I'm a sci fi fan & was considering this one having never seen it b4.
Widely varying opinions on the movie itself from highdefdigest, ***************, and dvdtalk (review of DVD). From Great to Bad Flick.

I'm beginning to think Bracke & I have very different tastes, but b4 I buy, I'd like to hear from others on the movie.

Thumbs up or thumbs down.

Yes. It's a bad movie.

The company that did it went out of business because of it. It was a pretty big accomplishment in its day, but they messed up with the lip syncing. I couldn't watch the movie it was so bad. I own it on DVD, but I have yet to watch it all the way through.

I liked it. I have the DVD and I'm thinking about picking up the BD version due to the 5-star review it's getting for PQ and 4.5 for AQ.

I definately recommend you rent it first. You will either like it or hate it...

I thought it was a horrible movie.

I liked the movie as well. I also have it on DVD and am considering picking it up on Blu-ray after seeing the video and audio scores.

Everyone has their own taste though.

Spirits Within yes it sucks, Advent Children no it's sweet

The story is crappy but the movie should look pretty good, i'll rent (would if they had it) this for sure.

Yes. It's a bad movie.

The company that did it went out of business because of it. It was a pretty big accomplishment in its day, but they messed up with the lip syncing. I couldn't watch the movie it was so bad. I own it on DVD, but I have yet to watch it all the way through.


they didn't quite go out of business, they did the Animatrix, flight of Orisis.

Spirits Within yes it sucks, Advent Children no it's sweetSays you. Advent Children has no plot whatsoever. If you didn't play the videogame you have no idea what's going on. At least Spirits Within tried to make a coherent movie (up until the end that is).

Agreed, Spirits Within sucked massive. However, they kinda made up for it with Advent Children...but not by much IMO.

I thought it was a cool movie, but the ending was a bit of a let down.

I have the DVD and like the movie well enough. I'd recommend seeing it first before buying though.

IMO, this is really a horrible movie. You definitely want to rent it first. In addition to the ridiculous story, I found to so-called "breakthrough" animation to be a complete failure. Instead of providing highly realistic human faces, the characters just seemed creepy to me.

I loved it actually. More than Advent Children even.

No, it's not a bad movie. TSW is great actually, if you enjoy animated films. You have to be into Japanimation somewhat (there are some Japanese quirks in the plotline).

Have you seen Advent Children? It's absolutely fantastic, much better than TSW. DaveFi doesn't know what he's talking about - whether you're a FF fan or not, the story line isn't hard to understand. The first 5 minutes of the film explain what's going on perfectly. Amazing film (and if you are a FF fan, it will be that much more sweet). It will also look glorious in 1080P. I can't wait.

I enjoyed it very much, plus high def digest gave it a visual five star rating. I am definitely picking this one up.

horrible is more like it

I enjoyed it very much, plus high def digest gave it a visual five star rating. I am definitely picking this one up.


buying a turd of a movie just for the PQ is so jan of this year.

Freaking horrible!

I liked the movie, its not the greatest flick ever but its pretty good.

I love the movie and will be picking it up soon on Bluray.

I enjoyed it, but you may be better served by renting it first.

i really enjoyed it. yes, it's a very deeply flawed film, particularly in terms of the narrative itself, but it's engaging, interesting and, if nothing else, novel. the visual design is great, the story is at least interesting, and the voice acting ain't bad. it gets a lot of points for being unique, in my book.

usually when someone tells me a movie is totally without redeeming value, i take the opinion with a grain of salt (same as when someone tells me a movie is the greatest thing since bread). remember, some of these people telling you "the spirits within" is worthless may be the same people who own stuff like "click" and "aeon flux" and "chronicles of riddick"...

i'd say if you're a fan of sci-fi on the whole, you'll enjoy the movie. it captures the imaginitive and spiritual feel of the ff games and the sci-fi genere well. some people just don't like all the heady talk about "mother gaia" and having to deal with an offbeat, theme-driven, eastern-style storyline. but if you've ever watched quality anime, you'll be fine with the kind of storytelling ff:tsw will throw at you.

I thought Advent Children was far worse than Spirits Within

Well, that certainly clears things up.

Most people don't like it because of the Japanese overtones in the film. I agree that things could have been better in the film, but if you understand what they were trying to do with it, it's really quite good.

I thought Advent Children was far worse than Spirits Within

WHAT????????

Watching spirits within is like getting a root canal for 2 hours with no anesthesic.

Advent children while pretty to look at makes zero sense and has one of the most stupid stories ever made if you can call that a story.

Personally I wouldnt waste money on either and just rent em if you are curious.

It doesn't make "zero sense". What exactly didn't you understand?

