Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

I’ve got the disc sitting right here, but honestly, it’s one of the first things on my "delete" list. Aside from the fact that almost every single frame of FF7: Advent Children could double as a stunning desktop wallpaper, there isn't much else pulling me back to it—in fact, I couldn't even sit through the whole thing this time around. It feels worlds away from the original Final Fantasy film, which was visually striking and actually held your attention from start to finish. Advent Children seems to have been engineered specifically for the hardcore, die-hard nerds of the franchise, a sentiment the creators themselves have basically admitted. If you're just a casual fan, my advice is to stay far away. You'd be much better off heading down to a local gaming lounge, renting a PlayStation 1, and just playing any entry in the Final Fantasy series instead. They're all fantastic.

I actually checked this out about a year ago, but I didn't feel like posting anything back then because the movie was such a massive letdown 👎, and honestly, I consider myself a hardcore nerd when it comes to this series. 😬

I haven't tossed it in the trash yet, but it’s just sitting on a DVD alongside my Dragon Ball Z collection to fill up space, which pretty much tells you exactly where this flick sits on my ranking scale.

Square just swings wildly from one extreme to the other. 🙂

Caught it yesterday at Coachella... the action sequences are top-tier, but the plot is pretty much gibberish unless you actually played the game. The highlights are definitely Ruby and Reno acting as the comic relief, plus Vincent Valentine’s iconic line, "Where Can I Buy a Phone?" 🤣

darksurfer26 said:I’ve got it on disc. But honestly? It’s right at the top of my "delete immediately" list. Aside from the fact that literally every single frame of FF7: Advent Children could work as a stunning desktop wallpaper, there isn't a single reason for me to ever sit through it again...

I'm right there with you... I'm actually sitting here trying to get through it right now, but I just can't get sucked into the story at all...

Don't get me wrong, visually the movie is STUNNING... the animation is flawless, but what good is that when I couldn't care less about any of the characters or what's happening on screen? It feels soul-less...

Plus, there's a fair amount of overacting and melodrama going on. It feels like they tried way too hard to force the drama in certain scenes...

Bottom line: it's pretty to look at, and that's about it.

I caught it... uh... sometime around September of last year, I think!

Did I love it? Honestly, no. But I did end up watching it twice just because my eyes were craving more!

Heads up—spoilers ahead!
Spoilers incoming!

I really wasn't a fan of how they forced Aerith into everything. It felt like they saw those massive waves of fans hysterically begging for her to be brought back to life in the game, so now they’ve shoved her into every single minute of the movie. In reality, the whole thing feels like it's actually about her...

And I wasn't feeling that whole subplot where they fight some summon monster... Bahamut, I think? Because, from what I remember, he wasn't even in the seventh installment! I know he showed up in the eighth, but I can't recall him being anywhere else...

Then there are those two elements I didn't care for, which combine like materia once Cloud wraps up that fight with help from Aerith. Ugh.

The action sequences are definitely the best part (even that one with Bahamut—actually, especially that one!), and that Tiffin scene near the beginning was pretty great too. There are a few cool lines and an interesting scene here and there, but overall? It just wasn't enough. I really don't get why people always seem to mess up their best work.

Okay, spoilers over!

Vincent rules, though! Maybe that new game starring him as the lead will be good? I don't know—I've kind of stopped keeping up with all that. I'm not even sure if it's out yet!

Anyway, thanks for reminding me that I seriously need to play the sixth one! I still haven't gotten around to it, even though I own it. 🙂

I honestly get the feeling you're just shouting into the wind when it comes to those spoiler warnings. But hey...

urbannomad30 said:I wasn't really feeling it when they started fighting that summon monster thing... Bahamut, I think?

Alright... let's just clear one thing up right now. THAT IS NOT BAHAMUT! No, it seriously can't be. That thing looked more like some weird mashup of a T-Rex and those dinosaurs from Power Rangers, just with wings slapped on.

