Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

Graphics: brilliant, obviously. The most stunning things were definitely NOT given away in the trailers. Fight sequences move extremely fast, but after watching a couple of them your eyes should be used to it and it won't seem so confusing. Cloud has a wide array of swords, and I kinda wish things were moving a LITTLE slower just so we could see them, because they were each incredibly detailed. Oh, and we finally get to see exactly how one equips Materia...

Music: brilliant also. I was a bit nervous about it, since (from what I've seen) Nobuo isn't the best at writing music to go along with action (remember the Steal the Tiny Bronco sequence?), but it's brilliant and it fits perfectly. I'm glad I preordered the OST. They changed the lyrics to One Winged Angel though, so you won't be able to sing along if you know the Carmina Burana Lyrics.

Plot: the first half of the movie sets up things and introduces everyone in a fairly complex tapestry, but the second half is almost entirely fight sequences, once all the players are in place. I wouldn't call it a weak plot, but it's nowhere near as convoluted as the game's plot was. I think this is in an effort to avoid trying to overshadow the game, and I think that's a good thing...the movie is its own entity, and shouldn't try to top the original in terms of sheer plot.

I admit, I was kind of hoping that this movie would bring FF7 to a wider range of people, but this is NOT a mainstream movie. I was going to give it only nine stars, just because it doesn't even really try to explain anything to newcomers...Marlene (at least I think it was Marlene...sounded like her) gives a bit of background at the beginning, but it's more of a refresher than a crash course. But then I realized, for me this movie is a 10/10, so why should I take off points just because other people probably won't like it as well...if you've played the game, or are at least passingly familiar with it, you should see this movie. But you don't need me to tell you that. If you're not familiar with it, go out and buy it, sit there for twenty hours and beat it, and then see the movie...although even without any background, it's still stunningly beautiful. You just won't get any of the inside references...which make up 50% of the movie (that is, everything that ISN'T a fight sequence).

I do not have much to say than this is a great finish to the story. Most people have said that there is not enough plot and its just eye candy.But think about it, everything was explained in FFVII you cannot add more plot to such a grand story it would ruin it. They did the best that they could do and I think that this should be taken more as A Final FMV.. the last fight.

Graphics - 10/10, Absolutely amazing

Story 8.5/10 - don't think they could of expanded it that much more. And the stuff they could put in there was clever enough I thought.

Characters 9/10 - Well most of them have already been explained during the game but still could not fit it all into 90 mins.

Sound - 10/10, since i am a metal fan I loved the fight music.. and piano just reaches right in there..It is a great ST and I was not disappointed.

Tilt/Replay 10/10 - Enjoyable every time.

Overall- 9/10 (FF Fan View 10/10)

I personally think this is what was needed, a fight to end it all.. the plot was already in place. The action was necessary as much as people complained. I loved every second of this movie. It was a pleasure to visit the world of FFVII just one last time.

Just remember this.. most movies that have been made form a game have been directed by movie directors i think this is pretty great for a team of game directors.. Don't think I've seen a better game to movie..

Thankyou Square, I think you did it right!

Just watched it then. It is pretty damn awesome. The fights are fantastic and the magic is really cool! It's totally like a video-game in parts, with some amazing hand-to-hand combat in there.

This film is for the fans: "To those who loved this world once before and spent time with its friends, gather again and devote your time..." Besides this ominous opening, the story was not very hard to follow, and Ihave never played a Final Fantasy game. I think it pays to be familiar with Role Playing Games in general; knowledge of the genre kinda helps you grasp some of it better. I think though that if you pay attention, and accept what the film throws at you, it's quite easy to understand. There is a lot that isn't explicitly explained, and if you demand that it should be then you will probably be confused and irritated.

Watching the film is like being dropped into the middle of some grand saga, and having to put as much of the puzzle together as possible. I like that approach; you get caught up in the mystery and confusion that all the characters are going through. But like I said, just be accepting. If a weird red lion thing that talks, turns up and starts kicking ass and taking names, and the other characters just say he's an old friend, accept it and move on; you don't need a biopic flashback, or a tell-all sit-me-down. You are an observer here, of something beyond your experience and undestanding.

So: fantastic graphics and animation, great voice acting, cool video game styled music, involving story and characters, and maybe some of the coolest fights you'll see in a while. It's worth seeing, and while it IS for the fans, it is perfectly accessible for people like me that have never played the games.