It doesn't make "zero sense". What exactly didn't you understand?Seriously. Unless you have a tough time comprehending rather simple story lines, it's not difficult to comprehend. I have a feeling many people who take issue with AC is due to the Japanese style of storytelling. It's a bit more abstract, (think anime plotlines). If you take issue with this (and are akin to much simpler, straight-forward plot structures of Western films) you'll likely have an unenjoyable experience with AC. It's a brilliant film, but some people have a hard time comprehending it. ;)

Spirts...is a bad movie though. It's an aliens rip-off with a environmental theme, drab dialogue and characters and cliche plotting. It's gorgeous to look at though. But the movie just failed in all respects. For non-fans of the franchise, it was a pretty but bland derivative sci-fi action movie. For fans of the franchise...wtf did that movie have to do with anything related to the game? For a movie called final fantasy, there sure wasn't any fantasy in the thing. Considering its based on a franchise known for airships, giant battles, monsters, and high fantasy mixed with heavy science fiction...it was sad to see it turned into some sci-fi wannabe thing, especially since the animation and design was damn impressive.

I don't know what Sakaguchi was thinking really.

it was a terrible movie

Says you. Advent Children has no plot whatsoever. If you didn't play the videogame you have no idea what's going on. At least Spirits Within tried to make a coherent movie (up until the end that is).
Heh, I beat FFVII twice, and I still didn't know what was going on in Advent Children. :D

I enjoyed the Spirits Within, though.

Avoid this. And I get all the Japanese culture that is about in this film. The film just sucks. It's a shame to because so much of it looks cool but the movie just stinks. I made the mistake of buying this when it first came out. I thought everyone was wrong the movie looked too cool. Well I was wrong.

Avoid this. And I get all the Japanese culture that is about in this film. The film just sucks. It's a shame to because so much of it looks cool but the movie just stinks. I made the mistake of buying this when it first came out. I thought everyone was wrong the movie looked too cool. Well I was wrong.Avoid this guy's opinion. Make your own decisions - but if you're looking for advice, rent it. TSW is a great film, very interesting in its approach. AC is 10x better, but it doesn't render TSW a bad movie.

like it
i remember how often we used to pop it in the player in 2001 for demos. like U571, gladiator etc. these days it's Island, Pirates I, tears of the sun

soon i hope SUNSHINE

anyway, FINALY FANTASY creates a strange atmospheric (the score) mood. some scenes are impressive

TSW sure seems to draw a lot of hate from some people.

Considering it's fairly normal for a SF genre film (i.e. it mostly consists of running around and shooting aliens), it makes me wonder if the haters are a bunch of Pixar trolls that are embarrassed that they still aren't able to do photorealistic animation. ;)

Spirits Within is certainly worth a viewing. Personally, I like the film. Typical anime plot. Come on, the ending wasn't any stranger than Akira.

i liked it just because it had a lot of what a technology junkie would like despite the mediocre plot/story.... and yes it does of the japanese anime style of story telling that can be convoluted at time.... but to me it leaves the imagination to wonder...

as for advent children, loved it for the cgi and action sequences despite not knowing what the heck is really going on.. never played FF VII so I wouldn't really know much except just a little about who the characters are/were per se...

i have both of them on DVD because i like anime and cgi... i'd wish they show more vehicles and weapons in SW...

i really enjoyed it. yes, it's a very deeply flawed film, particularly in terms of the narrative itself, but it's engaging, interesting and, if nothing else, novel. the visual design is great, the story is at least interesting, and the voice acting ain't bad. it gets a lot of points for being unique, in my book.

usually when someone tells me a movie is totally without redeeming value, i take the opinion with a grain of salt (same as when someone tells me a movie is the greatest thing since bread). remember, some of these people telling you "the spirits within" is worthless may be the same people who own stuff like "click" and "aeon flux" and "chronicles of riddick"...

i'd say if you're a fan of sci-fi on the whole, you'll enjoy the movie. it captures the imaginitive and spiritual feel of the ff games and the sci-fi genere well. some people just don't like all the heady talk about "mother gaia" and having to deal with an offbeat, theme-driven, eastern-style storyline. but if you've ever watched quality anime, you'll be fine with the kind of storytelling ff:tsw will throw at you.
I agree with most your opinion except the studio turn FF into alien shooter, it lost it FF style and too "western". However, I love the movie.

So this is a luv it or hate it movie? ;)
I guess opinions here are about the same as the review sites. :)

as for advent children, loved it for the cgi and action sequences despite not knowing what the heck is really going on..
i have both of them on DVD because i like anime and cgi... i'd wish they show more vehicles and weapons in SW...

A question for those that have seen both Spirit Within and Advent Children - is the cgi in Advent Children as good as the cgi in Spirit Within?

The reason I ask is that IMO Spirit Within is mediocre as a film, but the visuals are so good (and still relatively unique) that it's a worthwhile movie to see.
I would at least rent Advent Children regardless of how good that movie is if the visuals are on par with the visuals on Spirit Within

btw - has Advent Children been announced on BD yet? I seem to recall reading something about that a while ago, but don't know if there's any official announcement or release date.

they didn't quite go out of business, they did the Animatrix, flight of Orisis.
i think he meant squaresoft's movie studio in hawaii. that definitely DID get shutdown.

Good visuals. Sucky movie.

I have the DVD and like the movie well enough. I'd recommend seeing it first before buying though.
Agreed...

Buy it for the pretty visuals, or run away from it for the story/crappy characters. ;)

My major criticism with The Spirit Within is the lack of spirits. Characters' facial expressions are very fake, you don't grow attached to them or think they are real humans. (they sure look like human, but not acting like one. While Studios like Pixar may make some really deformed beings, but all of them oozing with human essence.)

