Final Fantasy...
Over the years, I picked up various incarnations of the Final Fantasy franchise...
The first big budget movie, Spirits Within, was fairly entertaining as was the second movie Advent Children, but, overall, I wasn't really impressed with the rest of the Final Fantasy franchise. I gave Final Fantasy a 2 out of 5. I used to have some portions of the Final Fantasy franchise on VHS and some on DVD. In the aftermath of the Ultimate Otaku Fall Cleanup, I decided not to keep the VHS versions in my archive.
I have five Final Fantasy soundtrack CDs, four for the video game franchise for 5, 6, 9 and 10 and one for the Final Fantasy movie, Spirits Within. All of the Final Fantasy soundtracks received ratings of 2 out of 4 except Final Fantasy IX which received a rating of 1 out of 4. The generally low percentages (20%, 24% and 18%) for 5, 6, and 9 and the consequent ratings of 2, 2 and 1 out of 4 are attributed to the high track counts for the earlier Final Fantasy video game soundtracks which are between 60 and 100 tracks each. Final Fantasy X seems to be the outlier in my collection as it only has 17 tracks and the percentage of likes was 41% which still resulted in a 2 out of 4. The Spirits Within soundtrack had a slightly higher percentage of likes at 44%, but, still received a rating of 2 out of 4.
According to Wikipedia...
Final Fantasy is a Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix, and centered on a series of fantasy and science fantasy role-playing video games. The franchise has since branched into other video game genres such as tactical role-playing, action role-playing, massively multiplayer online role-playing, racing, third-person shooter, fighting, and rhythm, as well as branching into other media, including CGI films, anime, manga, and novels.
Movie
The Spirits Within
Earth is a desolate wasteland in Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. Humanity has been decimated by an invasion of Phantoms, insubstantial aliens that extract and devour the spirits of living things. The few remaining humans have retreated to a handful of cities that are protected by massive bio-energy shields. The beautiful Dr. Aki Ross (voiced by Ming-Na) and her mentor Dr. Sid (Donald Sutherland) have discovered that the energy signatures of eight key Earth spirits can cancel out and destroy the Phantoms. With the help of Captain Edwards (Alec Baldwin) and his band of marines, they must scour the globe for the last two remaining spirits before General Hein (James Woods) manipulates the refugee government into attacking the aliens with an orbital laser that may also destroy the Earth.
Movie
Advent Children
FINAL FANTASY VII: Advent Children continues the game’s storyline in this CG-animated film, featuring non-stop action and exciting visual effects. Two years have passed since the ruins of Midgar stand as a testament to the sacrifices made in order to bring peace. However, the world will soon face a new menace. A mysterious illness is spreading fast. Old enemies are astir. And Cloud (Burton), who walked away from the life of a hero to live in solitude, must step forward yet again...
Backed by a full team of video game extraordinaires, the film was directed by Tetsuya Nomura and Takeshi Nozue, written by Kazushige Nojima and produced by Shinji Hashimoto and Yoshinori Kitase.
OVA
The Legend of the Four Crystals
Volume 1
Based on the Best Selling Japanese Role Playing Game! Planet R's beautiful existence is maintained by four magical Crystals, each controls a different essentail element: Earth, Water, Fire and Wind. Long ago, ominous Dark Forces stole the Crystals and threatened to destroy the Planet. But, the valiant heroes fought desperately, defeated the dark forces and returned the planet to its peaceful state. Two hundred years later, the great fight has been long forgotten and again, three of the Four Crystals have been stolen by the ancient evil. The young descendants of the ancient heroes, Linaly and Prettz, are all that remain to protect the Crystal of Wind from the evil forces. But first, they must get past Rouge, the leader of a leather bound army of female Pirates, who wants to add the fourth crystal to her personal collection of treasures. If the two can manage to escape her nasty clutches, they must still pass through the many dangerous obstacles that protect the magical crystal. Only the chosen one will survive the passage...
Volume 2
The Beginning of the End! Three of the sacred Crystals have been stolen by the mysterious Evil and Planet R has been thrown into a state of total chaos. The unthinkable happens, when Linaly, along with the fourth and final Crystal, is captured by the Evil Force and taken to the black moon to initiate the transformation into the ultimate evil: DEATHGYUNOS - Bringer of Darkness, Lord of Oblivion! In a strange turn of events, Rouge - the leader of a leather bound army of female pirates, must team up with Prettz and the Kingdom of Tycoon's royal legions to fight the common evil. As Planet R is literally torn apart by it's own natural forces - it is a race against time for the fearless heroes to travel to the Black Moon, take on a mechanical swarm of alien soldiers and retrieve Linaly and the four crystals, before the DEATHGYUNOS force is set free. It is an all out battle to the death with the prize being the fate of the Universe.
