FF7 Advent Children

Summary: >

Two years have passed since Cloud and his band of misfits managed to save the planet. The aftermath of the planet's defense and the wounds made to the planet by Shinra, has left society in shambles. Tifa returned to her life in the restaurant while Cloud became a loner once more. But things are beginning to stir once more. First there is the "Stigma" - a disease which afflicts many in the population. Then there is the man named Kadaj who seeks to fulfill Sephiroth's legacy.

But Kadaj's motives may not be to only follow Sephiroth's path, but to in fact resurrect Sephiroth himself. Can the planet survive another battle with Sephiroth? Can Cloud save the orphans. Will Cloud and Tifa ever get busy?

Thoughts: >

So is this really an anime? Well I'll ask you this, what is the difference between all anime which is computer generated and this title? The differences may be fewer than you think, so that's why I decided to review this title. Well the first thing is that this is Squaresoft's 2nd foray into an all out CGI film. Spirits Within bombed pretty bad, so Square seems to have gone back to basics and just focusing on a good scenario on the path of a well known storyline. However one of the main detractors with the first movie is still a problem. The people look really freaking creepy - much like animated corpses in a way. Some people just can't get past that problem (as seen with Spirits Within), however many others can manage to "forget" this issue.

The other problem with the animation is that there is just too much crap flying around. Here's a side anecdote. I'm a metal fan, and there was once this band called Cacophony that mainly consisted of two awesome guitar players. The problem was that even though the solos were awesome, the meat and potatoes of the songs were really bad. That's what this movie is but with animation. Crap flies so fast that you never really comprehend half the action. There's something cool happening there, but it's just comming at you too fast to see. Then there's the slowdown in the middle of action sequences to let you catch up. I guess that's what they call "bullet time" in the Matrix. Honestly I would have been happier with slower sequences that I could follow instead of trying to make my brain explode watching the fight sequences.

And that's about most of what you can expect from this film. It's an uber CGI orgy with FF7 elements. That's not a bad thing if it's what you're seeking, aside from being a trip down nostalgia lane for FF7 fans. Being based off of FF7, you're not going to get much as far as background story, but that's not as important as you think because the story here is pretty weak.

Some other good points in this film. The music was great. Even though it's mainly retakes on the themes from FF7 you can appreciate it having never heard them before. The character designs are also pretty awesome. Each of their outfits is different, but very much in the character's style. And Tifa, TIFA! Man Tifa just looks sooo fine. She can kick my ass any day and I'd still lick her boots and love every minute of it!

Anyway putting all this together, the story was so-so. It's mainly a trip down memory lane. Especially enjoyable who would like a happier ending as far as Aeris goes (I liked the part about Zach too). It's also got enough action to make your head blow up, but if you truly want enough action to send you into a seizure - you've found your title. Recommended for those seeking the ultimate CGI action experience or merely to lick Tifa's boots.

Screen Caps: >