Advent Children on the other hand, although still confusing as hell for non-fans, has a simple story and relatively better character performance.

I remember being excited to see this movie. So a bunch of buddies and I went. I wish I had a time machine so I could undo :(

A question for those that have seen both Spirit Within and Advent Children - is the cgi in Advent Children as good as the cgi in Spirit Within?

The reason I ask is that IMO Spirit Within is mediocre as a film, but the visuals are so good (and still relatively unique) that it's a worthwhile movie to see.
I would at least rent Advent Children regardless of how good that movie is if the visuals are on par with the visuals on Spirit Within

btw - has Advent Children been announced on BD yet? I seem to recall reading something about that a while ago, but don't know if there's any official announcement or release date.

i think Advent Children is a step or two above Spirits Within in terms of cgi visuals... clouds sleeve looks like real wool weaves... and the battle scenes with a certain creature in AC is beyond what TSW has... that's just my opinion.... you may see it differently...

Heh, I beat FFVII twice, and I still didn't know what was going on in Advent Children. :D


I'm the exact same way. I thought Advent Children was rather dull.

Damn, the Blu-ray snuck up on me.

Race To Old New York - Elliot Goldenthal

That's what FF: The Spirits Within is all about, folks.

AC is definitely above TSW in about every way, but that doesn't render TSW defunct. I enjoyed it - though, like I said, I'm sure there will be a frenzy for AC. Midnight release for sure. It's a shame noone has mentioned when/if a release will be coming. I'm sure it is at some point, but we haven't heard anything...

I'm a sci fi fan & was considering this one having never seen it b4.
Widely varying opinions on the movie itself from highdefdigest, ***************, and dvdtalk (review of DVD). From Great to Bad Flick.

I'm beginning to think Bracke & I have very different tastes, but b4 I buy, I'd like to hear from others on the movie.

Thumbs up or thumbs down.

To sum it up:

- If you're a big on anime and video games (especially RPGs and the Final Fantasy series in particular), chances are you'll love it.

- If you're an average joe, chances are that the theme of the movie may go over your head, hating it as a result.

Different strokes and all that ;) .

To sum it up:

- If you're a big on anime and video games (especially RPGs and the Final Fantasy series in particular), chances are you'll love it.

- If you're an average joe, chances are that the theme of the movie may go over your head, hating it as a result.

Different strokes and all that ;) .Precisely. JapAnimation, RPGs and the FF series in general seems to go above the average Joe's head quite often. I can't count the amount of people I know here in college who mindlessly play Halo all day long - but try to show them any FF game and they say "Man, that's dumb. I don't get it." Complex story lines, character intertwinement and immerse worlds are too much for the average Joe - they prefer to button mash with FPS games. :rolleyes:

Both movies have completely different artistic styles.

yes its a bad movie...It was kinda cool at the time because back then it was state of the art CG and there wasn't any "adult" CG movies around....but now the CG is starting to show its age and movie its pretty lame...Rental at best

Precisely. JapAnimation, RPGs and the FF series in general seems to go above the average Joe's head quite often. I can't count the amount of people I know here in college who mindlessly play Halo all day long - but try to show them any FF game and they say "Man, that's dumb. I don't get it." Complex story lines, character intertwinement and immerse worlds are too much for the average Joe - they prefer to button mash with FPS games. :rolleyes:

Ok ok ok we get the point...we hate it, we are dumb, you like it you are smart.

What is with this elitist snobby film critic crap. People respect your opinions you can at least do the same. I like japanese film, especially Kurosawa and other asian cinema such as the Vengeance trilogy, Ichi the killer etc.. but I just DEPLORE all japanese anime. I fell asleep 3 times during akira, I hated ninja scroll, I didnt like Ghost in the Shell. Does this make me a dumb person or just someone who doesn't particularly like anime?

Does this make me a dumb person or just someone who doesn't particularly like anime?Not at all, and I never implied it did. I speak of the average *cough*Xbox*cough* gamer who does nothing but play button-mashing games and has a hard time comprehending deeper titles ;). If you don't like it, that's cool. Relax.

I remember when I watched "Spirit Within" sometimes I would forget I was watching animation. Yes the animation is that good and it's what, 6 years old? I love the Final Fantasy franchise and storywise SW is a little different then the games and a little slow IMO. That's why I think all the reviews differ so much. Overall I really like SW.

Advent Children is a very different movie than Spirit Within. The action is almost non stop. It looks really good too, but the style is less photorealistic, more traditional FF. AC is a continuation of the game FF VII which is by far, the most popular in the series (FF 13 is coming soon to PS3) AC is a great movie IMO.

If you don't think of The Spirits Within as a Final Fantasy movie, I think a lot of people would have enjoyed it more.......I personally know nothing of the Final Fantasy story line and I thought Spirits Within was quite an interesting/good movie.......I'll be picking up the Blu Ray tomorrow most definitly.

