Movie Reviews on Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children {:Page.SeoHeaderDescription}

I don't even really care for the FF games, and rented this out of sheer curiosity. So imagine my surprise when I found out that this movie is actually pretty good and, quite possibly, the best video game-turned-movie yet (take that, Uwe Boll).

The CG is remarkably lifelike. In some of the less action-packed scenes, I actually briefly forgot that I was watching an animated film. Then we come to the action scenes and that's when I go "Oh yeah, that's right." I can't be the only person who kept thinking the word "Matrix" as a number of these scenes were going on, but they were well done regardless.

I only know of some key events from the original game, which I use as a base for the movie, but trust me, full knowledge will definitely serve you well, especially when it comes to the returning characters. Pretty much anyone who isn't Cloud or Tifa is not properly introduced, but rather just "appears" and does so in a sense that we're already supposed to know who they are. Some character's names are not even spoken. I had to look up who that red dog thing and the Scottish-accented cat on his back were.

Now we get to the logic behind my review title. There is almost no story to talk about. Whatever story is present is used simply to segue to the next of the aforementioned action scenes and to come up with half-baked ways of somehow "resurrecting" Sephiroth for his big rematch with Cloud.

As for the voice acting, it was actually pretty well executed. Most of the cast did a decent job. I couldn't help but chuckle at Cid's redneck accent and think of the opening chords of "Dueling Banjos," but at the same time I was remarkably let down by how a veteran voice actor like Steve Blum (Spike from Cowboy Bebop, if you didn't know) could seem so lifeless in his portrayal of Vincent.

If you've played the game already, there's little that can be said to discourage you from this movie, but there's still plenty to enjoy if you're coming in cold like I did.

This review is based on the DVD version of the film, not the PSP format.
First of all, I am, myself, a huge Final Fantasy VII fan. When I first heard about this movie-sequel, I was stoked. I knew that this would erase any glimpse of Spirits Within from my mind. I first saw the full version of AC in Japanese. Everything blew my mind, everything was perfect! The story (from what I could understand), the visuals, and the voice acting was all superb. I couldn't wait to get it on U.S. DVD.
After the waiting, I must say that I'm a bit diappointed in the package the U.S. version presents. Now, don't get me wrong, the visuals are still beautiful, and the storyline is amazing. The only thing that irked me was the voice acting. Now, some characters did fit the part pretty well, like Reno and Cloud. But many of the others just did not fit; they just didn't feel like the Final Fantasy characters were speaking. I don't even want to mention the horrendous voice acting of Mena Souvari for Aerith. Is she half-awake, or high or something? And since when did Cid become Cletus the redneck?
I recommend setting it to the original Japanese dialogue with English subtitles, I was much happier with that.
Other than that, this is a momentous happening in gaming history, and you should NOT miss out. If you're a FFVII fan, go grab this DVD right now, for this movie is not to be missed. Plus, the extras are a good watch too.

Visuals: 10/10
Storyline: 9.5/10
Score/Soundtrack: 9/10
Dialogue/Voice Acting: 6.5/10
OVERALL: 8.5/10