I don't know how accurate it would be to compare the 2001 animated movie with today's animated movies, but when I made this comparison, I can say that I was quite impressed.
Pushing the limits of computer animation technology, the sci-fi Final Fantasy The Spirits Within depicts its characters as real people and is extremely successful in doing so.
From time to time while watching, the postures and dialogues of the characters were no different from real people. You can easily understand the dullness and numbness only in their facial expressions.
I can say that the sci-fi side of the production adapted from the Final Fantasy game series is quite satisfying. I liked the story and the theme behind the story.
The movie starts in 2065 when the Earth is invaded by the Phantoms, invading spirits. In so-called safe cities, the rest of humanity is trying to live under attack by the spirits of the creatures.
The main character Dr. Aki Ross, a scientist, is trying to find a solution with his group to save the Earth from the invasion.
The solution they are looking for is actually the big picture of the movie and I can say that the immersion is kept high for the audience with action-packed scenes at every moment. Of course, the fluency of the story is the biggest factor in this, but I liked the scenes that fit the fiction of the movie and the processing of the story the most.
The fact that there were no limits to the action and the fictionalized vision of a future Earth was very much in line with the story. The few so-called safe cities and the limited number of people living in them were convincing as the tension side of the atmosphere created.
In general, the movie is based on philosophical themes such as nature, the essence of life and spirits. Based on the connection between man and nature, reincarnation is identified with the functioning of the planet.
While the presence of invading spirits and the human soul represent death in a way, the reintroduction of the right soul into the body allows for a return to life. I can say that the movie deals with reincarnation from a fantasy point of view, but everything is tied to science fiction instead of fantasy elements in the story.
If I evaluate the animated characters used in the movie according to the period, it would be appropriate to say that quite advanced technology was used. The environmental details, lighting and character behavior were pushed to the limits of reality, but as I said at the beginning, the dull and emotionless facial expressions of the characters gave away that they were cold and lifeless.
For those who like complex, fantastical and sci-fi stories, I recommend watching Final Fantasy The Spirits Within. I also liked the different interpretation of reincarnation.
Thank you for being here and reading. Take care and goodbye!
Square Enix has always been ahead of its time technologically, whether with console game cinematics or animated films. Any of their films easily outshines the character animation in the latest Netflix/Bandai series, Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance. But their excellence goes beyond visuals—the care they put into storytelling and narrative makes a big difference. I absolutely loved The Spirits Within and even shed a little tear watching it, hahaha
I am always open to such suggestions, I will definitely watch it at the first opportunity and I will especially look at the way technology is used because it seems that we will see a lot of such productions in the future. Thank you very much.