However, its debut in theatres was met with mixed emotions among avid gamers and casual movie folk. Swayed by substantial criticism, my enthusiasm fizzled, puzzled as to where the film failed -- and as a result, I never made an opportunity to see it. With exceptions to the first Mortal Kombat film, movies prior to and succeeding its release have ultimately been considered utter disappointments. But in the case of Final Fantasy, a film that is likely to be remembered more for its panache of visually stunning effects and CGI acheivements bordering the parameters of reality than its simplistic story, I could no longer allow the opinions of others to diffuse my interest.

The story takes place in the year 2065 -- a grim period in Earth's history in which the planet has become infested with alien creatures referred to as Phantoms (transparent beings composed of various shapes and sizes who are slowly wiping out the human race). Led by her dreams, and guided by her mentor Dr. Cid (Donald Sutherland), Dr. Aki Ross (voiced by Ming-Na) simultaneously embarks on a mission to save the Earth by locating eight spirits and unravel the source behind the Phantoms' background and their arrival that has devastated the planet. Based upon the Wave Theory, composed by Dr. Sid, the two scientists believe that collecting each of the eight spirits will allow them to successfully eliminate the Phantoms once and for all. However, General Hein (James Woods) opts for a quicker, violent means to terminate the alien infestation by using a super-laser stationed in space known as the Zeus Cannon. Due to the affirmative belief that the use of the weapon will irreparably harm Gaia, the Spirit of the Earth, Aki and Dr. Sid are confronted with a race against time to retrieve the remaining spirits, before further damage is unleashed. Fortunately, Aki and Dr. Sid do not engage their mission alone, supported by a rag-tag group of soldiers (voiced by Alec Baldwin, Ving Rhames, Peri Gilpin and Steve Buschemi who respectively portray Gray, Ryan, Jane, and Neil in the film).

Prior to viewing the DVD release, the most common tone among the comments expressed to me was that it wasn't quite what viewers expected. Perfectly understandable; after all, not only was there an excess of hype surrounding the film, but the title itself led many (video gamers in particular), to believe that Final Fantasy in some manner would have a relationship to its video game counterparts. However, aside from the elements of Gaia, and the endangerment of the planet, there's no correlation throughout the entire film.

Furthermore, while I am not as perceptually savvy as professional critiques, I saw little to personally nitpick at, which would only serve to detract from my enjoyment of the film. I will admit that some of the dialogue occasionally reeked of overused sci-fi and anime clichés, particularly the logistics behind the Wave Theory and Gaia. It was sufficient to the point that I was initially perplexed. But before I passed judgment, I opted to watch the entire film again (simply because of the fact that I was highly immersed with the visuals; more on that later). In my second session, I paid close attention to numerous elements that shaped the story -- notably Aki's dreams, as well as the relationship between the Gaia, the Wave Theory and the Phantoms. Only then, did everything make sense. Although the plot is likely to be considered questionable, I think it's important to recognize that Final Fantasy should be viewed as a sci-fi movie, and not just another game-to-movie production, which I firmly believed is what Sakaguchi intended to create.

Though I must be honest, the dominant element that is more likely to entice the general audiences is not within the story itself, but the abundant splendor of visual imagery. It's impossible to reflect on the film without giving any attention to the impressive and detailed CG work that Square created. A film that took years of research and development, the evidence can clearly be seen onscreen. The computer-generated actors, which were entirely created from scratch are truly a marvel to behold. The characters animate and speak in such a lifelike manner, not to mention the subtle movements and facial expressions, can easily fool you into believing that they're actual actors. Facial details are highly complex, down to the very textures and wrinkles (highly evident in Dr. Sid), individual hair strands, as well as the eye's infrastructure are just some of the apparent examples which demonstrate that Square truly has pushed the envelope of digital technology. Their groundbreaking achievement has no doubt raised the standard, in which they should be acknowledged as an exemplary model for future CGI development firms to follow.