Directed by the acclaimed Rin Taro, Final Fantasy will dazzle your senses with vibrant colors and innovative character design. Our tale continues the story from the popular Japanese Role Playing Game - Final Fantasy V.
Series
Final Fantasy Unlimited
Phase 1
Welcome to Wonderland! The gateway to another world appears suddenly one day and with its coming awaken two mysterious beasts of astonishing power. The monsters appear to destroy each other and then vanish-leaving behind only the inexplicable pillar of darkness and the unanswered questions of the natural world.
Twelve years later, the twin children of two scientists who disappeared on this so-called Day of Conjunction go on a hazardous quest in search of their lost parents. Boarding a phantom subway, Ai and Yu travel to Wonderland, a chaotic world of amazing beauty and thrilling danger. Accompanied by Lisa, an enigmatic woman they meet on the train, and Kaze, a brooding stranger with a demon-summoning gun, the twins begin an incredible journey that will lead to the mysterious heart of Wonderland.
Phase 2
Meet Cid: Inventor, Mastermind... GENIUS.
In a mysterious parallel dimension called Wonderland, Ai and Yu are on a dangerous mission to rescue their missing parents. Lisa, master of the formidable Kigen Arts, protects them from the Earl Tyrant and his henchmen during a blitz of attacks. In Cid, however, the twins have just met their greatest ally yet! A brilliant inventor working with the rebel group the Comodeen, there is nothing existing in Wonderland that Cid cannot make or repair.
Meanwhile, Kaze, wielder of a summoning gun of awesome power, has no memory of his past. His only objective in life is to defeat his sworn rival, Makenshi. How can Kaze commit to protecting Lisa and the twins when he doesn't even know who he is or where he came from?
Phase 3
Hidden throughout the vast landscape of Wonderland lie the crystalline pieces of an entity called Omega, which once consumed whole worlds, but was shattered and scattered over land and sea. Now, Earl Tyrant has sent his minions out to gather the crystals in hopes of reuniting Omega!
Meanwhile, our unlikely collection of travelers makes their way through Wonderland with Lou, a flighty girl with the power to turn into a werewolf.
Phase 4
Feeding on the hearts of those consumed by terror, Chaos is finally revealed as the true force behind Earl Tyrant's power! Meanwhile, Fabula, Lisa, and the twins join forces with Comodeen in an attempt to stop the spread of Chaos and restore order to Wonderland.
Phase 5
Navigating through the ocean puzzle is no piece of cake. When Cid is turned into a frog, he finds his piloting skill - not to mention his credibility with the crew - has severely dropped. And Oscar's meddling leads to the resurrection of a long-dead foe.
But nothing so far has prepared the group for Ai's sudden disappearance in the Sea of Wonderland. Whisked away to a realm where the ocean floats above the sky, she meets a mysterious boy clothed in garments made from Flying Water. Ai, Yu, Lisa, and their allies will have their courage and patience tested as they push through, but hope and perseverance keep them afloat.
Phase 6
In what seems to be a freak accident, Pist's machinations deposit Jane within a stone's throw of Gaudium. While Cid and the crew try to bring the submarine up to full operation, Chobi and Yu infiltrate the massive floating fortress. It seems the Earl has been waiting for them, and he has something to show Yu...
The trials are far from over, though. The group again finds itself brought to another cube, a desert planet, where the locals face a towering tsunami of terror. A trip down Memory Lane brings with it a new ally, but it won't do the twins any good if they can't extract themselves from the temptations of the past.
Phase 7
No one knows the full extent of Earl Tyrant's plans. The threads of secrecy quickly unravel, and the true natures of Chaos, Soil and the twins are laid bare. Wonderland, the Outside Worlds... everything is at stake in the stunning conclusion to this spectacular series.
The first big budget movie, Spirits Within, was fairly entertaining as was the second movie Advent Children, but, overall, I wasn't really impressed with the rest of the Final Fantasy franchise. I gave Final Fantasy a 2 out of 5. I used to have some portions of the Final Fantasy franchise on VHS and some on DVD. In the aftermath of the Ultimate Otaku Fall Cleanup, I decided not to keep the VHS versions in my archive.I have five Final Fantasy soundtrack CDs, four for the video game franchise for 5, 6, 9 and 10 and one for the Final Fantasy movie, Spirits Within. All of the Final Fantasy soundtracks received ratings of 2 out of 4 except Final Fantasy IX which received a rating of 1 out of 4. The generally low percentages (20%, 24% and 18%) for 5, 6, and 9 and the consequent ratings of 2, 2 and 1 out of 4 are attributed to the high track counts for the earlier Final Fantasy video game soundtracks which are between 60 and 100 tracks each. Final Fantasy X seems to be the outlier in my collection as it only has 17 tracks and the percentage of likes was 41% which still resulted in a 2 out of 4. The Spirits Within soundtrack had a slightly higher percentage of likes at 44%, but, still received a rating of 2 out of 4.
