "mom." I did not care for how the villains affected the main characters. I wanted to, but couldn't.
  
  Two. We only get to see a little bit of the other characters I myself grew to love in the original video game. I'd love to have seen the others moving about, acting and interacting, but we dont see this. We only get them "somewhat" in the final portions of the end battle. The video game was not only about Cloud, though he was the main character. What about Yuffie? Barret? The others? What all has happened to them after the ending of the original game? How did they grow between the original game and the Advent Children movie? What sort of demons did they go through due to what was happening to the children?
  
  Three. The epic feeling was gone, though the children had been stained, you didn't really get involved in what they were going through, what they were feeling, they were just there to move the story along, not real people having real damage. The original game was epic, you didn't just go around one city or some ruins, you went throughout the entire world intimately, powerfully, and there was an epic feeling to how each place was a portion of the greater story. This was not there in the movie. I got the feeling that the background was just that, background for another battle. The background could have been a Chocobo farm for all the lack of importance.
  
  Sadly, what I suggest is this. Rent the movie. That's it. It isn't worth the money unless you truly wish to have it, I have it, but, I dont know if I will see it again anytime soon...CGI can only go so far, I want substance and I want story and I want these indepth and intricate and passionate, just like the original game.
  
  

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