User Reviews
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| A Great Fantasy |  4.4
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by  Insanity Prevails
| Jun 20, 2008 |
OK, let's make something clear about this before we go too far into this. This movie is designed more as a follow-on to the popular video game Final Fantasy VII that graced the Sony PlayStation. However, I have not played that game, nor do I have knowledge on it past knowing of its existence. However, despite that, this isn't a bad film.
If there is one thing there is little doubt over then it is the technical brilliance the film demonstrates. Advent Children is done entirely in 3D CGI, and the sheer level of work gone into it translates over well on the screen. The result is a visually impressive animation that looks great and flows along brilliantly. Every single character put into the film, whether it's the main stars like Cloud or Tifa or simple bystanders in the city, has been rendered beautifully.
The scenery is also a marvel to look at. The city shown during the opening sequence is a perfect example. The run-down 'dirty' feel of a city comes across so well on screen. The general design is complex, with a level of depth one would expect. It's not just a dead landmark either, as the streets are filled with people going here and there, carrying out their daily tasks.
Of course, all this is complimented by the special effects that are littered throughout the film. Clashing of sword produce some excellent light shows, showering waters looks so real and material blasts look great. One of the more impressive examples of the special effects comes some way into the film, when a large winged creature is summoned into the skies above the city. The swirling lines merging together into the shape of the creature makes for a grand entrance that provides a wonderful sight.
 Lookin' good, Cloud.
The music tends to be impressive as well. Battles are accompanied by dramatic battle themes that help intensify the action, while you get the more melancholic music for more emotionally depressing scenes. The theme used for the finale is simply outstanding.
As said earlier, the film is effectively a follow-on from a PlayStation game. However, perhaps anticipating the possibility that non-fans may watch this, there is a fairly lengthy prologue that tries to give a summary of the events of that film, done so in the form of a child's voice reciting the summary while a series of animated scenes attempt to depict the events in visual form. This was a nice start to the film that made sure I wasn't left completely in the dark.
The events are simple enough to follow, although too much of it is content to run along such a predictable line that even those of us who haven't even experienced the game can tell exactly where the film is going. Suffice to say, no viewer is going to be surprised, although despite this the film seems to act as if the scene is meant to be surprising. Predictability isn't that much of an issue though.
There are some genuinely interesting non-action moments in the film, such as the gathering of children in that lit-up forest place. It won't tug on your emotions but it will get you to pay attention. A shame that there is also a sizable share of rather boring sequences in there too. The conversation between Cloud and Tifa after he finds her at the ruined church is just so boring and drawn out, partly due to Tifa's voice actress seemingly losing interest during this segment. Cloud and Vincent's talking has a similar feel to it. These scenes are more a reason to link to the next battle rather than advancing the plot in any meaningful way, but being so drawn out is an issue.
 Look as pretty as you want,
it won't make this scene anymore interesting.
The voice work is mostly well done, outside of the odd occasion where Tifa's voice actress seems to lose interest. The voices tend to match up pretty well. English and Japanese audio tracks are offered for the viewer. The Japanese audio comes across a little better, making those boring sections a little less boring, so long as you're willing to put up with the subtitles. Kadaj's gang still cries too much though. Those subtitles are good here, being big and clear enough to read properly.
The collection of heroes is nice, although most characters get too little screen time to get developed in any way. Cloud comes across well as the hero with human weaknesses, and while Tifa isn't one of the most complex characters you'll meet her warm heart will be ever so present. The main problem with the cast lies mainly with the bad guys. What kind of lead villains come across as pathetic? We have three leather-wearing children who cry and keep going on about their 'mother' (and by children I am referring to how they act rather than how old they look). I'm not impressed by this, and so it is quite difficult to take them seriously. Kadaj does at least develop a little, but he never really gets out of the "mommy's boy" stage. There's some merit to presenting a sense of immaturity, but these guys go overboard and so never come off as anything more than underling material.
