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Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (SE)

Review by Matt Hursh (matt@dvdshrine.com)

Film:
The year is 2065. The Earth is infested with alien spirits, and mankind faces total extinction. Led by a strange
dream and guided by her mentor, Dr. Sid, scientist Aki Ross struggles to collect the eight spirits in the hope of
creating a force powerful enough to destroy the alien presence and pure enough to protect the planet. With the aid of
the Deep Eyes Squadron, Aki must gave save the Earth from its darkest hate and unleash the spirits within.
Being first to market, regardless of the medium, may have its distinct advantages, but for the most part the
way is littered with pitfalls. In the case of a film, the initial excitement over something “new” causes a great amount of
excitement and buzz, along with a certain amount of expectations (be them warranted or not). A perfect example of
expectations vs. finished product is Square Pictures/Columbia’s Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. No, the idea of
adapting a successful and fiercely adored video game is nothing trailblazing, since we’ve seen embarrassments like
Super Mario Brothers and Street Fighter bomb theatrically in the past, but Final Fantasy had some unique weight on
its shoulders: this was to be the first movie featuring a fully animated cast and environment that would attempt to
accurately recreate reality.
Cutting edge computer technology is a big part of moviemaking nowadays, but “hyper-reality” had never been
attempted on this scale before, and fans of the famous RPG, as well as the sci-fi genre, were rightfully in a tizzy over
the possibilities. Did Hironobu Sakaguchi’s brainchild succeed? Technically, I’d say yes…we’ve never seen anything
that looks like Final Fantasy, and that’s a good thing. Financially and thematically, however, there’s no denying that
the project left the diehards, and by extension the mainstream audience, apathetic. The dismal showing of Final
Fantasy has even reached as far as helping Square Pictures announce that no new movies will be made exclusively
by the company (although they’ll still certainly collaborate other projects). The question is, were audiences really that
under whelmed with this movie’s story, or were they simply too overwhelmed with the visuals to give the ethereal
themes at play a fair chance?
Set a little over 6 decades in our future, the maligned storyline of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within unfolds by
first introducing us to scientist Aki Ross (voiced by Ming-Na), a strong willed young woman who is desperately
searching for the eight “spirits” that just might be able to save Earth from a band of terrible, mysterious attackers
appropriately called “Phantoms.” These translucent aliens have laid waste to life on Earth, with major cities reduced
to ghost towns, and the remaining humans forced into tightly guarded barrier cities. Along with her protégé Dr. Sid
(Donald Sutherland), Aki holds out hope that the spirits gathered, which can be found in various life forms across the
desolate planet, can somehow neutralize the Phantoms and restore life to Earth. Her search isn’t easy, however, as
any trip outside the barrier cities is usually a one way ticket. The Phantoms can pass through a human’s physical
being, and literally rip the life and soul out in the process. In fact, Ross is saved while visiting Old New York when a
band of soldiers called the Deep Eyes Squadron, led by Captain Gray Edwards (Alec Baldwin, who’s joined in “Deep
Eyes” by the likes of Ving Rhames and Steve Buscemi), arrives in the nick of time to ensure that Aki isn’t reduced to
just a shell. Things get a little more personal when we find that Gray and Aki had a relationship in the past that never
really met a satisfactory of final conclusion. Will old wounds between the two make their common goal even more
difficult to attain?
Amidst the danger, Ross and Sid creep closer to completely collecting the eight spirits that they hope will be
the ultimate solution to humankind’s Phantom problem, but unfortunately for them, their beliefs and approach isn’t
widely accepted. Dr. Sid and Aki are akin to futuristic hippies, as they believe that everything lives, including the
planet itself, contains a life force, and that life force stems from a higher power called Gaia. Many of the survivors,
including General Hein (James Woods), don’t buy into this concept, and would rather use more conventional, violent
measures to eradicate the intruders. Hein has developed a destructively powerful weapon called The Zeus Cannon,
which is proven to kill Phantoms, but wreaks havoc on the planet in the process. The Zeus Cannon may be the most
effective defense (or offense) for humanity, but will it irreparably damage the Gaia? Does the Gaia even exist, for that
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matter? With that, it’s a race against time, each other, and destiny with the very existence of Earth hanging in the
balance.
