I have heard for years about FINAL FANTASY THE SPIRITS WITHIN because it's based on a famous videogame, it was aired often in Italy until some years ago and has a star-studded voice over cast. However, it has also the reputation of being a box office bomb and for a few years I avoided. But last July I finally saw it and while I didn't loved it, I could see why it has a mixed bag reputation.
In the year 2065 Earth is infested by the Phatoms, an alien race that if comes close to an human it can take away and suck the soul of a person making it die, and the remaining people on Earth live in protected cities. Scientist Aki Ross is working with dottor Sid (Donald Sutherland) on the research of eight live forms that can contain a spirit, and these spirits, if united, could annihilate the Phatoms. Aki then joins a squad named Deep Eyes with Gray Edwards (Alec Baldwin) as the chief, and in the group there are also Ryan Whittaker (Ving Rhames) and Neil Fleming (Steve Buscemi). The Deep Eyes is soon forced to go against the evil General Hein (James Woods) because he is thinking of a drastic solution that could destroy the planet, but his plans will be thwarted towards the end.
The CGI was nice. While not on par with that of Dreamworks and Pixar (in the same year SHREK and MONSTERS INC were released) it was still colorful and realistic. The voice acting was one of the movie's best things: Baldwin, Rhames and Buscemi were entertaining, and Woods as the villain was a highlight (along with Jean Simmons and Keith David as the council members). However, the film's problems (and the reasons why it bombed) were that the pace was a bit too slow especially in the second half and the character of Aki Ross a bit annoying.
As it is, just a time passer but nothing more, and certainly not as bad as most of the reviews might make you believe.
In the year 2065 Earth is infested by the Phatoms, an alien race that if comes close to an human it can take away and suck the soul of a person making it die, and the remaining people on Earth live in protected cities. Scientist Aki Ross is working with dottor Sid (Donald Sutherland) on the research of eight live forms that can contain a spirit, and these spirits, if united, could annihilate the Phatoms. Aki then joins a squad named Deep Eyes with Gray Edwards (Alec Baldwin) as the chief, and in the group there are also Ryan Whittaker (Ving Rhames) and Neil Fleming (Steve Buscemi). The Deep Eyes is soon forced to go against the evil General Hein (James Woods) because he is thinking of a drastic solution that could destroy the planet, but his plans will be thwarted towards the end.
The CGI was nice. While not on par with that of Dreamworks and Pixar (in the same year SHREK and MONSTERS INC were released) it was still colorful and realistic. The voice acting was one of the movie's best things: Baldwin, Rhames and Buscemi were entertaining, and Woods as the villain was a highlight (along with Jean Simmons and Keith David as the council members). However, the film's problems (and the reasons why it bombed) were that the pace was a bit too slow especially in the second half and the character of Aki Ross a bit annoying.
As it is, just a time passer but nothing more, and certainly not as bad as most of the reviews might make you believe.