FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN |
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FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN |
Rating -
Cast & Crew info: |
Written by DAVID KEYES
The future of our cinema rides on an endless debate that flesh
and blood human actors may one day may not be necessary in filmmaking--that
they will be ultimately replaced by the evolution of computers and digital
effects, and that movie budgets will be reduced dramatically because CGI
thespians don't require the meaty paychecks that real ones do. That argument,
however, has left a dry taste in the mouth of many because there has so
far been no distinct evidence supporting or denouncing the concept. Technology,
after all, may have advanced greatly in the recent past, but not enough
to match the natural detail of ordinary human beings.
The abrupt arrival of "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within," however,
proves that the film industry is getting a little closer, day by day,
to achieving that goal. The movie is the first of its kind: a completely
CGI-rendered product designed to look as close to realistic as possible,
obviously intended to stimulate appeal in moviegoers to the potential
benefits of computer-generated productions. And while the visual evidence
indicates that there may be a bright future for this style of filmmaking,
it still does not come close to matching the authenticity of living, breathing
screen material. Unless there's a major breakthrough in special effects
in the future, chances are this is the best that filmmakers can do with
the idea.
But in any case, "Final Fantasy" works extremely well, not just because
it takes the risk, but also because it has the visionary scope of "2001:
A Space Odyssey," and a story so smart and compelling that it had me grinding
my teeth. It is loosely based on the game series "Final Fantasy," but
since I am unfamiliar with them, I can make no fair judgment calls on
how true the picture stays to its source material. As the movie opens,
we meet Aki Ross (Ming-Na Wen), a doctor who scours the surface of the
planet, searching for remains of planet life not yet destroyed by a catastrophic
alien invasion that crippled civilization years before. The Earth in her
vicinity is one of ruins and decay, littered by a race of plasma-like
aliens dubbed the "Phantoms" who move over the planet's surface in rage
and confusion, consuming any living organisms that cross their path (though
the filmmakers haven't said, the Phantoms share a great deal in common
with both the race of alien Drej found in "Titan A.E." and the creatures
in "The Abyss"). Only scattered human outposts hidden behind energy shields
remain on the surface--the bright blue skies, the green forests, the sound
of birds and the rush of wind are mere memories. Heck, even large cities
like New York and Los Angeles have collapsed.
Ross' search is not some naive impulse to try and hold onto memories
of a better life; it's actually a necessity in conquering the enemy. With
theories constantly scraping into conversation amongst the surviving humans
that the Earth itself is a living spirit called Gaia, Ross believes that
collecting eight natural life forms (or "spirit essences") from the disaster
will be the solution to their dilemma--the conquering force behind the
Phantoms. Humanity, however, cannot live under mere the assumptions of
something that has not been proven, and General Hein (James Woods) proposes
to take immediate action on the aliens by using a powerful space weapon
to attack the core of the problem—the Phantoms' vessel, a meteor carrying
them that collided with Earth and unleashed their fury. But if Gaia really
does exist, as the wise Dr. Sid (Donald Sutherland) points out, the military's
attack plan will not only halt the existence of the aliens, but maybe
that of the Earth spirit itself. Without one, what future does humanity
have, if any at all?
The script by Jeff Vintar and Al Reinert is, contrary to what my colleagues
might say, an astounding piece of work that juggles a situation from every
logical angle, never overwhelming itself to the point of leaving us confused.
The setup itself gets off to a rocky start (trying too hard to introduce
its important characters in the midst of a complex situation), but the
resolving twists that follow make up for any displeasure. I was particularly
fond of how the plot, at a few points, sympathizes with the aliens dominating
Earth by humanizing their present situation (one of which I won't reveal
in this review, though, since it plays an important part in the resolution),
and I also admired how, for once, the writers didn't allow brooding romantic
interludes to interfere with the narrative (as they tend to do in science
fiction). Given the fact that the picture utilizes such a revolutionary
technique, other scribes might not have cared as much about the plot as
these two people do. Bless the studio not just for taking a chance with
digital, but for also allowing us to bear witness to a fascinating story
as well.
But in many ways, it's the digitally-rendered animation that dominates
the screen more, and understandably so. Director Hironobu Sakaguchi doesn't
treat the visuals like they are even animated--his camera moves with the
same conviction and purpose of any sci-fi live action feature. That, naturally,
adds to the realism of the picture, which is necessary often since, after
all, it's easy to tell that none of these characters are flesh and blood
people.
But by the end, does it matter that "Final Fantasy" falls short of successfully
capturing the essence of living actors? Not really. This new style of
filmmaking undoubtedly has a bright future ahead of itself, although I
see it being successfully marketed as a realistic style of animation rather
than a replacement for live action as the prime cinematic medium. Someday
technology may bring us closer to that task, but I seriously doubt that
any respectable audience would accept losing real humans to computer-generated
personalities.
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