I honestly have no idea who thought it was a good idea to take one of the coolest summons in FF history—the King Dragon himself, Bahamut—and turn him into that total joke. 🤮

But I’m sticking to my guns: that isn't Bahamut... IT CAN'T BE! 😠

urbannomad30 said:I know he showed up in the original eight, but I can't remember him being anywhere else..

I mean, you clearly haven't played it. 😬

Adam Wright56 said:Alright... let’s just get one thing straight right out of the gate. THAT IS NOT BAHAMUT! It simply cannot be. That monstrosity looked more like some freakish hybrid of a T-Rex and those dinosaurs from Power Rangers, only with wings attached.

Well... if the actual developers behind the project insist that it's Bahamut, then you really have to concede that... Now, if that doesn't align perfectly with your own memories or how you perceive the character... they don't care.
I personally find the design quite unappealing too—that massive departure from the classic look is jarring—but hey... who are we to question such brilliant minds...😁

Honestly, I can't stand how they essentially used Vincent as a walking advertisement for Panasonic (I think), and frankly, certain parts of the movie feel less like cinema and more like a high-budget commercial for mobile phones...🤣
Technically speaking, I was actually more impressed by the graphics in TSW than I was by this...

As far as I recall, there wasn't any of that during the week.

There were several... err... how many was it... Bahamut, Neo and Zero... so just pick one.

Grace Foster said:Well.. if the actual developers are saying it's Bahamut, you kind of have to admit that..

NEVER! 😈

Because what's next? A Leviathan that looks like some weird hybrid between an earthworm and a butterfly? Or even worse... a mermaid wearing clothes. 😲

Grace Foster said:There were several.. uh.. how many was it... Bahamut, Neo and Zero... just pick one.

He was probably talking about the fight with Bahamut itself. In VII, you don't actually fight him at all.

Even though that's beside the point... the movie is a completely different storyline that picks up after the game, it isn't just a carbon copy of it.

Adam Wright56 said:You honestly think you’ve played it? You really do! 😬

I mean, I assume they have it in the fourth one too, right? Though, to be honest, I didn't spend much time playing that one—my focus was mostly on 7, 8, and 9. Now I've finally managed to get my hands on some ROMs for 1 through 6, but man, getting number 6 to actually run properly has been such a struggle! 😬

I mean, seriously, I just couldn't get past the fact that they're fighting against summon monsters—it just doesn't make any sense since those things aren't even part of the FF7 world! Look, I totally get it, I really do... they couldn't cram every single idea they had into one game, but what was the logic behind this specific choice? It feels so out of place!

A Leviathan... a freaking earthworm... Seriously? 🤣
Trust me when I say this—we haven't even seen the worst of it yet! Not until he starts breathing fire, though, right?

darksurfer26, just in case!

He shows up in almost every single entry, unless my memory is failing me and he was actually in the second one. (Actually, if I recall correctly, there isn't a single summon monster in the second installment 🤔). In most of the sequels, he's one of the bosses, except for that specific VII where he's strictly a summon, just like in IX, and in the first one where he's just an NPC.

Anyways, in the world of FF VII Bahamut, he exists as a summon, so it’s perfectly reasonable that someone would be able to call him forth. Even if we didn't see the actual fight happen in the game, it's still possible because anyone holding the Bahamut materia can summon him. 😉 And since the movie takes place after the events of the game...

But honestly, why even stress about it when THAT ISN'T Bahamut! 😬

Adam Wright56 said:He shows up in almost all the sequels—unless my memory is failing me, which happens more than I'd like to admit, in the second one. (Actually, if I recall correctly, there aren't even any summon monsters in the second game 🤔 ). And in most of the sequels, he's actually one of the bosses, except for the aforementioned VII where he's strictly a summon, just like in IX, and then in the first one where he's an NPC.

Anyways, in the world of FF VII Bahamut, he exists as a summon, so it’s totally normal that someone could call him forth! Even if you don't fight him directly in that specific part of the game, it's still possible because anyone holding the Bahamut materia can summon him. 😉 And since the movie takes place after the events of the game....