AC is definitely above TSW in about every way, but that doesn't render TSW defunct. I enjoyed it - though, like I said, I'm sure there will be a frenzy for AC. Midnight release for sure. It's a shame noone has mentioned when/if a release will be coming. I'm sure it is at some point, but we haven't heard anything...

Let's get realistic here.......Advent Children for a midnight Blu Ray release? I really don't think so.

Let's get realistic here.......Advent Children for a midnight Blu Ray release? I really don't think so.Realistically - it's extremely possible. I know literally dozens of people (personally) who are eager as hell to get their hands on this release. Same as FFXII has a midnight release, I'm positive EB Games, Gamestop, and other niche stores will have a midnight release - and it'll be popular. Sure, it might draw mostly video gamers, but it'll be a very big release for those interested in the FF series (film and game).

I liked it, but Advent Children was a masterpiece.... in general, not even compared to this. But still, I have this on pre order.

I liked it, but Advent Children was a masterpiece.... in general, not even compared to this. But still, I have this on pre order.

If you're an FF fan AC is a masterpiece (the whole thing is fan service). Awesome Pic and Audio though.

TSW just isn't a very good film. I love FF, but TSW is just plain dull and uninteresting. There's nothing to like about it.

This is probably the only thing FF I dont own. I guess I'll pick it up.
If sony would have stuck a playable 13 demo this thing would fly off the shelves(hell it doesn't even have to be playable).

To answer the original question: yes, by any objective standard Final Fantasy is a bad film. You may enjoy it, though.

If you don't like it, it it won't be because its plot is 'above your head' or you don't 'get' the symbolism or cultural elements: the plot is simple, as are the concepts (albeit ludicrous). It will be because of the film's massive array of flaws. Definitely rent first.

yes, by any objective standard Final Fantasy is a bad film. Funny, this is an extremely subjective statement. :rolleyes:

Pass on it. Get TMNT instead, its gotta be better.

Wow, I guess most folks love it or hate it.

I like the movie, and can't wait to buy this on BR tomorrow. I am looking forward to this one.

Funny, this is an extremely subjective statement.

Not at all. If an individual were to look at the film from an objective viewpoint, and not through the tinted goggles of a devoted fan, the ridiculous plot, one-dimensional characters, stilted dialog, odd premise, and frankly bizarre pseudo-ecological gaia concepts are all liabilities.

It's clear that you like the film, but the fact that you do does not automatically make it a 'good film'. I like Independence Day and Godzilla, but they are bad films nonetheless. I wouldn't be so blinkered as to suggest that anyone who actually regards these as bad films and dislikes them is missing some ethereal charm that only enlightened fans or the gifted are aware of. I'm not egocentric enough.

There´s a few cool actionscenes that reminds of Aliens, but the rest of the movie suck.
They should have renamed the movie since it doesn´t have ANYTHING to do with the Final Fantasy games.

Could be good for eyecandy.
But eyecandy only is not enough for me to buy a movie.

There´s a few cool actionscenes that reminds of Aliens, but the rest of the movie suck.
They should have renamed the movie since it doesn´t have ANYTHING to do with the Final Fantasy games.


It had a LOT to do with Final Fantasy. FF is about deep, thought-provoking concepts. Compare TSW with a game like FF X. The concept of one's consciousness and life is NO DIFFERENT in FF X than it was in TSW. I think people were disappointed that TSW didn't show how to raise Chocobos when instead TSW went into the deep philosophies that are common in Eastern lore. I can understand why people don't like it, they don't get it.

For fans of the franchise...wtf did that movie have to do with anything related to the game? For a movie called final fantasy, there sure wasn't any fantasy in the thing. Considering its based on a franchise known for airships, giant battles, monsters, and high fantasy mixed with heavy science fiction...it was sad to see it turned into some sci-fi wannabe thing, especially since the animation and design was damn impressive.

I don't know what Sakaguchi was thinking really.

I agree with you. The first thing came to my mind after watched it is wasted opportunity. The Advent Children was way better but still pretty mediocre. Oh and there is the incredible awful Final Fantasy anime series too. :eek:
I'm still waiting for a GOOD FF film with great story and characters.

it makes me wonder if the haters are a bunch of Pixar trolls that are embarrassed that they still aren't able to do photorealistic animation. ;)

Hey now, any 3D modeling artist will tell you (myself included) that photorealism is the EASY route in doing animation. Pixar has to go to great pains to get their styles and one of the biggest traps they often run into is it looks TOO REAL. The irony for a company like Pixar is it detracts from their stories when the visuals slip into photorealism and back again. (Happy Feet tried that at the end even went so far as to add real humans and for me it just didn't quite work...)

As for Spirits Within, my expectations were pretty darn low when I finally saw it, and I felt it agreeable enough.

Advant Children just felt too emo-whiny for me to fully enjoy, but the butt kicking at the end was certainly fun. I agree with a few other posters here, the story wasn't all that confusing to follow...

I can understand why people don't like it, they don't get it.

A movie can pile on concepts all it wants (In this case, the death of the director's mother prompted him to explore the metaphysical nature of life - the director's words, not mine) but that's certainly no guarantee for a film to be solid. I would think an emotional tie to the audience would be the paramount objective for a film of this type.

