by Alison L. Roberts

Aki, during a dream sequence.

In today's entertainment climate, few films, albums or video games live up to the hyperbolic accolades heaped, bandwagon-style, upon any given work during any given year. Square Picture's first (and only) film release, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within lives up to and surpasses the hype surrounding it, in what is truly one of the exceptional DVD releases of the year 2001.

The plot of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within will be familiar to both fans of science fiction and the video games which served as its inspiration. Our heroine, Dr. Aki Ross is on a quest to save the earth from aliens that have invaded the planet, decimated the human population and wrecked havoc on the ecosystem. In addition to battles against the frightfully diverse alien beings — which range from blue whale-sized behemoths to bipeds — Aki and her allies also must face a different sort of conflict: a clash of ideologies with other individuals charged with leading the earth's defense. Vain and megalomaniacal General Hein advocates blasting the heck out of the invaders, despite the toll it will take on the environment, while Aki and her mentor, Dr. Sid, are concerned with ensuring there is some kind of quality of life for the native species that survive the onslaught.

What differentiates the Final Fantasy movie from its sci-fi cousins is its execution. Rather than tell its epic story through conventional means, director Hironobu Sakaguchi (who is also the creator of the Final Fantasy video game series) set out to define a new, hybrid style of filmmaking that utilizes computer-generated animation to simulate live-action subjects and techniques. Instead of exaggerated caricatures a la Toy Story or Shrek, the beings populating Final Fantasy are stylized, yet incredibly realistic. Complemented by fine vocal performances and a dynamic sound effects track, viewers are frequently lulled into accepting the on-screen visuals as they would images from a live-action film. This effect is particularly stunning during action sequences and scenes involving human interaction with the phantom-like alien invaders. The animation's immersive quality stems from the impression that all on-screen components inhabit the same canvas and world — rather than actors in front of blue screens — and adds a special, artistic kind of urgency and immediacy to the events portrayed. As the first film to employ a full cast of photorealistic, animated humans, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within has earned a special place in cinematic history.