Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

PG-13

Released Jul 11, 2001

1 hr. 46 min.

Fantasy

Adventure

Sci-Fi

Animation

List

44%

144 Reviews

Tomatometer

48%

100,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Blurring the lines between reality and computer animation, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is the first feature-length motion picture that brings vivid photoRealism to computer-generated, human characters. The thrilling, futuristic action-adventure pits the earth and its people against the ultimate enemy - mysterious aliens that steal the energy from all living things on the planet.

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Critics Consensus

The movie raises the bar for computer animated movies, but the story is dull and emotionally removed.

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James B

i saw this film on hulu i had not seen it in a while. the plot has nothing to do with the games but the animation and voice acting is fantastic see this film for the visuals only.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/16/23

Full Review

jason l

Having recently played FF7 I was super excited to see this when it came out. Then I watched it. It is not FF. It is a decent sci-fi movie that could have had any title, but putting the Final Fantasy name on it created expectations. No mages, no magic, and no sword wielding hero. Square should never have agreed to this. If they had gone the way D&D went with its movie it would have been better. You say Final Fantasy and people expect Bahamut, Shiva, and Thundaga. So, if you go in with no expectations it's an ok sci-fi flick, but Final Fantasy it's not.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

10/13/23

Full Review

Dinos K

Boring plot and soulless CGI faces, some battle scenes was good and the voice acting took place by great actors

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

09/29/23

Full Review

Red T

Okay so the thing is there is technically nothing fundamentally wrong with this story. It's a pretty standard Sci-Fi movie plot in that regard. It's the execution that's where the issues show up. For starters the acting is just ok, it's that classic 2000's style acting for 80% of time of just talking in an unemotional unfunny way while explaining plot instead of explaining character. This movie has a nasty habit of explaining the world and plot rather than showing it. The voices are ok but given no character behind them. The cinematography is also a big letdown. Yes the CGI on its own is don't bad but nothing pops in this. It's all metallic dull grey and dark lighting. This could've almost been live action mainly because I don't see any reason this had to be CGI fully aside from marching the game series graphics. Nothing visually is memorable aside from a few cool scenes but that's it. Same with the music, FF is known for memorable soundtracks but this is just boring and forgettable the entire way. The editing is decent and pretty focused on the main girl the entire way but again it just is full of scenes that explain plot and not character. This leads to a passable pacing as this isn't that long. Honestly I can't really recommend this to anyone. It's so forgettable.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/09/23

Full Review

Derek L

Although Final Fantasy: the Spirits Within does boast its innovation within CG animation, the same cannot be applied to its bland plot and uninteresting characters.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

07/29/23

Full Review

UB3R_M4X1MU5

The movie sets the bar for what could be in store for computer animation in the near future. Though where credit is due, the acting in this would come off cleaner if polished, possibly due to the actors despite their great performing backgrounds, appearing fresh to motion capture technology such as this. Where some scenes shine, others are soft. The film score and presentation style are excellent.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/25/23

Full Review

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Hironobu Sakaguchi

Director

Ming-Na Wen

Doctor Aki Ross

Alec Baldwin

Captain Gray Edwards

Ving Rhames

Ryan

Steve Buscemi

Neil

Peri Gilpin

Jane

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Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within: Official Clip - The Mega Phantom

2:57

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within: Official Clip - We're Surrounded

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Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within: Official Clip - Captain Gray's Sacrifice

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Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within: Official Clip - Alien Doomsday

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Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within: Official Clip - Spectral Impalement

1:48

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within: Official Clip - Phantom Death Ride

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Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within: Official Clip - The Final Spirit

3:28

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within: Official Clip - The Space Cannon

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Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within: Official Clip - Space Laser Explosion

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Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within: Official Clip - Soul-Eaters

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

First computer animated movie to "star" actors.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 24, 2010

Full Review

Lisa Alspector

Chicago Reader

I never stopped marveling at the thousands of individually delineated pores and hair strands of the heroine, but the thin story covering her acquisition of one wave after another while narrowly escaping death time and again is strictly for player one.

Apr 12, 2010

Full Review

Todd McCarthy

Variety

This bigscreen adaptation of the long-popular interactive computer game is visually impressive if not dramatically cool, and is marked by "acting" that is no worse than that found in the majority of sci-fi films.

Sep 9, 2008

Full Review

Tony Black

Cultural Conversation

A thuddingly joyless experience that feels twice as long, with a leaden pace, an awful script & phoned in performances.

Rated: 2/5

Feb 16, 2021

Full Review

Mark Steyn

The Spectator

In two, three years, this movie will look as clunky as The Jazz Singer did by the early Thirties. But it will remain a crucial document in cinematic evolution, a pioneer cyberflick, a film without a single real actor.

Jan 29, 2018

Full Review

Sebastian Zavala Kahn

Más Gamers

A film that is worth rediscovering so many years after its premiere - you might have a pleasant surprise. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 3/4

Nov 17, 2016

Full Review

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Synopsis

Blurring the lines between reality and computer animation, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is the first feature-length motion picture that brings vivid photoRealism to computer-generated, human characters. The thrilling, futuristic action-adventure pits the earth and its people against the ultimate enemy - mysterious aliens that steal the energy from all living things on the planet.

Director: Hironobu Sakaguchi
Screenwriter: Al Reinert, Jeff Vintar, Hironobu Sakaguchi
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Chris Lee Productions, Square Company
Rating: PG-13 (Sci-Fi Violence|Sci-Fi Action)
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 11, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 9, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $32.1M
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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