Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (UMD)

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is the movie many FF fans have long awaited, though not all of them love it. Non-fans might as well not bother, unless they're after something pretty to look at, and don't care much about story or characterization. Over all, it was a pleasant enough couple of hours, and truly gorgeous CGI animation, but I'm not in any great hurry to watch it again.

The most obvious thing about this movie is that is was lovingly crafted -- visually, at least. The CGI is some of the best I've seen. Every character looks as they should (or maybe better), and the environments are detailed and appear realistic.

Once the Dazzle Wears Off

It quickly becomes apparent, though, that FFVII: Advent Children exists to show off the FFVII characters doing cool things. There are stylish stunts and cool fights galore, though not, perhaps, enough to make up for the movie's failings.

And, I'm sad to say, it does have failings. Fans of the game will likely not be as critical, as they are already familiar with the characters and their backstory, but if you haven't played FFVII the game, you'll likely be a little lost, and you'll certainly have difficulty feeling empathy for any of the characters. That's my main problem with Advent Children, that it doesn't provide enough backstory for the non-fan, and there isn't much characterization to make up for it. In other words, it's a movie made for people already familiar with the FFVII world and its people.

Where's the Story?

My other main criticism is that the story seems to exist only to provide a frame for the action sequences. I certainly don't have anything against action, but I like it to have more of a point than making the characters look cool.

After all that, I will admit that I enjoyed watching Advent Children, but I can't really recommend it to anyone but rabid fans.