Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)

Voice Cast:

Ming "Jade from Spawn 3" Na is Dr. Aki Ross
Donald "Less scary than my pantless appearance in Animal House" Sutherland is Dr. Sid
Ving "Experimental 686s are so cool" Rhames is Ryan
Peri "Desperately hoping for a spin-off from Frasier" Gilpin is Jane
Steve "I'm not John Waters" Buscemi is Neil
James "Don't blame me for my characters lack of depth" Woods is General Hein

What the box says:

The year is 2065 AD. The Earth is infested with alien spirits, and mankind faces total extinction. Led by a strange dream and guided by her mentor, Dr. Sid. scientist Aki Ross struggles to collect the eight spirits in the hope of creating a force powerful enough to destroy the alien presence and pure enough to protect the planet. With the aid of the Deep Eyes Squadron, Aki must save the Earth from its darkest hate and unleash the spirits within. FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN is the groundbreaking new CGI film from the creators of the Final Fantasy Video Game Franchise.

Plot:

A storm rages across a desolate wasteland.

Walking on a dream. Aki Ross is blinded by a non Manfred Mann light… She awakens and has been recording her dreams. 34 years ago, aliens arrived on Earth. The remaining population lives in barrier cities. She is determined to save the Earth and pilots her ship through re-orbit.

Old New York is an abandoned war zone filled with rusting wrecks of cars. Aki’s ship lands. She starts searching to get a lock on a life form. Phantoms are after her.

Suddenly, a group of Colonial Marines gun the Phantoms down. Excuse me, the Deep Eyes Squadron.

Aki is still after the life form and discovers a small fragile plant. The Deep Eyes Squadron catches up to her as the Phantoms attack again.

The squad and Aki are evacuated. By the way, Aki and Gray are arguing. A blind deaf mute could tell they were romantically involved earlier…

They arrive at the barrier city, New New York. During a scan, it is discovered that Gray has been infected by a Phantom. Aki has to treat him now. Laser surgery ensues and removes the infecting Phantom in the nick of time.

Dr. Sid arrives. He and Aki study the plant and discuss the spirits. Sid is worried about the military getting involved. The barrier technology and energy fields were all developed by Sid. Massive Gaia theory ensues.

Aki has another dream. Phantoms run across a plane to fight each other. Ships launch off the planet, too, before Aki awakens.

At the counsel meeting, General Hein wants to use the Zeus Cannon on the meteor that crashed into the Earth 34 years ago and is the source of all the Phantoms. The meeting is to vote on the attack. Dr Sid points pout that no physical attack has ever been successful against the meteor. The energy beam may injure Earth, Gaia. General Hein begins mocking Gaia theory. Dr Sid believes assembling an energy pattern that negates the Phantom energy could be constructed. Aki pops up against General Hein’s rant.

Aki reveals that research shows the Phantom energy can be contained. She has a Phantom inside her that has been kept from consuming her by using the spirits she’s been searching for.

Later, Dr Sid will keep working to cure Aki.

In an elevator, Captain Gray tells Aki the council has postponed the Zeus Cannon from being fired. Neil and Ryan, other members of Deep Eyes squad, cut the power to strand Gray and Aki alone to see if romance can blossom again. .

Gray and Aki start to argue about the breakup, etc... Gray asks about the spirits. Aki tells about each of them up to the 6th. The lovin’ is about to ensue when the power is restored.

Later a major, lackey of General Hein’s, questions Gray about Aki. The Deep Eyes Squad is being assigned to guard Aki. However, Hein wants to be informed if Dr Ross acts suspicious in any way. The Phantom tissue may alter her.

Aki has another dream. The meteor crashes, and the Phantoms race from it before attacking each other. She is surrounded by them. The dreams are coming more often, and time is running out, too.

Aki and the Deep Eyes head to Tucson where the 7th spirit has been located. Energy buoys lure the Phantoms away from the target zone. They find the 7th spirit is a dead soldier’s ovo-pack, energy pack.

The Phantoms attack, and Aki collapses. The Deep Eyes retreat to the ship. Gray wants Aki taken to a hospital. However, a couple of Hein’s men have decided Aki is to be taken into custody. Gray refuses.

Aki has another dream in which the Phantoms destroy their own planet.

The Deep Eyes Squad takes care of the spies and head back to the barrier New York City.

General Hein is told of the incident and how Gray is still in command. Hein orders Aki and Gray to be arrested. He is positive the council will see the light to stop the traitors.

