Final Fantasy VII-2...sort of

To anyone who's a huge video game nut, this is probably old news, but Square Enix has made a direct sequel to the uber-popular Final Fantasy VII, but it's not a game, it's a movie and if online retailers can be believed, it will be released in North America on DVD on January 10th. I, for one, can't wait.

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, Final Fantasy VII is the game that arguably put the Playstation on the map - it is the largest single contributing factor to Sony overtaking Nintendo for domination of the video game market. No, it wasn't Sony's marketing genius or amazingly disposable consoles, it was Final Fantasy VII.

Traditionally Final Fantasy games have only been linked to one another by a few coincidental characters, and some loose themes. For example, nearly every Final Fantasy game has a character named Cid. Most of them have large birds called Chocobos which are used in place of horses for transportation. But the games themselves follow completely separate histories, and might as well be set in different universes. It is this daring uniqueness that has become the hallmark, and most probably the saving grace of the series. Most sequel-ridden properties fizzle out after two or three sequels when the developers run out of ideas to keep the franchise fresh. The Final Fantasy series is going to reach number XII this year, and that's not even counting the numerous spinoffs, like Final Fantasy Tactics series, and the upcoming Dirge of Cerebus. Final Fantasy XI has offered the most radical departure from the norm by becoming a full-fledged MMORPG (Massively-Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game). So it didn't come as a complete surprise when Square decided to make the sequel to one of its most beloved games of all time into a full-length feature film instead of a game.

This isn't even the first time that Square has made a direct sequel. The first time was with Final Fantasy X. The developers had so many unused ideas and the game was so popular that they decided to go ahead and use the material to make Final Fantasy X-2.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children has been out for a couple of months now in Japan. It has also been available in fansubbed form on most newsgroups and P2P networks, and by some unscrupulous Ebayers who swear to God that they're not selling bootlegs.

Like the only other feature-length Final Fantasy film, Spirits Within, this movie is done entirely with computer animation. But don't let it's unpopular older brother scare you off, Advent Children is just awesome.

The animation is top notch, always giving you an impossibly cool view of the action, and there is plenty of off-the-wall action in this movie. It hits the ground running and only lets you catch your breath so it can punch you in the gut with more. The soundtrack is a dream come true with hauntingly beautiful piano renditions of some of the best tracks from Final Fantasy VII, including Tifa's Theme, and Those Who Fight. On the edgy end, it really cranks up the cool with heavy metal versions of Those Who Fight, and One-Winged Angel, not to mention some new tracks like Black Water, and Chase of Highway that will keep you humming their melodys and banging your head for days after you first watch the movie.

The story takes place a couple of years after the events of Final Fantasy VII. The remaining Sephiroth clones still feel drawn to Reunion, and seek the last remains of Jenova. President Rufus somehow managed to survive the Ultimate Weapon's assault on the Shinra building, and he is still in command of the Turks. A mysterious ailment is afflicting the population, but no one knows its cause or its cure. You'll follow Cloud on a journey of reconciliation and reclamation. The story stands perfectly well on it's own, even if you've never played Final Fantasy VII (or played it so long ago, you can't remember very well) but it offers an unparlalleled treat for anyone who has.

If I had a rating system, I'd rate Advent Children among one of the best movies ever made. Ordinarily I'd think it was cliche to call it a tour de force, but it absolutely is.