The selling point of this film is the action sequences. The story and talking is simply a means to link these together and give a reason for all of this. Suffice to say, if you're an action junkie, especially for impressive fight scenes, then this will likely appeal to you. There are numerous fight scenes littered throughout the film. A number of them tend to involve Cloud fighting off two of the main villains at once. Other fight scenes allow other characters to shine too, like witnessing Tifa's hand-to-hand combat skills and the grand battle against that summoned winged creature.
Any laws of gravity goes out the window as everyone seems perfectly capable of leaping great distances, moving quickly and demonstrating great strength and endurance. Battles tend to be fast-paced, with all characters pulling off some complex combination attacks seemingly effortless. There tends to be a lot going on, and it is definitely a treat for the eyes.
The integration of objects and terrain to make these fights more dramatic is an excellent touch. Characters make use of pillars, walls and even ceilings to move around their opponents, while crumbling structures or fixtures present their own dangers that come across during the scenes. There are even some scenes where fighting occurs while riding motorbikes, which is impressive.
Sometimes there seems to be a few liberties taken that go a little far even by fantasy standards, like some characters seemingly levitating at times when they don't do the same at other times, but overall it is a solid set of fantasy action sequences.
 A precursor to one of the more impressive battle sequences.
The DVD comes with a whole set of extras, most of which are sat on the second disc. All of them are in Japanese though, and for some reason subtitles on the second disc are turned off by default. Yeah, OK, most people in England don't know the Japanese language all that well. Surely on a disc that contains only Japanese-language content it would make sense to set subtitles so we can understand it without fiddling with the options beforehand?
Anyway, the only extra on the film disc is the Reminiscence of Final Fantasy VII, which essentially goes through the events of the game using literal ingame footage. It was pretty interesting to see it all.
There is a set of 12 deleted scenes for viewers to look through. However, they didn't seem all that interesting to me. None of them were particularly long and some with just the same scenes that are in the film with different dialogue. There's also the Venice Film Festival footage, but this doesn't actually offer anything new. It's pretty much the film content cut down to fill a 20-minute slot and all with the Japanese voice acting.
There is a collection of trailers for the film from various sources to look at, as well as trailers for various Final Fantasy VII-related projects (quite why another Advent Children trailer is here too isn't clear).
The biggest draw in the extras content is the 'Distance: The Making of Advent Children'. The title is probably a little misleading though. Going into it I was fully expecting an extensive look into the processes that went into the design, but that was only a minor part that lacked detail. Instead, much of this feature was taken up by interviews with various members of the production cast and some of the Japanese voice actors. Despite the disappointment it was still great to sit through, although some parts were a little boring. The subtitles on this feature also have a habit of jumping between the top and bottom of the screen for some odd reason.
In the end it was a worthy investment. Some parts come across as boring and the film could use with less crybabies in the lead bad guy roles but overall comes across as fast-paced action that will hook you and keep you entertained. Some of the extras are well worth looking into as well. |
| 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. | Did you find this review helpful? YES NO |
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| Impressive |  4.8
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by  Mnmfan
from Athlone, , Ireland | Jun 6, 2006 |
I'm not a massive FF7 fan, I did play it a long time ago but I never finished it and I had no idea what the story was about. However the reason why I got FF Advent Children is because I'm very much interested in CGI and Animation and this movie intrigued me. So if you're a massive FF7 who knows everything about it then you're probably better off skipping this review, however if you'd like to see the opinion from an average guy just watching a movie then read on.
As you probably know Advent Children is a CGI movie. But it's not like Shrek or The Incredibles. It's a completely new type of media which truly is stunning to watch. It's based 2 years after the events in FF7 on the PS1.
I'm not going to go on too much about the story as I'm not in the know about it. Which is also why I won't be grading the film based on the story as I'm sure it makes perfect sense to the FF fans.