Sid checks Aki. She must have the 7th spirit implanted immediately. Gray will anchor her to this reality. After he’s placed unconscious, Gray is able to communicate with Aki who explains the Phantom world to him.

Hein has discovered Aki’s dream records which connect her to the Phantoms. He has Major Lackey assemble his trusted men.

Aki dreams of the Phantom war resulting in the destruction of their world. A meteor, wreckage from the planet, crashes into Earth.

Gray awakens. Aki needs the 8th spirit. She understands what the Phantoms want when troops storm in to arrest them.

Learn Hein’s wife and daughter were killed by Phantoms. He and his trusted men take control of the barrier controls to force the council to acquiesce. The barrier is weakened to lure the Phantoms to one point.

In the cell block, Deep Eyes, Aki, and Sid discuss the Phantoms. The large Phantoms are animals from the other planet. The Phantoms aren’t soldiers but ghosts.

General Hein is informed of the Phantoms in the energy pipe system. Phantom soul sucking ensues.

The cell block power cuts off. They get out of there. In the melee Gray and Aki are separated from the rest. The Phantoms chase after them when the Deep Eyes crash to the rescue.

The Phantoms attack throughout the city.

The squad, Sid, and Aki head to her ship. Ryan is too injured and volunteers to stay behind with a gun.

Gray, Neil, Jane, Aki, and Sid have a plan to rescue Ryan. They split up. Aki’s ship is tractored down. Neil is able to unlock the ship. A Phantom kills Neil. Jane doing her best impression of Vasquez opens fire and mows down Phantoms until running out of ammo.

Gray opens fire on a giant Phantom. Ryan is using a rocket launcher to good effect until he’s killed.

Aki has the ship prepped and ready. Gray will stay behind. Phantom fighting ensues. Aki is able to pilot the ship close enough for Gray to jump aboard. Aki, Gray, and Sid are able to escape the barrier city.

Orbiting Earth, zero gravity ensues. Aki consoles Gray before the suckin’ face ensues.

General Hein docks with the Zeus Cannon, the orbital weapons platform.

Dr Sid has found the 8th spirit in the impact crater. Apparently, a Phantom is the 8th spirit. Aki can go down and complete the energy wave pattern there.

The council contacts Hein who claims the Phantoms have developed an immunity to the barrier. The council has authorized the cannon to be used. General Hein has the impact crater targeted.

Aki and Gray head to the crater for the 8th spirit.

The Zeus Cannon is being prepped. General Hein knows that Aki is at the crater. He’ll take care of her at the same time as the Phantoms. The cannon fires.

Dr Sid tells Aki that the 8th spirit has been destroyed.

Energy blasts rock the crater. A Hydra Phantom emerges. Gray and Aki’s ship crashes.

Aki contacts Hein about the living spirit of the aliens’ home world. It isn’t an invasion but ghosts. Attacking the alien spirit only makes it stronger. General Hein is convinced Aki is lying and the cannon is actually working.

The Zeus Cannon has overheated. Hein is so sure he’s right he keeps the barrage going.

Aki and Gray leave the ship. At the edge of a cliff, Aki spots the energy spirit of Gaia at the bottom. She talks with Sid.

Hein has the safety interlocks removed from the Zeus Cannon.

Sid and Aki ramble on about energy patterns and Gaia theory. They need to stay and not shoot any Phantoms. Any one of them could be the 8th spirit.

Aki dreams of seeing the alien world as peaceful.

The 8th spirit found Aki. The energy pattern is complete. Aki takes Gray’s ovo-pack to project the wave. Dissipating Phantoms ensue.

Hein maxes the Zeus Cannon. The blast hits Gaia. Hein keeps firing as the cannon explodes.

Tortured alien spirits ensue.

Somehow, Gray is fatally injured. He wants Aki to save herself. Gray transmits the energy wave through himself.

The Phantoms ride a beam of light away from Earth.

Dr Sid approaches the crater and sees spirits fly away.

Aki cradles Gray’s body as the sun rises.

What I say:

For the most part in theaters, animation isn't really popular besides for for Disney, Pixar, and a a couple of exceptions. Don't want this train of thought to get derailed by the "animation isn't just for kids" group. Nothing against anime. However, has any non-kid animation really been popular in the theater? The Ralph Bakshi from American Pop to Cool World wasn't given widescreen distribution and tanked. Granted Heavy Metal has picked up a quite a cult following since it was finally able to be released in the mid 90s on video. Have there been any popular PG-13 cartoons? Sorry, other animation fans, cartoon is a hard word to remove from my vocabulary...The last few years, we seen more PG rated cartoons like the Incredibles which lived up to its title.