I wouldn't want to discredit people's opinion because they viewed the film and were left going, "huh?"

If a majority are left with that feeling then I don't think it's a stretch to say the story telling was parhaps too vague or reveled in too much ambiguity. In fact the director said this was intentional. So why can't a person not like a film due to a story choice by the director? I've certainly seen people trash a film for a lot less. (I.E. 300 has too much grain! Another choice by a director.)

I'm a huge FF fan, FF VII in particular. I rushed out and bought Advent Children the day it came out. I think that the only DVD I've ever bought without waiting for it to be on super sale.

And yet, I've tried twice to watch it and fallen asleep both times. The movie starts slow, you have no idea what is going on, and even though I really cared about these folks from the video games, I just couldn't muster the effort to care about them in this movie. I think you really have to want to like this movie to enjoy it. If you just want to sit back and be entertained, look elsewhere.

Spirts...is a bad movie though. It's an aliens rip-off with a environmental theme, drab dialogue and characters and cliche plotting. It's gorgeous to look at though. But the movie just failed in all respects. For non-fans of the franchise, it was a pretty but bland derivative sci-fi action movie. For fans of the franchise...wtf did that movie have to do with anything related to the game?

I'm a fan of the series of games, but they are pretty hit and miss from each iteration. FFVII and FFX are the hands down best in the series. But, as each new FF game is completely different than the last (not counting that horrible FFX-2 crap Square put out), the movie is completely different from any game, as far as characters. The storyline is kinda par for the course with FF though.

Personally, I still hate it. It's pure eye candy, but the story is horrible.

I loved Advent Children.

In short it's not as bad as people here are claiming, it's not an Oscar winner either. I liked the movie and had no real issues with it's plot. I sat down and watched it when it came out and thought it was not bad at all. good entertainment that's about the extent of it.

Both movies had eye candy and not much else (Spirits Within and Advent Children).

If you don't think of The Spirits Within as a Final Fantasy movie, I think a lot of people would have enjoyed it more.......I personally know nothing of the Final Fantasy story line and I thought Spirits Within was quite an interesting/good movie.......I'll be picking up the Blu Ray tomorrow most definitly.

This mimicks my experience exactly. New nothing about the franchise, but liked the movie alot. Sure there were quirks in the plot, but alot of movies have quirks in their plot and it doesn't stop me from enjoying the movie.

I liked it. Still haven't seen AC, since I'm waiting on the Blu-Ray release for it. I found spirits to be a fun movie and ordered it from Amazon today.

Hey now, any 3D modeling artist will tell you (myself included) that photorealism is the EASY route in doing animation. ...

I think this response proved my point. :p

Or would you like to show us how easy it is to do photorealistic skin/hair tone and texture and hair movement. :eek:

Welcome to the world of Pixar trolls. :p

I think this response proved my point. :p

Or would you like to show us how easy it is to do photorealistic skin/hair tone and texture and hair movement. :eek:


Once the code is written Hair IS easy.

http://www.maxon.net/pages/products/modules/hair/mov_hair_2.html

Hair's more about computing power.

Character animation is HARD.(And more timeless in it's skill than the current hot product software module) FF:SW has what I call marionette character animation. That's where Pixar is the best of the best. When Mr. Incredible lifts a rock, you feel a true feeling of heft to it.

I'm not trying to discredit Final Fantasy's visual. They really are GREAT. But to say Pixar couldn't pull it off is sheer lunacy.

Final Fantasy: TSW is a standalone Final Fantasy type film. You never have to play a game to understand the movie. It's about the ecological and universal matters, and it's really as simple as that. Whether you like it or not is up to you. It's not a great film, but it isn't garbage either.


Advent Children completely requires you to beat the game, as the begining of movie is the ending of the game. And you really need to know Zack's story to appreciate some parts of the movie. My main problem with Advent Children is that it's condensed so much stuff into a movie.

Guys guys guys.

Just because you 'get it', and believe me I do, and am a huge fan of the games, doesn't make this any less of a lacklustre movie aside from the technical achievments.

On repeated viewings, it puts me to sleep.

With that said, I'm buying it.

I just bought this today.....I'll be watching it tonight or tomorrow.

IMO, Advent Children was a better movie (the victory ring tone was a clever touch). FWIW, I think TSW was a coherent movie until the end when it became this save the earth from evil technology thing.

It's sort of like Happy Feet, everything was great until the David Suzuki-like message in the end. If you want your children to grow up to become eco-terrorist and prevent native innuits from eating baby seals, then yes let them watch this movie. ;)

Can someone who purchased it post some grabs of it? I've heard it's amazing.

Watching spirits within is like getting a root canal for 2 hours with no anesthesic.

Advent children while pretty to look at makes zero sense and has one of the most stupid stories ever made if you can call that a story.

Personally I wouldnt waste money on either and just rent em if you are curious.

you obviously have never played the games then have you?

the story is a direct continuation to the game....................its not that obsurd, some people just dont get it.

as for spirits within, its not nearly as bad as some people on this forum will tell you. its a typical Final Fantasy story. i enjoyed it, not something i would watch over and over. i saw it at the movies, but that was more because a friend made me and some other people go with him, as he was the only one really into FF games back then.