If you've heard of Advent Children, then you probably have also heard that the movie makes absolutely no attempt to appeal to people who haven't played the game. Well, as someone who hasn't played any of the games, believe me, it's very, very true. I could never get into a video game that has turn-based fighting, but I love anime, video games, sci-fi and action films, etc…so there's no way I would pass up watching a film this good-looking, even if I'm not the intended audience. Luckily, I read a synopsis of the plot of Final Fantasy VII before watching Advent Children, and good thing too, as nothing is introduced – not the setting, not the backstory, not even the characters (there is a short narration at the beginning, but it won't make any sense to newcomers). I only wish that the plot synopsis had mentioned that the characters all have superpowers, capable of the most gargantuan of physical feats, and that in this universe, the laws of physics don't apply. Everyone seems to bounce around like Spider-man. There's a well-circulated image on the 'net of the FFVII cover retitled to "Fanboy Bull$#!% VII", and watching this film, I couldn't help but think of it constantly, because this movie is filled-to-the-brim with anime clichés. If you are attempting to watch this without playing the game, be fully prepared to suspend your disbelief to a degree you probably didn't know you were capable of. I'm a self-confessed nerd, and even I had a very hard time suspending my logic in order to enjoy the fight scenes. Characters jump around so freely, they can practically fly, throw multi-ton objects, like motorcycles, as though they were made of cardboard, and dodge and deflect bullets easily. All this, without any blood! Cloud, the main character, gets shot in the face near the beginning and all he gets is a small cut. This is the only blood in the entire movie from what I remember. In fact, Cloud gets stabbed, shot in the back, and has a building fall on him, and each time, he just shakes it off. Now I'm all for over-the-top action, but this film was so matrix/anime clichéd, that its very hard to take it seriously. See this movie while you're still young, because you won't be so easily impressed for long. Also, the irony of a turn-based game being made into a breakneck-paced action film is probably lost on most fans, but certainly not on me.

Currently, this film has a stellar rating of 7.9/10, which in my book would make it the most overrated film on IMDb. It doesn't take a genius to realize that the fanboys have turned out in record numbers to vote. So for anyone who's not played the game, don't let the rating fool you, (as many have pointed out) Advent Children DOES NOT stand on its own as a film. In fact, it barely stands as much of a sequel to the game, as (again, as many others have pointed out) the story is not continued to any significant degree from the original game. Instead, Advent Children plays more like an epilogue short story that bookends the massive plot of the original epic. It's a 20-50 hour game, followed by a measly 90 minute movie.

Yet I gave it a good rating, primarily because the CGI, animation, visuals, landscapes and action sequences are so well done and beautiful, that they deserve mounds of praise. This is Advent Children's saving grace, like The Spirits Within, it's a damn gorgeous film. And the movie is still a lot of fun, and certainly very entertaining, if not very well written. And I was able to enjoy both films primarily for these reasons. I went in expecting Square Pictures to learn from their mistakes from the first film and write a great script for this film, but I was let down. Leaving us with, now, two films that are style over substance.

And to me that's the real tragedy. To the best of my knowledge, these two Final Fantasy movies are the only feature-length CG films so far that aren't kids movies. Because of the shortcomings of these films, it prevents other serious CG films from being made. This year, you will see a dozen Shreck clones (90 minute fart jokes, marketed as high-quality family entertainment) released in theaters, and yet Advent Children, the most gorgeous CG film ever made, was not released in theaters in the US.

OK. I waited. And I waited. And I waited some more. Finally, I was able to see the sequel to my all-time favorite game, Final Fantasy 7.

Final Fantasy Advent Children is a visually superb look at life after we last saw our characters save the Planet from both Sephiroth and the clutches of Shinra, Inc. We see Midgar and its inhabitants up close. Cloud, Tifa and Marlene stand out as great looking characters.

The action is fast paced and wild.

But that's where the movie goes horribly wrong. As excitingly twitchy as the movie was, it greatly lacked the psychological emotion and character development from the game. THIS WASN'T FF7! Barrett, Cid, Yuffie and Red XIII (who has no role whatsoever other than to look badly drawn) just kinda seem to be hanging out together all the time. Fans of FF7 know that this is convenient for a quick action segment, but nonsensical according to the story.

Almost all the fight scenes are attempts at fast whip cam shots as the characters fight on a concrete stage of buildings and a city square.No imagination here whatsoever. Otherwise, the movie borrows from action movies and tries loony fights on motorcycles. It's lame.

Furthermore, where's THE MAGIC?!? No ice, haste, cure, fire, berserk, NOTHING. It was like a bad martial arts movie.

Though the visual effects were beautiful, I was truly disappointed by the "we're in too much of a hurry to tell a story" plot and a complete disregard for the pathos and feel of the original story.

I wouldn't recommend that any F7 fan waste their time with Advent Children. It just leaves a bad taste in the mouth.