I had never known much about any of the Final Fantasy games until after watching this movie. So I went in without any RPG baggage. Well, I've been awfully slow about getting around to reviewing this movie. I finally got through the first 2 FF movies for the 8-bit Nintendo. So, I'm more than 15 years behind the cool kids. I'm reviewing it after playing the first couple of Final Fantasy games.

A number of bad video game movies come to mind. However. most are first person shooters...Final Fantasy: the Spirits Within can't really carry the moniker of its epic role-playing game namesake. Final Fantasy is synonomous with RPG and fantasy. It normally fuses the worlds of magic with some technology but not near the level of steampunk. Very few real connections exist from game to game. Most of the FF fans will tell you the only connection between is each FF game has a character called Cid, a chocobo, and some similar plot elements like a world-saving quest.

In college, I saw how truly complicated it was to just do simple computer graphics. The computer effects are incredible in some areas and far less specatular in other areas. The detail in the movie is amazing even if it isn't exactly photo human realistic. The human textures are sort of off. The Phantoms look ethereal and ectoplasmic. The dream sequences Aki have to be seen to be truly appreciated. In fact the Phantoms and Aki's dreams are amazing enough to tolerate if the characters were rotoscoped by Ralph Bakashi in his Lord of the Rings animated movie. Pixar has shown how computer animation can be pushed without trying photorealistic human animation. The complexity of even trying to do cartoonish textures is incredibly complex.

First off, the computer generated animation is breathtaking even if is unrealistic and uneven. The skin tones of each of the characters look too smooth. A wartorn future won't have easy access for everyone to skin conditioners and cream rinses. The CG animation could have been used and a more typical cel based animation for the characters would have made the visuals less jarring. The thought of the complexity required for the graphics even when the animation doesn't live up to the fans imaginations is still incredible. The backgrounds are grimy but have more detail than a lot of traditional movies would in the same sets.

This movie isn't as bad as seemingly generic when compared to the legacy of the great FF games. Most of the FF games focus more on fantasy than the sci-fi elements of Final Fantasy: Spirits Within. It seems more like the animation was taken from the Starship Troopers cartoon with a story that never would have been considered for any FF game. The soldiers in Final Fantasy: Spirits Within have to be thought of a CG created version of the Colonial Marines from Aliens.

The one voice actor I was disappointed in was James Woods. To be honest, the dialogue of him sneering at everything doesn't help. Well, his barely contained condscending attitude to Aki's explanation of the aliens being alien spirits and not an invading force would be understandable. He goes from the malevolent evil military figure to the completely misguided by emotion villain without any real reason.

The action does get awfully repetitive after a short time. How many times do we need to see the Colonial Marines, excuse me, Deep Eyes Squadron open fire on the phantoms and watch a number of souls ripped from their physical bodies? We may not have had the infamous "Bug-hunt" references from Aliens. That may be the only one they don't have.

Can anyone explain to me why Maxim included Aki Ross in their Top 100 Hot list? Sure, digital animation can fill a bikini rather nicely. That really isn't enough. Well, with the pictorial of Bloodrayne in Playboy a few months back, that probably explains everything. Some guys love heavily endowed chicks whether they actually be 2 or 3 dimensional.

I think throwing in all about Gaia theory really killed a lot of the story. A few sci-fi novels have been killed by including Gaia theory. The thought of everything having souls isn't what bothers me. Just continually beating that notion over our heads until we want to admit defeat is another thing. Gaia theory must be true because the heroes believe it and especially must be true if the military sneers at it.

Did anyone else get the feeling that a lot of Final Fantasy: the Spirits Within had incredible visuals with a second derivative storyline? I am compelled to toss out the occasional lame Calculus joke. The story shouldn't have been considered for Final Fantasy. It seems like some sort of pseudo sci-fi story was just given the Final Fantasy name.

Quotable Dialogue
"Arrest me. But, I'm not leaving without that lifeform."
"These machines are suspected of causing sterility."
"I thought we weren't supposed to use the 's' word."
"It's amore, baby."
"His ovo-pack is the 7th spirit."
"You've got a talent for understatement."
"Jane's negiotiating with extreme predjuice."
"Spirits that are confused, lost and angry."
Morals of the Story
Dreams are easy to record.
Scientists wear high-top sneakers in the future.
Sergeants are matchmakers for superior officers.
Arguments between 2 computer generated characters seem to be more realistic than in romantic comedies.
Super powerful space cannons are easily to overheat.