Ok ok ok we get the point...we hate it, we are dumb, you like it you are smart.

What is with this elitist snobby film critic crap. People respect your opinions you can at least do the same. I like japanese film, especially Kurosawa and other asian cinema such as the Vengeance trilogy, Ichi the killer etc.. but I just DEPLORE all japanese anime. I fell asleep 3 times during akira, I hated ninja scroll, I didnt like Ghost in the Shell. Does this make me a dumb person or just someone who doesn't particularly like anime?

:-( WOW I had to shed a tear on that one playa.

FF: TSW was cool to watch...long movie but the visuals were hot. For me im waiting for Manga to start putting out animes in Blu-ray. Blood: The last Vampire, Both of the Ghost in The Shell movies, Karas, and Appleseed were hot.

:-( WOW I had to shed a tear on that one playa.

FF: TSW was cool to watch...long movie but the visuals were hot. For me im waiting for Manga to start putting out animes in Blu-ray. Blood: The last Vampire, Both of the Ghost in The Shell movies, Karas, and Appleseed were hot.

I agree about Appleseed, especially the newer cgi version of it..... want to see the beginning arial tank scene in 1080p... looked glorious in SD DVD on a dell 20inch widescreen, would like to see it on a 46inch lcd screen... I also liked the last battle scene too....

Let's get realistic here.......Advent Children for a midnight Blu Ray release? I really don't think so.

There was a huge crowd for the FF 20th anniversary event / release of FF on the PSP. I don't think an AC Blu-ray release would be that big of a deal, but I can see some sort of 'event' being held for it.

Once the code is written Hair IS easy.

....

The old timers at Disney used to crank out about 6 cells per 8 hour day. So show us all how easy it is to do photorealistic hair movement by cranking out 6 cells by this time tomorrow (see how generous I am, I'm giving you 24 hours instead of just 8). :rolleyes:

Loved the movie

I liked it a lot, but then again I am a fan of the games as well. Certainly its not the best movie but the CG was quite enjoyable and I dont really get why people say there was no story. Off to pick it up now ;)

Heres some 1080i shots from it, they from the PS3's component out so bear that in mind.

Edit: Wow this has a really high bitrate. During the intro I'm seeing 42 peak! :cool: :D



http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/070808-1853100531-1920x1080.jpg

http://dot50cal.the-horror.com/070808-1853480890-1920x1080.jpg

Ugh, some scenes in the background have posteriorization. Its not how you would normally see it, moving somewhat, its just static so it seems this was on the master they used.

Edit: seems that its a rendering problem when they made the master. Its only in certain scenes that use some advanced lighting. Probably did this to lessen the time to render the film. Its most noticeable in the General's study.

makes me wanna go pick up the bd version too... hmmm what to do... still itching to get the remastered Fifth element...

Why is the aspect ratio information on HD Digest always wrong. I was surprised and quite happy to see the film come out as 1.85 on my screen.

I was also surprised to see grain, since this is film is fully digital. But I am probably one of the few people who actually want it.

The old timers at Disney used to crank out about 6 cells per 8 hour day. So show us all how easy it is to do photorealistic hair movement by cranking out 6 cells by this time tomorrow (see how generous I am, I'm giving you 24 hours instead of just 8). :rolleyes:

Look Mac, you aren't getting what I'm disputing here.

I'm disputing your comment earlier that pixar couldn't acheive what this movie did "back in the day". (see below)

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac The Knife
it makes me wonder if the haters are a bunch of Pixar trolls that are embarrassed that they still aren't able to do photorealistic animation.
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I already said this movie did accomplish amazing feats. And don't EVER use hand drawn animation in the same breath as computer. I adore hand drawn animation more than computer and always will.


Maybe with the success of The Simpson's Movie it'll remind studios that it wasn't just the medium that made Pixar's movies successful... it was the characters and stories residing within.

(I'm going to note it one more time about that pesky hair... ^_^ You don't animate it bit by bit when you model it on a computer, you simulate the environment that's around it and the hair responds. There's no hair by hair tweaking involved...)

I remember seeing a Pixar clips on 'Movie Surfers' (I was watching Even Stevens). And the animator said that the reason pixar didn't use Humans was because it was impossible to make them look realistic. More specificly he stated that it's very difficult to fool people when it comes to digital humans.(Because they see them everyday, or you're supposed to).

Beowulf comes close, Angelina Jolie was the only character that reallt 'stands out'.
I think I convinced myself to pick this up.

just watched it. After watching premonition last night, this movie was pretty good. but then again, any film would be a four star film after the dreaded premonition. hopefully advent children comes really soon.

I think a lot of people are under the impression that this movie has something to do with the video game series and are then disappointed when there's only one thing even remotely resembling an ideology from the games. That being the similarity between Gaia Theory and the Lifestream/Mako from FFVII. You could also throw in that there was a Cid in the games and a Dr. Sid in the movie and that the movie was done by the creator of the games. But sticking with the storylines, they are two totally different things.