The movie starts off a bit slow for my liking and some scenes are just not needed in my opinion. However it picks up greatly half way through. Think of Advent Children as the Matrix of today. Complicated but a thrill to watch. The whole movie is a real threat for the eyes. Stunning visuals in every scene including the characters. Although the real beauty lies in the backgrounds. I spent most of the movie with an open jaw as I sat in amazement at the backgrounds. Every detail is stunning. Massive landscapes and gorgous arcitecture is what really steals the show.
The characters are well rendered but not an par with Spirits Within. Then again that is because the creators purposly wanted to not have the characters look too real as they wanted to stay true to the game.
The fight scenes are over the top. Characters can jump 100s of meters in the air and stay airbourne for ages...that's not a bad thing though. This is an animation after all. If they wanted it too look realistic they would've just used Live Action instead. It's a welcome change from the normal fights we see these days. The fights are indeed incredible and the scene where Bahemoth makes an appearance is truly astounding.
Overal this is a new leap forward in terms of movies. We are no longer restricted in terms of technology. Instead we are restricted by our imagination.
The Matrix revolutionized Live Action and Advent Children revolutionized CGI movies. A feast for the eyes that's not to be missed by any true movie fan.
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| FFVII: Advent Children=Perfect |  5.0
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by  Tenken
from , , | Nov 30, 2005 |
THE GOOD:
+ Graphics
+ Sound
+ Story
+ Characters
+ AppealTHE BAD:
- Too short
- Supposed English Voice actors we could do without(i.e, Lance Bass, Mandy Moore, and Christy Carlson Romano, etc.) SUMMARY:
This is one of the movies that you're going to want to watch, especially if you're a gamer(fan or not of the series) or an anime otaku. I myself absolutely hated(note: past tense) the Final Fantasy series until I saw the trailer, and then the movie.
Most people can remember the other Final Fantasy movie, you know, the one that had nothing to do with the series and only boasted good graphics known as Final Fantasy: The spirits Within? Well take that, make it related to the series, make the plot good, and make the graphics even better and you have Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children from SquareEnix.
The story we have here is the sequel to Final Fantasy VII and overall only a small part of the entire FFVII franchise. With Before Crisis and Crisis Core being before FFVII and Advent Children taking place two years later followed by Dirge of Cerberus.
The movie does indeed boast graphics that could make Angels sing an octave higher. There are points where they aren't quite as great, but you hardly notice because of the overall greatness of the fight scenes. If gameplay looked like this movie, it'd be a step above anything we've ever seen.
The music and sound are of the highest quality with it being done by the one and only Nobuo Uematsu who can be easily accepted as a great music director. The soundtrack to the movie, Advent Children, can give you chills at times when you see how well it fits with the movie, and the clashing of swords and footsteps only add to the overall sound quality.
If you're a Final Fantasy VII fan(this movie made me one) then you'll love that they brought out classic aspects and emotions from the characters, the movie delves into the lives of a few select characters, Cloud specifically.
The appeal of this movie is just about to any gamer or anime fan, or flat up anyone who likes pretty graphics or intense and nicely done fighting scenes, from the bike chases to the over the top sword clashes.
The absolute best part of the movie, Cloud's sword.
With Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children slated for a January 10, 2006 release date for America, be sure to pick up your copy on DVD or PSP UMD because this movie deserves better than:
5 out of 5 |
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| Squenix Hits bull's eye with Advent Children... | 5.0
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by  Twin Fatality
from Angeles City, , Philippines | Nov 5, 2005 |
THE GOOD:
Once you've sat in front of the TV, with popcorn and set the DVD on then you're in for the best hour and a half in the history of CG films. The Graphics is breath-taking. The sound is great and really gets you into the mood. The characters... Hmm... Well, the characters looked better especially Tifa. Storyline-wise, it is good but it's better if you've played the game. The fight-scenes are off-the-roof. Whoever said that Star Wars had the best battle scenes should rethink and reflect. It is much better than DMC and Star Wars combined when it comes to fight-scenes.THE BAD:
I think, there're a few bad points in the movie but not significant enough to change my score of it. First, it's too short. Second, there're no other Summoning sequence. Third, There're no chocobos! Wark! Fourth, Tifa is so hot... oh wait, that's a good point. SUMMARY:
Whenever I sit down for a movie or play a game, I see to it that I have 5.1 Surround in my speakers and luckily I do have them when I watched this AWESOME to say the least movie. If you're a fan of the series or just a newbie wanting to have some fun, then this is a movie you'll adore. I must say that Square has redeemed themselves after the flop which was "The Spirits Within." It was a great comeback. If you've thought that FFX and FFX-2 had great graphics (which they do, of course) then this one has better graphics and sounds. The story is a sequel to the game and the game's story was great (the best in FF so far.) The characters were great with some new modifications especially Tifa. I can't reiterate this much... Tifa is so hot! Spending money for the DVD or going to Japan to get your copy is all worth the trip. A two thumbs up.
Average Scores:
Graphics - 5.00%
Sounds - 4.99%
Characters - 5.00%
Storyline - 5.00%
Appeal - 5.01%
Total Average - 5.00%
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| Totally eye popping, jaw dropping, gut spilling goodness! | 5.0
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by  Homunculus Lover
from Chilling with, , Tipsy Kitten | Oct 11, 2005 |
THE GOOD:
What do you want me to say? It was all good.....Heh heh. Ok, I'll give you detail. The wonders of where to start for a film like this. The story...so incredibly intense, amazing detail that can get you confused if you don't keep focused on what is going on. If you have too much going on, do not watch this film. You need every bit of attention towards it to understand.
We bring in are usually old Characters starting with Cloud who hasn't changed one bit from the looks of things. Tifa who is still big chested, and hard hitting when in a fight, little Marlene who resembles so much of Aeris with her cute big bow in her hair, Aeris herself shows up, as beautiful as ever and just as mysterious, Barret the Mr. T look-a-like in my opinion, Cid the great captain with his new Highwind, Red (Nanaki) who hardly says a word throughout the film, Caith Sith without his Mog thank goodness. I hated that huge Mog. Yuffie the little ninja and Vincent the strange ex-Turk. Along with help from the wonders that is the Turks, Reno and Rude who are able to place such hilarious amusement into the film so it doesn't get too serious including Rufus who is still incharge....Ok, Ok. That isn't all. You know I have to add him seeing as he has to be in the film. A wonderful appearance from the one and only Sephiroth with his all mighty power and grand sword...Masamune. Then we have ourselves the new characters in this epic tale. The three brothers Kadaj, Yazoo and Loz. Kadaj appears to be leader of the group as he along with his brothers are determined to find their 'Mother' Jenova. Yazoo is quite mysterious to be honest, not much to say about him except known for his long hair and two lovely designed gunblades. Loz seemed quite weird as he seems to be slightly emotional about his 'Mother,' but is extremely hard hitting when in a battle.
One thing that was incredibly creative had to be the design of some of the weapons used in this film especially Cloud's, Kadaj's and Yazoo's. Cloud's sword which resembles so much as the buster sword can break out into many other swords giving variety in his attacks. Kadaj's was very intriguing, a double bladed katana from the looks of it, but out of it all, Yazoo's gunblade had to have me interested all the way really. Though this weapon had only appeared (from my knowledge) Final Fantasy 8, I found it amazing how they brought that weapon into the game.
The settings were beautifully done. The remains that is Midgar, ruins of the old sister ray along with the crumbled company of Shinra Inc. They completely perfected the settings including Midgar and the forgotten continent. The detail that had been placed, everything was there. The seventh heaven, the main road, the statue. All of it in the right place, nothing missing. The graphics in all of this made it complete. The delicate design in all the characters and settings. Every strand of hair visible on Cloud's head, the great shading on the settings and characters, the tremendous detail placed into every bit of this film is outstanding.
