Since Square-Enix had announced on September 26, 2003 at the Tokyo Game Show a movie sequel to the beloved Final Fantasy VII, fans of the popular game have wondered if the movie will be a stunning success or a miserable failure. Not only did Square-Enix have to live up to the status of Final Fantasy VII, but also completely surpass the reviews of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.

The ultimate idea of Advent Children was forgiveness and redemption. Though the theme was clearly portrayed throughout the movie, the actual idea goes deeper than one could ever imagine. As our hero, Cloud Strife struggled with forgiveness, we found ourselves struggling with him, actually having compassion for his fight. When Cloud fought against the returning evil to the Planet, we watched him battle his fears and past mistakes, like we so often do in life.

The very first scene of the movie grabbed your attention immediately and never let it go until the movie was over. The characters were depicted perfectly, grabbing their past personalities, mannerism, and characteristics of Final Fantasy VII. Each and every scene led up to an even greater one, accompanied by incredible CG graphics and phenomenal music accompaniment (which brought some new tunes, as well as some old ones, reassembled and remixed to perfection). All the battle sequences were highly impressive, each well thought of and never repetitious. Even the specific places we saw in Final Fantasy VII were magnificently restored, bringing what we imagined into beautiful “artwork” on the screen. Yet even through the outstanding battle scenes that speed up the pace and had us all at the edge of our seats, and the splendorous design of the characters and places left us dumbfounded, never did we once let go or forget the solemn theme of forgiveness and redemption.

Yet as these things were very true, an audience of people who have never played the game (Final Fantasy VII) or have never actually understood it could never pick up the heart moving theme of Advent Children. Many may suggest the movie as a “sappy” plot line with an over-dramatic main character, or a horrible plot that only made it somewhat manageable to watch because of the pretty CG graphics. These, of course, will probably be heard, as everything is always criticized, discouraged, or beat down in one way or another.

So here answers what everyone has been wondering, did Square-Enix do it? Yes, it does go beyond what The Spirits Within would ever be, and outdoes everything we thought Advent Children would end up becoming. The movie was spectacular, going beyond what we imagined Square-Enix was capable of, and lives up to the renowned Final Fantasy game. All the time Square-Enix put working on this movie was well worth the effort.

Final Rating: 10/10

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