Review of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

If there is one thing Square-Enix is good at, well, it's cashing in on sequels and remakes, most of which are completely worthless. While I have no problems with ports, it's the remakes and sequels which really grind my gears. The FF III remake was horrible in so many ways (it introduced characters who were nothing more than names). FF IV for the DS wasn't much better (can't even use Bahamut without Zeromus countering...what is with all the countering?). Anyways, VII wasn't my first Final Fantasy, nor is it my favorite, and certainly by no means is it the best in the series. However, Iam by no means a VII hater as I certainly do love the game. Is it overrated...yes...but it is by no means horrible. My love for the game was ultimately "pissed on" by the creation of this and other side stories/sequels. I can no longer view the FF VII universe the same way after viewing this. Anyways, onto the review.

*OCCASIONAL SPOILERS AHEAD*

Story:

As many assumed, the story is a continuation of Final Fantasy VII. However, I use the word continuation very loosely here. The story is easy enough to follow, but it's certain things about the story which fuel my extreme hatred for it. The thing that bothered me most are the inclusion of Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo. The original story pretty much defeats any reason these three should exist. Yes, I understand that it's supposed to be a continuation, but therein lies the problem that any sequel should exist. The inclusion of Rufus also pissed me off. Those who are familiar with FF VII saw exactly what happened, and know that what Rufus achieved is physically impossible. Upon seeing his inclusion, I no longer cared for the movie. The next thing that irritated me was Bahamut Sin. What is it? What is it doing there? I have always liked Bahamut, and this was simply done in bad taste. There was no reason for Bahamut Sin to be in this movie, and in all actuality there was no reason this movie should even exist.

*END SPOILERS*

Art:

The art is superb and one of the only quality factors found within this movie. We get full CG versions of the FF VII characters. It's beautiful. Some of the designs are a bit different but I see no reason to rant about that. Everything about the art is, well, great.

Sound:

The sound was the other factor of quality found within this jumbled mess. I am so thankful Nobuo Uematsu helped compose the music for Advent Children. A plethora of musical genres is used, ranging from symphonic to rock. I was mostly pleased with the soundtrack, which is more than I can say about FF XII and XIII. Even X had its weak moments. However, that is neither here nor there. Kyosuke Himuro of Boøwy contributes "Calling" to the ending credits. So if you're a fan of him, you'll be quite happy. Of course several FF VII classics return albeit a little reimagined. Overall though, I was pleased.

Character:

The characters had all already been developed. We had seen every facet of emotion possible from the characters in FF VII. Square-Enix wanted to please the fanboys of this game (mostly westerners) by creating a pointless sequel with equally as pointless characters. In my opinion FF VII was complete. There was nothing more that could be done. There was no development, and how could there be? FF VII was done, and we get nothing more than what I wish wasn't real. A sequel that contradicts many events from the first game. Essentially characters new and old, who do nothing but ruin FF VII. I am just thankful they hadn't completely ruined the Zack storyline yet ("sigh" see Crisis Core).

Enjoyment:

As I stated before, the appearance of a certain character from VII immediately reduced my enjoyment to nothing. If it wasn't for the quality CG and action, I can't find any logical reason someone would enjoy this film (except the fanboys of course). To go on a small tangent, I find it quite hilarious that most people who view VII as the best are mostly those who started with it and have only played VII onwards. It is no coincidence that those same people are the ones who mostly view this film as a masterpiece. Anyways, I actually fell asleep during my first viewing of the film. Subsequent views were subject to similar boredom though not quite on the same level. Nonetheless, it was still nothing more than a chore to finish (much like X, XII, and XIII). However, if you simply enjoy action and could care less about the story, then you may find enjoyment. However, beyond that, I cannot comprehend any enjoyment.

Overall:

I actually tried watching Advent Children as a film and nothing more, and even then it is still just as bland and tasteless. In reality any FF fan should feel the same. The contradictions speak for themselves. There is absolutely no justification for these contradictions, and nor will there ever be. The movie ruined a franchise which many of us hold dear. This movie, along with FF X, directly contribute to the downfall of the series and IMO is the official beginning of Final Fantasy's decline. It's no mystery that I have a severe hatred for this film, as well as the seemingly endless sequels that followed. If you read the entire review, you may also notice that I could care less for any game beyond IX. I personally blame Tetsuya Nomura, a simple monster designer, who now wields way too much power. It's hard to view this movie as nothing more than a pitiful attempt to cash in on greater things before it.