Are You Game?
Geek diversions don’t necessarily transfer to the big screen.

By Ben Domenech
July 14-15, 2001

ears ago, when I first heard that software giant Squaresoft was toying with the idea of creating a feature film based on their Final Fantasy series of games, the gamer geek within me laughed with joy. The film lover within me groaned something like, "You're going to make us sit through two hours of that?"

Final Fantasy, as a film, is actually quite beautiful to behold. That is, without mincing words, the only reason to see this movie. The CGI animation is glorious from beginning to end, from the ghostly shell of post-apocalyptic New York City circa 2065, to the vast glowing protective domes that shield human cities from the harsh outside world, to the interplanetary dream sequences, where the celestial scope of this sci-fi universe is suddenly made more real than real. The first close-up of Aki, the heroine of this tale, is an extended shot of her face and eyes, rendered in loving detail, as if the filmmakers dare us to find fault with their skill.

It is the alien creatures, though, that are the most startling. Translucent and glowing, they ooze up from the ground and float through solid walls, splaying their tentacles and snapping their jaws, dripping a discomfiting acidic ooze. They're known as the Phantoms, otherworldly beings who, for three decades, have been literally sucking the life out of the earthlings of the human. They are swollen, insectoid, the nightmare descendents of Lovecraftian grotesque — if only the filmmakers had created a plot that was as memorable.

Unlike most of the movie reviewers whose weekly soliloquies fill the newspapers, I've actually played the Final Fantasy (FF, in l33t gamer shorthand) games, and enjoyed them very much. Which is one of the reasons I can actually say with certainty that this film is far less engaging than any of the FF storylines I've played out on my PC.

The film's plot mixes classic sci-fi trope and quest-like fantasy structure with a breed of new-age spiritism and environmentalistic blather. James Woods voices the villainous General Hein (in digital form, he looks a lot like Joaquin Phoenix), who believes the only way to stop the aliens is an orbital cannon (W.'s missile shield, anyone?). Aki (voiced by Ming-Na) believes she can defeat the alien horde by channeling the eight "'spirit waves"' of Earth — or Gaia, the "planetary life force," (whatever that means).

There's plenty of acting talent in the vocals range — Aki's allies include characters voiced by Donald Sutherland, Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames, and Peri Gelpin. Love interest Captain Gray is voiced by Alec Baldwin, doing some of his best acting work in years, and simultaneously donning the bold chin and well-cut physique that only computer graphics allow. Bur the plot is clumsy, illogical, and makes for more than a few awkward lines, and the buzz in the gamer community is mostly negative, since this film, for all its hype and budget (around $137 million), doesn't live up to the traditional splendor of the FF name.

The now-famous story of the FF games goes something like this: sometime in 1987, a small Japanese publishing company named Square Corp. was in desperate need of a hit on the charts. Square head honcho Hironobu Sakaguchi (who also produced and directed the film) decided to create a console fantasy role-playing game (RPG) that would stick to a basic formula, but have massive scope and sophistication, to the point where it would revolutionize the genre. All of Square's resources, dreams, and hopes were placed on this single game, and if it failed, Square would be no more. The project, as Square's last gasp, was given the name "Final Fantasy."

Ever since the massive success of the first FF game, each sequel has been even more successful, and FF titles have sold nearly 30 million copies worldwide. Final Fantasy VII (released in 1997) has sold over six million copies worldwide to date, with almost three million of those sold within the first 48 hours of its release.

With this kind of worldwide success, it seems very illogical for Square to form a plotline that junks most of the popular aspects of their games — the complex apotheosized quest in an unnamed world, the wealth of literary references and characters, the mix of Crouching Tiger-esque swordplay and Blade Runner environments — but that's just what the filmmakers have done.

While Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is beautifully rendered, it ultimately offers nothing more, to fan or newbies. If you're looking for the best eye-candy pixels can offer, buy a ticket. If you're looking for a plot, go play the games instead.