Led by a strange dream, scientist Aki Ross struggles to collect the eight spirits in the hope of creating a force powerful enough to protect the planet. With the aid of the Deep Eyes Squadron and h...
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is criminally overlooked with its ghostly photorealistic animation. If ever there was a film that deserved more attention, demanded more respect and warranted as one of the most groundbreaking animations of all time, it's this film. A mature science fiction premise that has stood the test of time, both in its aesthetics and story-telling. In my opinion, this is the film that time forgot and it's about time we gave it some more adoration. Set in the near future, Earth is seemingly invaded by ethereal aliens known as "Phantoms" where a scientist must collect eight spirits that, when joined together, may negate the infested extraterrestrial life. For those of you who know me personally will know that the Gaia hypothesis is a fascination of mine. Living organisms and their environment interacting together to create a synergistic system that maintains life. A plausible theory, and one that The Spirits Within thoroughly explores whilst injecting strands of sci-fi to elevate the entertainment value. I applaud Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy series, who retained various mature themes throughout this dark fantastical feature including mortality, faith and the afterlife. The contrasting balance between spiritualism and utilitarianism remained intriguing throughout, with both viewpoints for the best course of action having arguable advantages. The antagonist could've been slightly more nuanced, too overplayed to be memorable unfortunately. However, any irregular ambiguity within the plot is swiftly disregarded due to the stunning animation.
The quality in both the character models and rendered backgrounds are exceptional, still nearly twenty years later. Granted, some scenes look as if they're still in pre-production, but for the most part it captures the desolate yet superlunary world that Earth has become. The voice acting was pretty special also, particularly from Buscemi and Baldwin. Occasional moments where emotional scenes are squandered by lack of fluidity within the character's faces, but the sorrowful undertone counteracts these low points. The "Phantom" designs were imaginative and varied. From lesser soldiers to colossal beasts, each one still hauntingly terrifying. Attentive details such as the faint screams when they get hit by gunfire accentuate the pain these creatures are in. Saddening yet surprisingly powerful. The third act somewhat gets slightly chaotic, however the sense of helplessness and lack of hope strive through the narrative and keeps hold of your attention. An utter shame that this bombed at the box office, leading to the demise of Square Pictures. Attaching the 'Final Fantasy' name to the film obviously did not assist, disappointing hardcore fans and deterring newcomers away. The themes, story, animation, voice acting and musical score are all way ahead of their time. The Spirits Within is quite simply exceptional.