With the basic premise in place, it’s easy to see that we have yet another “nature vs. technology” storyline
playing out before us. It’s also apparent that technology is playing something of the villain role here, as Hein and his
followers possibly present an even greater threat to life on the planet than the Phantoms themselves do. From that
standpoint, Final Fantasy offers us nothing new in the way of theme, but the tried and true clichés don’t stop there.
Pinching aspects from past efforts like James Cameron’s militarily based Aliens and Terry Gilliam’s grim post-
apocalyptic Twelve Monkeys, Square Pictures’ project “spirits within” seem to have all been seen or heard before. We
have the burned out cities, and the “save yourself” marine bravado that’s commonplace on the cinematic landscape
today, but then again, how does a cliché become a cliché? Through excessive use, that’s how, and in that respect,
Final Fantasy is only as guilty of it as so many others in the past. Not surprisingly, there’s a decidedly eastern flavor
to the film, and a mystical, philosophical, and even political thread running throughout. The convergence of eastern
conventionalities and western moviemaking sensibilities could have been a powerful combination, but we have a
convoluted and occasionally incomprehensible 106 minutes instead.
In most cases, a weakness in the story department spells nothing but failure for a film, but Final Fantasyis
playing by an altered set of rules. No doubt it, we’ve never seen anything that looks like this, and it is indeed awe-
inspiring and just plain “cool” in many spots. The action sequences, along with Aki’s strange dreams that play a major
role in the climax are a sight to be seen, and even go so far as to temporarily negate any inconsistencies in the plot.
The virtual cinematography is wonderful as well, with sweeping, smooth “camera” movements keeping the viewer’s
eyes locked on the screen at all times. Have you ever played a video game where the cinema sequences peppered
throughout are the highlight, and the game itself leaves something to be desired? That’s what watching Final Fantasy
is like, which is strangely appropriate given its origins. At the very least, this will always stand as a huge step forward
technologically, and many new doors have been opened creatively thanks to its release. I don’t see an animated
feature like this ever wholly replacing an flesh and blood cast and production, but this pseudo-reality can certainly
thrive in the future as an interesting alternative on it own. In the end, Final Fantasy falls victim to its own main
concept: it just lacks that intangible, unexplainable soul. Take the all star voice cast, for example. Each brings their
considerable talents to the forefront and does what he/she can with the material, but there’s just not much to latch
onto here. I never invested emotionally in the characters, which is an absolute must regardless of genre. So, yes,
there are plenty of problems here, but still, this a visually gorgeous, passively fun ride along the way…

Video:
Much like Pixar’s Toy Story and Toy Story 2 were able to bring pristine video quality to our screens through the
general nature of their progressive animation, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is absolutely flawless. Here’s the
catch, though: this film is unique in that no one had ever attempted photo realistic, or realistic unreality, on this scale
like this film has. That might have provided a few issues, but Square Pictures was up to the task. No, you’re not going
to forget that you’re not watching flesh and blood actors on your screen at any point, but there’s no denying the awe-
inspiring visuals here.
First of all, it should come as no surprise that isn’t even one print imperfection to be found anywhere
throughout, since that’s a natural ailment found in actual film. There’s no film to horse around with here, therefore the
picture is completely clean throughout. Depth and detail is beautifully handled, which is quite a compliment
considering that the team involved with production had to layer different areas of the shots together. All the
characters, human or otherwise, look as though they’re operating in a fully three dimensional environment, which
really adds to the overall realism of the feature. Speaking of detail, you can isolate certain parts of the screen and
easily see the painstaking work the crew put into Final Fantasy. Take Aki’s hair, for example: strands are individually
rendered to an almost unbelievable level. Simply put, Square Pictures pulled no punches and left no stone unturned
in trying to bring the “as human as human can get” (as opposed to “more human than human”) element to the
screen. If the first of its kind is thought of as something of a rough draft, I honestly can’t imagine what things might
look like when they actually get the hang of things and technology inevitably advances.