The audio serves as a remarkable complement to the film's abundant array of technical wizardry. Conventional speakers and even Dolby Surround (2-Channel output) doesn't hold a candle to experiencing Final Fantasy in Dolby Digital 5.1. There's plenty of channel-to-channel panning which is without a doubt - remarkable. I was fortunate to have the full treatment by enjoying the film with a friend who had the optimal "reference" placement (i.e. speakers set in all four corners of the room, with the subwoofer located in the middle). Believe me when I say that is the ideal setting for becoming fully immersed. As for the movie's soundtrack (scored by Elliot Goldenthal, known for his work on Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and the last two Batman flicks) is impressive, provided you're a fan of his musical talent. In fact, as an added bonus...music aficionados can listen to the isolated score complete with audio commentary by Mr. Goldenthal. It's a great treat for those looking to further explore the nature behind each of the various scores that were composed for the film.

For avid fans of respective films, DVD 2-disc packages translate into a treasured product that features a diverse collection of bonus info, which enhances the value significantly. Never before have I've encountered a DVD package that crammed so much information at once. But with the level of dedication, integrity and manpower which went into this production , every aspect presented is well deserved. In fact, indulging the second disc's features in particular only served to increase my satisfaction for the immense work that was applied to the film's production. Final Fantasy contains a bevy of features including The Making of Final Fantasy -- divided into two extensive commentaries which provides discussions from the both the American and Japanese production teams. Plus, the documentary includes information pods which provide a greater depth into different aspects of the film's production. Not going anywhere for awhile? The material is exhaustive to say the least (read: very long), but the wealth of detail provided is a gem to fans of the film. While it's unlikely a casual viewer will indulge every feature, it can be highly inspirational to those seeking careers in CGI, art or music development.

Additional features include brief profiles of the main cast members and vehicle size comparisons which respectively provide background information, behind-the-scenes footage, production art, and minor details that would appeal to gaming enthusiasts. The Final Fantasy Shuffler is a nifty feature which allows you to alter the courtroom scene in any order you select and then replay the footage as you would've created it. I found this to be exceptionally enjoyable, but I was expecting more after initial reports indicated that the PS2 would be offering a feature which could be manipulated in real-time. Of course, there has yet to be any hardware that has presented that capability and thus modifications were made so that it is universally available to all DVD viewers.

Other features include Matte Art Explorations, which provides a brief explanation as to how the matte art is used in the film. The Gray Project shifts between preliminary footage that was conducted before the actual animation took place for the film. More Boards & Blasts features the scene where Aki explains to Gray about the sprits she's collected, with periodic shifts between the storyboard and actual footage...good stuff. Compositioning Builds, yet another feature that should appeal to CG/animation enthusiasts which provides a brief featurette of how the composition was developed, using various scenes that was featured in the film. There's also a Joke Outtakes, which contains some pretty amusing scenes of preliminary footage of actual scenes featured in the movie, I found this extra to be one of the most enjoyable. Lastly, there's an alternate opening, showing off a preliminary sequence of the CG, depicted in a very rough, cartoonish style; Aki's Dream combines all of Aki's dream sequences together and allows you to see them all at once. I can't elaborate on the final bonus feature, DVD-ROM Content, as it requires a DVD drive (obviously) to view the added behind the scenes footage, plus special assets which include screensavers and a nifty video sequence where Aki and the Phantoms re-enact the Micheal Jackson "Thriller" music video.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is a great package for those who sincerely enjoyed the film. Critiques were high, expressing this as "the worse movie ever developed". Frankly, I found it to be anything but...just look at Super Mario Brothers, Double Dragon, Street Fighter or The Punisher and you'll see my point. In my opinion, this movie was ahead of its time, much like the film Tron, which suffered a similar fate and was only regarded as a classic by a select few. But as I expressed earlier, I didn't find this film to be making an attempt at being the next videogame franchise brought to life, and one does not need to be a gaming enthusiast of the franchise to appreciate the level of excellence, and groundbreaking results achieved by the CGI featured in the film. Whatever reasons compelled you to refrain from viewing the film in theatres, I highly recommend that you check out the DVD release. Personally, this package is a collector's item, a production that had the aspiration to deliver the most unique experience through digital technology. Looking towards the future, I strongly hope that despite the defunct status of its movie facilities, Square's achievement will pave the road for future CG developments to be explored.

"Our city may be lost...but we are not."

··· Bahn