Aliens are much easier to stomach when they are hell-bent on destroying humanity versus just being ghostly cosmic castaways of a meteor.
Nearly 9 years after Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within graced the silver screen, I decided to take a look at the film once more. Originally, I remember enjoying the movie for its graphics/ art design but totally hating on the New Age storyline. So, were we go.
The movie opens with strange dreams, an alien devastation and Steve Buscemi voicing a soldier? Go figure. The voice casting for Final Fantasy is probably what keeps this movie from exploding into the nether right off. Voices such as Alec Baldwin, Ming-Na, and Ving Rhames lend the sci-fi storyline credibility. Well, almost. Turns out the invading aliens are ghosts (SPOILERS! 🙂 ) and that firing the massive Zeus cannon may end up hurting the planet. Our planet? No, the chunk of the alien planet and its spirits…I think. Got that?
For a film that supposedly went through 50 script incarnations (IMDB) and was the flagship for then newly created Square Pictures, I question the oddly spiritual storyline. Sure, the spirits ability to rob humanity of their spirits (thus killing the human in the process) adds some tension to the film. But still, to go on about Gaia and the LOST aliens is just ridiculous considering this movie needed to appeal to an international audience.
The movie ends when the main character, Aki, realizes that she had the final spirit within her all along. GAG! All of the other characters that you have followed through out the film are now dead; all except the good doctor Cid. The movie fades to black after focusing on a bird flying off into the horizon…can anyone tell me what just happened?
I guess we all should have seen this movie coming. Parts of it remind me Final Fantasy 7, especially the end with Gaia and the floating spirits. Just like back in 2001, I cannot believe that I have once again wasted my time watching this movie. With such a rich history and stable of characters, I’m almost sorry that this movie had to be the final fantasy.
JohnnyBGamer 