If you go into something expecting one thing that you're excited about and get something totally different, then you're usually disappointed. I think that's happening here when people watch this movie. I think in order to enjoy this movie, you need to let go of your preconceived notions of what this FF movie is going to be about and just let this movie be what it is.

I think you'll find that you'll enjoy it more. I certainly did. I enjoyed this movie for the amazing graphics, big name acting talents, and somewhat enjoyable storyline.

As far as Advent Children is concerned, I thought it was a good movie as well, but it definitely wasn't a stand alone. Had you not played the games, you would have probably been totally lost on who the characters were and where they came from.

I remember seeing a Pixar clips on 'Movie Surfers' (I was watching Even Stevens). And the animator said that the reason pixar didn't use Humans was because it was impossible to make them look realistic. More specificly he stated that it's very difficult to fool people when it comes to digital humans.(Because they see them everyday, or you're supposed to).

Beowulf comes close, Angelina Jolie was the only character that reallt 'stands out'.
I think I convinced myself to pick this up.

I think I know the interview you're talking about. It's the idea of 'familiarity of the subject' that makes it so difficult.

You're right, Beowulf does come closer. (More so when the characters aren't talking. It's so damn hard to get them to look right talking! LOL) And I'm excited for the future of the medium.

I personally enjoyed the movie a lot, but I'm a big sci-fi fan. While parts of the story went slow, I enjoyed the way the characters reacted with eachother. It seemed very realistic. Not to mention the knockout cast and great visuals. But, I agree, either you love it or hate it.

I think a lot of people are under the impression that this movie has something to do with the video game series and are then disappointed when there's only one thing even remotely resembling an ideology from the games. That being the similarity between Gaia Theory and the Lifestream/Mako from FFVII. You could also throw in that there was a Cid in the games and a Dr. Sid in the movie and that the movie was done by the creator of the games. But sticking with the storylines, they are two totally different things.

If you go into something expecting one thing that you're excited about and get something totally different, then you're usually disappointed. I think that's happening here when people watch this movie. I think in order to enjoy this movie, you need to let go of your preconceived notions of what this FF movie is going to be about and just let this movie be what it is.

I think you'll find that you'll enjoy it more. I certainly did. I enjoyed this movie for the amazing graphics, big name acting talents, and somewhat enjoyable storyline.

As far as Advent Children is concerned, I thought it was a good movie as well, but it definitely wasn't a stand alone. Had you not played the games, you would have probably been totally lost on who the characters were and where they came from.
Your thoughts on this mirror mine exactly.....couldn't have said it better myself!

Watched it tonight and did enjoy it more than I did the last time I saw it, in the theater. I was scanning for issues with the render and I was impressed with what was presented. I am very happy with this release and will be watching it again. I think the most enjoyable part was realizing that I was not watching another computer generated kids movie but a real adult Si-Fi movie. A real beautiful work of art. I would consider this a tier 0 release.

I did notice a little of what I thought was added film grain, looked used to give depth to the image. Nowhere close to Monster House or 300 obvious.

No micro blocking present.
Loud robust sound design
Watch the 480p special features first then compare it to the 1080 version. It shows what HD is about.

I think a lot of people are under the impression that this movie has something to do with the video game series and are then disappointed when there's only one thing even remotely resembling an ideology from the games. That being the similarity between Gaia Theory and the Lifestream/Mako from FFVII. You could also throw in that there was a Cid in the games and a Dr. Sid in the movie and that the movie was done by the creator of the games. But sticking with the storylines, they are two totally different things.

If you go into something expecting one thing that you're excited about and get something totally different, then you're usually disappointed. I think that's happening here when people watch this movie. I think in order to enjoy this movie, you need to let go of your preconceived notions of what this FF movie is going to be about and just let this movie be what it is.

I think you'll find that you'll enjoy it more. I certainly did. I enjoyed this movie for the amazing graphics, big name acting talents, and somewhat enjoyable storyline.

As far as Advent Children is concerned, I thought it was a good movie as well, but it definitely wasn't a stand alone. Had you not played the games, you would have probably been totally lost on who the characters were and where they came from.


I totally agree with you

Viewers of FF:TSW tend to either love it or hate it. To me, I liked it a lot and was happy to update it from SD to HD. The CG is extremely well done and looks great at 1080p and PCM is assume. It's a lot more SciFi than AC.

The later is based on the game and it really helps to know the characters from that series to fully appreciate the story. Without the game history, it's still understandable and enjoyable, but not as clear/simple without the background. Like watching Serenity without seeing Firefly first. Sure, you can do it and it works, but it's probably not ideal.

Where TSW falls down is the underlying world spirit concept that isn't as readily acceptable to Western audiences as it is with Eastern. Then again, that's still at the heart of FF:AC too. Since TSW really doesn't have much to do with the FF series, those fans will probably prefer AC much more. They get the same (actually improved) CG but with a plot and characters that they're familiar with and care about. No so with TSW.

For me personally, I like both movies and love the CGI. Since I'm older and I don't have the history of playing FF. I also prefer the more hard-SciFi storyline of TSW vs. the sword-play and character driven AC, but still recommend both. Just like I prefer GITS over Ninja Scroll, but like and recommend both.

