Movie Description
Directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi (who also created the best-selling series of video games that inspired the film), the groundbreaking FINAL FANTASY, which stars a startlingly lifelike cast of animated characters, is the first photo-realistic computer-generated feature film ever made. In the year 2065, Earth has been taken over by a race of alien phantoms and transformed into a barren wasteland sprinkled with dome-enclosed barrier cities--the last remaining bastions of human civilization. Dr. Aki Ross (voiced by actress Ming-Na) has teamed up with Captain Gray Edwards (Alec Baldwin) to search for the "eighth spirit," a powerful entity dwelling in an unknown life form somewhere on the planet. It holds the key to perfecting a system of energy waves that will neutralize the phantoms. Ross's opponent is the reckless General Hein (James Woods), who is determined to put a stop to the alien invasion by firing a satellite cannon directly into a nest of phantoms located deep within the Earth, even though this could mean obliterating the planet itself and all life upon it.
| Credits | | Producer: | Hironobu Sakaguchi, Jun Aida, Remington Scott | | Cast: | Jean Simmons, Keith David, Peri Gilpin, Steve Buscemi |
| Details | | Sound: | Stereo Sound |
Notes
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Widescreen- 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1- English
Dolby Digital 2.0- French
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary- 1. Motonori Sakakibara- Co-Director, Hiroyuki Hayashida- Sequence Supervisor, Tatsuro Maruyama- sets and props lead artist, Takao Noguchi- Phantom Supervisor
2. Andy Jones- Animation director, Chris S. Capp- Editor, Tani
Kunitake- Staging Director
Trailers
Isolated Score with commentary by composer Elliot Goldenthal
Storyboard/Playblast selects of the film with optional filmmaker commentary or subtitled factoids
Interactive Features:
Interactive Animated Menus
Scene Selection with motion images
Text/Photo Galleries:
Production Notes, Theatrical Release: JULY 11, 2001
Editorial Reviews
"...The visual effects are wondrous..."
New York Times - p.E1 - Elvis Mitchell
"...A visual marvel....The emotional kick wouldn't be much stronger were it populated with people..."
USA Today - p.7D - Mike Clark
"...Visually impressive....[The] voicing is solid down the line....[The film] evinces a craftsmanlike fastidiousness throughout all levels of production..."
Variety - p.20 - Todd McCarthy
"...A mesmerizing technical achievement....These computer-created characters represent a cinematic art of the future....It's a great wow..."
Entertainment Weekly - p.42 - Lisa Schwarzbaum
"...The film exerts a hold..."
Rolling Stone - p.70 - Peter Travers
"...Those being inducted to FINAL FANTASY through THE SPIRITS WITHIN will marvel at the technical expertise of game-producer-turned-director Hironobu Sakaguchi..."
Sight and Sound - p.42-3 - Dan Mayers
"...Sci-fi fans and programmers will find it hard to contain their glee as battleships explode in vibrant shades of orange and red....The alien phantoms, luminous and ethereal, are both beautiful and terrifying..."
Total Film - p.88-9 - Nicky Agate
4 stars out of 5 -- "This was a groundbreaking movie that triumphantly unveiled realistic virtual humans..."
Ultimate DVD - Ultimate DVD Staff (04/01/2008)
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