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By Brian Jurilla – Special to Viewpoints
By Brian Jurilla – Special to Viewpoints
In 1998 what is arguably the greatest role-playing game was released onto the Sony Playstation.
That game was Final Fantasy VII. The game revolutionized the way we look at games; by bringing cinematic cut scenes to help flesh out the story, and to make the player feel attached to each of the various characters in the game. Playing as Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockheart, Aries and many more, players save the world from evil.
Seven years later, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is released and is a direct sequel to the game. The movie takes place two years after the events of the game. A strange disease is affecting mainly children of the world and there is no cure. Three brothers are looking for their “mother” causing Cloud and his friends to stop them.
The problem I had was the story. As someone who has never played the game and only knows an overview of the story, it was hard to follow and see the importance of some of the key points of the movie. The story is better than Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, but is not one of the easiest to follow.
A lot of the movie has to deal with the events that took place in the game. What happened at the end of the game has something to do with the disease that is affecting the children of the world. The three brothers out looking for their “mother” are looking to bring back Sephiroth, the villain of the game, because they see what is happening to the planet and he is the one to end it all. Cloud, who has lost his will to fight, must find the inner strength to stop the evil Sephiroth from returning to the world.
This movie is visually stunning. The animation looks lifelike and each battle has the viewer on the edge of their seat. Monsters look treating and menacing and bring one of the biggest battles of the movie. The different locations in the film will look familiar to those who played the game and will give the characters of the game a more fleshed out look.
All the main characters make an appearance in the movie and will be sure to please fans of the game. All the characters speak in Japanese and the film has English subtitles. Even though each character can now be heard, you still have to read what they say just like the game.
The movie is something to see just for the look of it. Fans of the game will no doubt see this movie and fall in love with the characters all over again and remember what they faced playing the game. For those who have never played the game, I suggest that you play the game to understand each character and to have a better understanding of the overall story.