But why even stress about it when THAT ISN'T Bahamut! 😬

Wait, don't you also fight Bahamut in nine?! I remember there being this really cool animation (was it at the start of the third disc?), involving Bahamut and that white one, 😬 Alexander. But hey, you're the expert here! 😁

Still, I'm just not a fan of that fight. It's honestly kind of silly. : arguments forthcoming :

Anyway, we're totally going off-topic here...

urbannomad30 said:Are you fighting against Bahamut in VII too?! I seem to remember there being some seriously cool animations—maybe at the start of the third disc?—with Bahamut and that white one. 😬 Alexander. Well, you probably know better than I do. 😁

Yeah, that animation actually exists—you know, the one where Alexander steps up to defend the city from Bahamut's attack. Honestly, I think it might be one of the best animations ever made.

I mean, I was actually talking about a legitimate showdown between the party and Bahamut, like an actual boss fight or something similar. As far as I can remember, that just didn't happen.

urbannomad30 said:Honestly, I don't care what anyone says, I just can't stand that fight. It’s stupid. Period. Here are my arguments:

Just like the rest of the movie... *shrugs*

urbannomad30 said:Anyway, let's just get off topic for a second...

It’s honestly just stupidity... we were sitting around debating whether that fight scene against Bahamut was even justified, considering he wasn't even in the sequel to the game the movie was based on. To make matters worse, we kept getting sidetracked comparing it to all the other sequels in the series. 😁

I have a feeling that nobody even reads this thread. 🙂

I honestly expected way more from that movie...
The first one had such a solid story and felt super engaging, but this one? It just feels kind of weird to me....

darkviper7 said:I guess I expected a bit more from that movie...
The first one felt like it had such an interesting story, but this one just feels kind of strange to me....

I suppose that might be because you have to think a little deeper about it... maybe try to really grasp the director's emotions and those subtle underlying messages. 😬 (I'm so full of shit)

shadowgull29 said:That’s just because you gotta look deeper... You know, try to catch the director's vibes and all those hidden messages. 😬 (I'm so full of shit)

so here's the plot:
dogs running around, motorcycle chases, dialogue, a fight, more dialogue, a mom, more dialogue, some random balls, kids drinking water from a lake (fight and dialogue), some tank (fight), the main sister, blah blah, kids drinking soda, the end.
It honestly feels like someone just grabbed cutscenes from a video game and stitched them together into a movie.
But man, the graphics are way too good. 🙏

darkviper7 said:here is basically how the plot goes:
dogs running around, motorcycle chases, some dialogue, a fight, more dialogue, a mother, more talking, some spheres, kids drinking water from a lake (followed by fighting and talking), some caterpillar thing (more fighting), the main sister, blah blah, kids drinking sparkling water, the end.
it feels like someone just grabbed cutscenes from the game and stitched them together into a movie.
though I guess the graphics are way too good. 🙏

I did watch it... but now that you mention it like that... 👎

Man, if I had graphics like that at my disposal, I’d definitely make something killer with huge boobs instead of this Wonder Woman. Honestly, even those androgynous guys look better than her 👎

Mini Me said:I expected way more from this movie...
The first one actually had a cohesive story and was genuinely engaging, but this one just feels... off. It's weird....

What do you mean "the first one"? The Empire Strikes Back isn't even a direct sequel to the original Star Wars movies—it’s a continuation of the game lore. Honestly, if you haven't played Star Wars, there's zero point in watching this because you won't grasp a single thing happening on screen. Look, I'm not saying the film couldn't have been better—it definitely could have—but let's be real: this is pure fan service. I wasn't exactly holding out hope for a deep, meaningful plot. *shrug*

Hello Icepick, it's been a while. 👋

Look, I’ve played through it, finished it, and honestly, I was pretty fed up with FF VII, so I guess that explains why I still think the movie is bad. *shrugs* Whether it’s Fanservice or not, I feel like modern movies have just raised the bar so high that the plot feels underwhelming by comparison.

Anyways, I have some thoughts on those Fanservice-heavy projects too, but let's not get sidetracked...

Cheers to Sweetie... long time indeed. 😉