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Presented in an anamorphic 1.85:1 aspect ratio, colors are lushly and fully represented, all the way down to
skin tones (and even skin imperfections, in some cases). The movie deals with a future world, full of burned out
cities, apparitions, and gadgets beyond our present realism, so the creators had some freedom in what many things
onscreen could ultimately look like. That said, red, greens, oranges, blues, and everything else appear, and look
phenomenal. Black levels are 100% consistent throughout, with shadow detail being as crisp and tight as unreality
can offer. Of course, with no print imperfections, grain and edge enhancement are not factors either.
No doubt about, this is “demo” quality stuff, and will likely leave home theater and technology enthusiasts
drooling. For those who love to moan about the tiniest of visual flaws in our digital, here’s your flick.

Audio:
Uh oh…for a title that hinges on dazzling technology, where’s the DTS/6.1 accompanying audio mix? No,
that’s not here, but one of the most powerful and immersing Dolby Digital 5.1 mixes in (at least) recent memory will
do just fine, thank you. Even before the eye popping atmosphere of Aki’s dream hits our screens for the introductory
scene, those with the proper audio setup know that they’re about to enjoy an extremely aggressive mix. Your
subwoofer will make its presence known right off the bat, with a low, lovely rumble emanating from the opening
seconds. Your LFE channel is only going to get more activity throughout as ships’ blasters, “Phantoms’” growls, and
crashes and explosions are all full bodied and wholly impressive.
Separation and directionality is also top notch here, as effects careen from one speaker to another with great
frequency. An entirely artificial environment such as this opens the door for the crew to weigh down the track with all
kinds of activity, and the stops were pulled out here. You’ll thank the stars for your rear channels while watching Final
Fantasy as there seems to always be some type of detail running through them at all times. Thankfully, dialogue is
kept mainly front and center (unless it’s originating from the background, of course), and it’s mixed solidly with the
often overwhelming effects and score. I never had a problem hearing what the characters were saying…now,
whether I fully comprehended what they were talking about is an entirely different matter…
A Dolby Digital 2.0 mix is offered as well (in both English and French), but after experiencing the film in all of its
5.1 splendor, this track is a joke. It’s thin and not engaging in the least, and certainly doesn’t serve the movie, or the
genre for that matter, well. Sure, I suppose the mix is hyperactive for a 2.0, but come on, this is “romantic comedy”
territory, and should be avoided id at all possible. A word of warning: I always check the Audio Setup from the Main
Menu before playing a disc, just to ensure that the default setting is the best representation. Here, the first selection
is the 2.0 track, so just to be sure, go there first and select good ol’ 5.1.
Easily read, accurate English subtitles are accessible here, along with their French counterpart.
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Extras:
It’s so rare to see a release this consistently strong as far as technical specs go, but Columbia isn’t content
with only eye and ear candy. This two-disc set is completely stacked with special features, with a little something for
both casual viewers and hard-core tech junkies alike. On the first disc (where the feature film resides), you’ll find
three separate audio commentaries. The first is a manned by co-director Moto Sakakibara, sequence supervisor
Hiroyuki Hayashida, the lead artist for sets and props, Tatsuro Maruyama, and “Phantom” supervisor Takoo Noguchi.
On a number of levels, this project has an “east meets west” feel to it, and consequently, all of these gentlemen
speak their native Japanese language throughout their scene specific commentary. Yet another first on this set: a
fully subtitled (in both English and French), foreign language voiceover track, as the quartet discusses many of the
nuances of Final Fantasy. Obviously, many of the mind-bending technical aspects of the film are touched upon, but
the much maligned (and relatively underrated) thematic points are given some attention as well. Given that this
commentary is subtitled, you have some freedom that you normally don’t have with a voiceover—you can listen to
Moto Sakakibara and the others talk or you can flip their subtitles on over the feature’s 5.1 soundtrack. Nice.
The second commentary is another group effort, this time in English, with animation director Andy Jones,
Editor Chris S. Capp, and staging director Tani Kunitake. The three focus more on the effects/technical side of things,
which isn’t surprising, considering their particular duties on the project. Thankfully they don’t get too “scientific” with
their conversation, so hardcore fans as well as more casual listeners have a very accessible, very worthwhile track to
take in here. These two commentaries, in tandem with the “Making-of” documentary that we’ll cover in just a bit
provide viewers with an extensive look into the production process of this original project.
