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All this talk about the Final Fantasy VII and Crisis Core remakes cast our minds back to the PlayStation 2 era. To show off the PS3’s then-incredible capabilities, Square-Enix released a tech demo of FFVII‘s opening scene. Fans were excited to watch Cloud Strife leap off the train in high-definition graphics. Thus, the hype began.
Aware of Final Fantasy VII‘s international success – and the demand for a remake – Square did the opposite of what everybody wanted. They created The Compilation of Final Fantasy VII – a group of new games and movies set within FFVII‘s universe. The entries vary in quality, but many agree that the compilation’s CGI feature is the best thing to come out of it. The movie in question is 2005’s Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.
Origins of Advent Children
For its time, FFVII: Advent Children was ground-breaking. The CGI is perhaps not so revolutionary today, but in 2005, it was impeccable. From Cloud Strife’s wavy hair to the pores on Rufus’s skin to the rundown city of Edge, FFVII: AC was like visual effects pornography. And, in many ways, it still is.
In fact, it’s easily arguable that the film’s visuals overshadow the story. The narrative follows Cloud, who, alongside other denizens of Edge, catches the mysterious virus Geostigma. The former mercenary-turned-delivery boy must find out the cause of this disease. And, as fate would have it, the disease is linked to three Sephiroth clones to want to resurrect Cloud’s nemesis.
Again, the story isn’t Shakespeare. There are no impactive twists or turns in the narrative. Instead, it simply serves as an excuse to have Cloud and co. band together again to defeat bad guys. Indeed, the movie initially began as a 20-minute short before fan interest compelled co-director Tetsuya Nomura to lengthen the project to 100-minutes. As AC’s opening text says, “To those who loved this world and knew friendly company therein: this Reunion is for you.”
The Further Adventures of Cloud and Co.
The question remains: has Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children aged well? Well, yes and no. The original 2005 version of the film hasn’t. There are details such as Red XIII’s fur and the human characters’ skin that don’t hold up well compared to what we expect from Square’s CGI nowadays. However, upon watching the 2009 Director’s Cut directly after completing FFVIIR, I’m confident that this version’s visuals hold up incredibly well.
The cut in question, Advent Children Complete, revises thousands of scenes. Cloud and Tifa’s battle wounds are more detailed. Edge’s monument (i.e., the FFVII videogame logo) is overhauled and far more visually impactive. And character models have been given even more meticulous care. The effort is very much in all the details, making Complete the definitive version of the movie.
However, it’s not merely the visuals where FFVII: Advent Children Complete thrives. It’s also in the 26 minutes of extra scenes it offers. We get a flashback showing us how Cloud met Denzel, for example. And we see Elena and Tseng duke it out with Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo before their abduction rather than being told as in the original version. And best of all, the film offers a better understanding of Geostigma and the events behind it. Considering these examples of embellishment, AC Complete is the best version of the film to show newcomers.
Where Does The Movie Go Wrong?
Before I go into Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children‘s negatives, let me state one thing. The movie is worth watching. And especially if you’re a FFVIIR fan hungry for more content until Rebirth comes out. However, as with all movies, Advent Children has its downsides – most of which stem from its emphasis on visual spectacle over story.
This is best exemplified in the movie’s fight scenes. Especially towards the end, the fight scenes get lengthy and numerous. To the creative team’s credit, they don’t repeat choreography over and over, so that’s good news. However, the movie follows the anime rulebook of ‘Rule of Cool.’ So, characters will miraculously defy gravity or any law of physics imaginable as long it’s visually impressive.
And, look, this is fine initially. But I imagine many viewers may find the battles wearisome towards the film’s climax. Particularly since the characters – Cloud especially – appear immune to death, thereby removing layers of tension and stakes in the battles. One of FFVII Advent Children Complete‘s more questionable additions has Sephiroth skewer Cloud with his masamune. Cloud survives this long enough to ‘limit break’ his should-be murderer. But then, he gets shot in the back before getting caught in an explosion. Spoiler: He survives!
The Titular Advent Children
Superman-Cloud aside, I can imagine some story elements will conflict with some FFVII fans. Namely, the addition of newbie kid Denzel – and the narrative prominence of Barret’s daughter Marlene. Now there’s nothing technically wrong with these characters (indeed, the embellishment Denzel is given in Complete makes him more likable). However, it’s easy to see some fans deride the movie’s focus on Denzel and Marlene over their favorite FFVII videogame characters. Final Fantasy VII‘s party members (i.e., Cid, Yuffie, Barret) are shoehorned into the film’s third act. And, as with large casts of this caliber, some are given more attention than others.
On the other side of the coin, the movie confirms that Cloud and Tifa become a couple after the game’s events. And what’s more, they’ve adopted a kid – and act as surrogate parents for Marlene when Barret’s not around. So, if the idea of Cloud and Tifa playing mom and dad ever excited you, there is that. I say ‘the idea’ because Cloud spends most of the time brooding in isolated locations dealing with Geostigma and his past. So, there isn’t much in the way of visible parenting, but the movie’s conclusion implies a heartfelt family future awaits Cloud and his family.
And when you switch on FFVII: Advent Children, it feels like revisiting an old family. Like the movie’s opening states, this Reunion is for us, the fans, whose childhoods were spent in Final Fantasy VII‘s world. And Advent Children gives us the chance to go back anytime we want. It’s aged well – and you should watch it again just to see how.
But that’s just our take. Do you think Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is a good movie?