The music blew me away completely and I've been listening to the soundtracks ever since. Not only are there new soundtracks placed in the film, but also old remixed wonders that just screams Final Fantasy 7 especially Sephiroth's theme, Jenova's theme and Nobuo Uematsu's Tatakau Monotach. It makes you want to listen to it all the time. The music is fast, furious and makes your head spin from the excitement of what will happen next.  THE BAD:
Surprisingly the only thing that actually thought was in my own way of seeing the film....I thought it would have been a lot longer. Up to 2 and a half hours at least for a more in depth story. It was still a creatively detailed storyline, but I would have expected more. SUMMARY:
My own opinion, when you can, see this film especially for all your Final Fantasy fans out there. As the title of this review says, it's eye popping, jaw dropping, gut spilling goodness for you all. Once you've watched it, you'll want to watch this film again and again. They'll be no stopping it from being so good.
The brilliantly made fights that keep your eyes glued on the screen so you don't miss a single thing. The music along with it is enough to get your adrenalin running to the max. The graphics itself wowed me into submission of wanting to watch it so badly. |
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| The Ultimate Perfection of Final Fantasy | 5.0
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by  7 Dragon
from , , | Oct 1, 2005 |
THE GOOD:
Every little thing in Advent Children was outstandingly incredible beyond all reason. Especially the fights.THE BAD:
Swedish subtitles along with English ones to choose from? Please. Just put all subs in English. Kadaj complains to much about Mother. (Jenova) SUMMARY:
Alright. I'm really gonna crack it down for you die hard fans. I say "die hard" for a spacific reason. If you are unfamiliar with Final Fantasy VII and are unsure about everything and anything that happens in the game, do not buy Advent Children. You will most defedently have an extreamly hard time understanding the movie and concepts. Mainly because Advent Children is the sequel to Final Fantasy VII anyway.
Besides that, Let's continue with this review.
Advent Children sold out in Japan in just two days. You wanna know why? Because this movie was the ulitmate Final Fantasy and movie expirence of all time no matter what you say.
The storyline and characters from the Original Final Fantasy 7 were also really neat and also very badass. I was very impressed with the details on the characters as well. Even Barret and Cid looked good!! Anyway...
The graphics and epic battles and duels between the Silver haired men: Yazoo, Kadaj, and Loz and our heros were simply put: Unbeleivable beyond all reason. I just couldn't beleive how much ass Tifa handed to Loz in that one fight. I loved how they all interacted in one way or another. The storyline mainly revolves around Jenova, Geostigma, and the new revolution of Shinra Inc in the mix. MOTHER as Kadaj Yazoo and Loz call Jenova in the movie. I don't really feel like explaining and revealing what Geostigma is, if I do I garuntee I'll ruin the movie/plot for you. So watch the movie for yourself. Rufus Shinra and the turks also return in the movie as well. Reno ended up being the most hilarious character in the movie anyway. Sephiroth's theme: One Winged Angel is also remixed in the movie into a more darker and more badass them then ever before!! The animation and style of the movie was outstanding as well. I have the Region free copy of Advent Children. Meaning you don't need anything special in order to play the DVD. THIS IS A MUST SEE MOVIE ALTOGETHER!! I strongly encourage you to immediately buy Advent Children off Ebay if you can do so right away. You would not and probably DO NOT want to wait for the movie to come out in English. Like I stated eariler. Don't go out and buy Advent Children unless you have played Final Fantasy VII beforehand. But in any case, if you truly honestly want to, then by all means go right ahead and watch this incredible DVD expirence.
Advent Children is rated PG-13 for a reason as well. Mainly because of the intense and action pack fighting and violence in the movie. I sure wouldn't want my 7 year old cousin watching this. Way too much action for the kids at home.
I give this movie a whopping 10/10. I hope you found my review quite helpful. ^.^ |
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4.87/5.0