We’re not through with commentaries yet, however, as we also have an isolated score accompanied by
composer Elliot Goldenthal. You’ll find some in-depth comments from Mr. Goldenthal on Disc Two as well, but here
he’s given plenty of time to explain his thought processes that led to extremely effective and appropriate score
employed throughout. The various instruments are isolated and brought to the forefront, and any fan of cinematic
scores will be more than satisfied here. This is a feature that I wish would be implemented on more releases, and it’s
great to see it here.
We have even more unique features to discuss on Disc One, with a Storyboard/Playblast section to dissect.
This is a very cool feature, in that it’s basically the feature film itself, only shown through various conceptual and
early-stage drawings. The sound played on the feature here is presented in 2.0, but this is just fine given the
experimental nature of the supplement. In all, this runs 15-20 minutes shorter than the feature itself, since many of
the scenes are represented with a simple drawing. “Boards and Blasts” can also be accessed with an optional
commentary helmed by the second crew from above: Andy Jones, Chris Capp, and Tani Kunitake. Pushing it even
further, a subtitled factoids track is also available, serving as something as a Pop-Up video type of feature. On all
fronts, this is a well laid out feature, and one that works particularly well considering the animated nature of the film.
Rounding out Disc One, we have an extensive set of Production Notes that bring us even further into the film’s
mammoth production, as well as an anamorphically enhanced teaser and theatrical trailer. Additional trailers (non-
anamorphic) for Men in Black, Starship Troopers, and Metropolis…no, not the Fritz Lang classic, or the Moroder
remake, unfortunately (this is anime)…and a short preview for the game Final Fantasy X.
If we stopped there, we’d have a solid little package, wouldn’t we? Columbia’s gone above and beyond,
however, with a whole additional disc of extras, which range from “fun” to “extremely in-depth.” The highlight of Disc
Two is undoubtedly the original interactive documentary entitled “The Making of Final Fantasy.” The documentary is
presented in fullscreen, with a “sci-fi,” hyper-technology border around the screen throughout, which matches the
tone of the film nicely. You can choose to watch this feature front-to-back, as it runs roughly 30 minutes in length, or
you can also choose to branch off to more in-depth information on a particular topic via icons that will appear
periodically throughout. This is, dare I say, infinifilm-esque, and gives you the freedom to roam about at your leisure.
Want more on how the atmospherics were achieved in the film? Just click “Enter” on your remote and those involved
with the process will outline it for you. Otherwise, you can let the documentary proceed. There’s also an optional
director commentary icon that will appear from time-to-time in the upper right hand corner that is easily accessed.
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Most of the branching information can be selected elsewhere from this disc’s Main Menu, but it’s nice to have a bulk
of the goodies in one pretty package.
By selecting the “Highlights Menu” as opposed to the documentary, you’ll be taken to a huge amount of odds
and ends to sort through. One of the most features here comes in the form of a Final Fantasy Shuffler, which allows
the viewer to reedit a specific sequence from the film. This is accompanied with a coolly mechanical voiceover “how
to,” making it simple to play around with the various shots that make up the scene. So much interaction, so little
time…
A Character Files section is available as well, which profiles the main protagonists in the film. Understandably,
a majority of the supplements are geared toward the technical side of things, so it’s refreshing to see a little character
development thrown in for good measure. You’ll get stats on Aki, Dr. Sid, Hein, and the Deep Eyes Squadron, as well
as short interviews with the likes of Alec Baldwin, Donald Sutherland, and the lovely Ming-Na. Corresponding with the
previous feature, a Vehicle Scale Comparisons section is found here. This is a very brief extra, and it expounds on
the size of three ships seen in the film: “Bandit,” “Quatro,” and “Black Boa.”
