Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi
- action
- adventure
- animation
- fantasy
- science fiction
The story
Led by a strange dream, scientist Aki Ross struggles to collect the eight spirits in the hope of creating a force powerful enough to protect the planet. With the aid of the Deep Eyes Squadron and her mentor, Dr. Sid, Aki must save the Earth from its darkest hate and unleash the spirits within.
What it’s like
Photoreal CGI rendered with an early-2000s digital sheen: skin and hair that look almost real, glossy metal hulls, and a ruined, grey-green Earth under a bruised sky. Its palette runs cold and muted, with ash-coloured city streets, sickly green light from alien spores, and bright white explosions cutting through the gloom. The camera is roving and cinematic, with sweeping aerial shots over desolate landscapes and tight, slightly uncanny close-ups on faces that never quite settle into full believability. The score is orchestral and swelling, leaning on synth pads and choral moments during the big set pieces, while quieter scenes rely on near silence and the hum of ships and rain. The overall vibe is melancholy and earnest, with a sombre, grief-tinged calm that breaks into sustained sci-fi combat. Pacing is measured and a little ponderous, with long stretches of talk between bursts of action. Violence is moderate: frequent alien skirmishes and gunfire, creature attacks, some peril and sadness, but no gore and no sexual content. The emotional arc follows a driven woman learning to trust her own convictions and the people who stand with her. It suits a slow rainy afternoon, a sci-fi-curious viewer, or anyone drawn to ambitious early CGI spectacle.
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