Final Fantasy: the Spirits Within

2001 / TV

SF elements

Review

Apparently this is the film of the video game, but I've not played the game, so I'll review it cold.

I enjoyed it. The plot is fairly straightforward: Dr Aki Ross is searching for the McGuffin to be used in the Gaia weapon to save the planet from alien invaders, blocked by the Eeevil military commander who wants to use his Big Gun instead. But to go with this, there's lots of action, imaginative sets, and no excessive info-dumping of backstory up front: we're straight into the fray, with explanation doled out piecemeal, or not given at all. That's the way to do it. And we don't get a treacly Disneyesque ending, either.

The whole film is done with computer graphics. It might linger over-long on the flowing of Dr Ross' hair, and the facial expressions might be a bit stiff, but overall the animation is excellent.

Rating: 3.5

[ unmissable | great stuff | worth watching | mind candy | waste of time | unfinishable ]