An interesting little feature called Trailer Explorations is up next, which shows us the process behind
constructing Final Fantasy’s trailer. Running about 5 minutes in length, this will be of particular interest to the “trailer
junkies” out there, of which there are many. The Gray Project follows, which I thought was going to be a discussion of
Alec Baldwin’s character creation, but this is more of a technical tutorial and display of just how ideas and illustrations
are turned into the pseudo-reality onscreen. Another featurette, Matte Explorations, is selectable, and while it runs
only about 6 minutes in length, the process of bringing the film’s background and atmospheres into synchronization
with the action is very intriguing. A rather surreal supplement entitled Compositing Builds, which plays more like a
trip-hop video than anything else, is here. It shows the many layering effects that went into the certain shots, but
more than anything else, it’s the product of a team member noodling around with techie toy at his/her disposal.
Finally, even more Boards/Blasts are available, reprising the feature found on Disc One, only this time, we view a
deleted scene.
Not impressed yet? Hmmm…all right, there’s more. We’ve come to expect them when animated features
come to DVD, so suitably, we have some Joke Outtakes. Only running about 5 minutes, these are mostly very
elementary (in that they’re not fully finished) renderings, and some of them are worth a laugh, but they don’t come
close to the inventiveness seen on something like The Ultimate toy Box. Still, have a look. We all love alternate
openings/endings, deleted scenes, and rare footage, right? Here, we have the film’s Alternate Opening, which is
radically different than the finished product, as even Aki herself doesn’t look the same physically. In retrospect, their
final choice was correct, but it’s always nice to see abandoned ideas along the way. Rounding out the conventional
DVD extras, Aki’s Dream can be selected. This is nothing more than the dream sequences that are spliced (well, ok,
not spliced, but you know what I mean…) throughout the film put together into a long form piece. These scenes
happened to be my favorite part of the movie, and seeing them consolidated was very cool.
Onto the DVD-ROM exclusives, there’s quite a bit to explore for those with the capability. First, there’s an
interactive film exploration, which plays like an alternate “Boards/Blast,” only this time the complete screenplay can
be viewed, or even printed out. A Virtual Tour of Square Pictures can be clicked as well, which uses Quicktime to give
another interactive look into the production process. No, we’re not exactly rooting around in Sakaguchi’s drawers
(desk drawers, that is) with this feature, but it’s a unique feature nonetheless. You want weblinks? You got weblinks,
with a connection to the official site, along with several areas that are exclusive to only those with the DVD itself.
Finally, an Aki screensaver can be thrown on your computer, and let’s face it, she’s much less polygonal than Lara
Croft ever was. Eat your heart out, Ms. Tomb Raider…
Finally, let’s not forget a selection of easter eggs, of which several can be easily found on Disc Two (including
a spoof of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”) and exclusive, custom made interactive menus courtesy of lead animator Roy
Sato. A brief set of liner notes, featuring quotes from Sakaguchi (among others) can also be found inside. In all, what
a set of supplements—one that both provides a solid technical backbone along with pushing the boundaries of what
we’ve come to expect from a DVD release. Immensely impressive.
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Overall:
How ironic is it for a completely artificial film to be one of the best pure DVDs on the market presently? From
technical specs to a cargo ship’s worth of special features, Final Fantasy stands as one of the most impressive DVD
releases of the year. I’ve no doubt that its shortcomings theatrically will be somewhat erased now that we have it on
our favorite digital format, as this is a home theater fan’s wet dream. The movie is also some hardcore science
fiction, so even casual followers of futuristic/alternate universes have a set that they can’t afford to pass up. For all
others, I’d recommend a rental first before plunking down the change for Final Fantasy. The reference quality
material here may be enough to sway you into a purchase, but those looking for a unique, involving story to go hand-
in-hand with this ultra glossy package may be left disappointed or even a bit confused.
Keep in mind, though, we just might have the new millennium’s Snow White right before our eyes. People
laughed at Walt Disney when he set his sights on creating a full length animated feature decades ago, and that
seemed to turn out pretty decently in the end, don’t you think? I’m not quite convinced with the substance, or lack
thereof, in Final Fantasy, but on every other level, I was blown away. This is a monumental technical achievement,
and at the very least, this is a DVD set that’s impossible to dismiss.