AC has character development? It's just a Spikey haired dude(Cloud) going around fighting. Honestly it's not a complex film. You don't need to know the whole 'Jehova' thing to get the premise. It's all eye-candy and ear-candy.

Ebert gave TSW 3.5 stars. And he said videogames aren't art.
I wonder what that means.

GiTS SAC 1st and 2nd would rock so hard on BD. The shows scoring and sound design with PCM. Not to mention the sharp picture and vivid colors. :)
Where can I put my name on a list to get that in the works?
(Dragonball is number 2 though.) :rolleyes:

What's GITS??

Debating whether to pick this up. The story doesn't really wow me and I find it kind of slow and plodding with somewhat dull voice performances, but I absolutely love the look of the film and Elliot Goldenthal's score.

Nice to hear the "grain" isn't too pronounced on this transfer. I felt the "artistic grain" added to the DVD release was very obvious and obtrusive.

What's GITS??

Ghost in the Shell.

Acronyms are a b*tch. :-)

Bought this on Tuesday. Watched it tonight. I really don't know what people are bitching about. I think this movie really looks great.

BTW, what the hell is 'posteriozation'? Is that another term for 'banding'?

When my wife sat down and watched it with me she thought it was gonna be dumb but she ended up actually liking it. Its a pretty neat little movie.

I saw this in theaters and wanted to shoot myself afterwards. Well I bought it, and let me tell you FF TSW is at least 4 times better on BD.
And I'm talkin story. It's hardcore scifi. The voice acting is awesome, the faces weren't able to get across the emotion that was there. It made the characters cold, kinda like having Jessica Alba play every role.

I can't believe how much care went into this, the lighting, textures, sound design are all top notch. And with the improved contrast of the Blu-ray, the art direction really kicks ass.

The sound is just as impressive. It's a totally immersive experience, you feel like you're in the middle of the action. There's also some nice bass. The phantom howls sound wicked.

There's more grain than I expected, but it always feel 3D and doesn't make you say WTF. They almost got hair right, and the clothing didn't drape right. But then again those things are only now getting perfected.


I changed my tune. TSW is worth the 20. The PQ and AQ really make it immersive, and it doesn't drag now. You're supposed to be distracted by the art. And the sounds fill in the quiet moments. To be honest the movie is paced well, and it has some pretty cool camera work(I like the motion blur).

I can't believed I loathed this movie for so long. I kinda want to see it again.

Final Fantasy looks amazing and I agree with the above posts that it is better than I recalled.

The level of detail to the transfer is also often stunning. Fine textures such as hair, skin and non-solid objects (such as water, etc.) look strikingly three-dimensional. The animation is also quite sharp, with little of the over-done motion blur that sometimes mars these types of all-CGI features. Also a plus is that, unlike the old standard-def DVD, there are no compression artifacts to speak of. With no real visual flaws to speak of, 'Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within' earns a rare five-star video rating.

Jeez between this blurb from hidefdigest and those screenshots, it would be hard not to check this one out.

I think this is a strong pickup if you like Sci-fi...if you don't, find eye candy elsewhere.

The voice acting is awesome, the faces weren't able to get across the emotion that was there. It made the characters cold, kinda like having Jessica Alba play every role.




Best of today so far. :D

I can't believe how much care went into this, the lighting, textures, sound design are all top notch. And with the improved contrast of the Blu-ray, the art direction really kicks ass.

The sound is just as impressive. It's a totally immersive experience, you feel like you're in the middle of the action. There's also some nice bass. The phantom howls sound wicked.

I agree, I think it has to do with the background the creators of this movie had. Square had some real experience making tight, to the point, artful scenes for the video games they produced. Being a CG production the creators had complete control of the environment and it allowed them to let there imagination run wild.

As for the story I enjoyed it more now being older and seeing it more as an extension of Joseph Campbell's work.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monomyth

I agree, I think it has to do with the background the creators of this movie had. Square had some real experience making tight, to the point, artful scenes for the video games they produced. Being a CG production the creators had complete control of the environment and it allowed them to let there imagination run wild.
and there's a great article on Ars Technica interviewing the production team and describing the entire process: http://arstechnica.com/wankerdesk/01q3/ff-interview/ff-interview-1.html

AC has character development? It's just a Spikey haired dude(Cloud) going around fighting. Honestly it's not a complex film. You don't need to know the whole 'Jehova' thing to get the premise. It's all eye-candy and ear-candy.


It's "JENOVA". I always :rolleyes: when someone craps on a film and doesn't even get things about it right.

AC didn't NEED character development. It's not a standalone film. You just spent 60-80 HOURS of your life playing FF VII, why do you need MORE character development? We all know who these people are and their relationships to each other.

Unlike TSW, AC was for the fans.

It's "JENOVA". I always :rolleyes: when someone craps on a film and doesn't even get things about it right.

AC didn't NEED character development. It's not a standalone film. You just spent 60-80 HOURS of your life playing FF VII, why do you need MORE character development? We all know who these people are and their relationships to each other.

Unlike TSW, AC was for the fans.+1. AMEN.