Finally saw the movie today and really enjoyed it despite some issues. No movie is ever perfect and for a company that specializes in making video games, I think SE did a pretty damn good job.
IMPRESSIONS:
- CGI and animation is breathtakingly beautiful. The amount of detail is absolutely astounding from the clothes to the wrinkles on the face - even small things like the movement of the adam’s apple was a nice touch. And might I add that Tenebrae is gorgeous. Luna’s palace is so intricately detailed; even the inside of the door has a mother-of-pearl like pattern.
- Editing choices were a bit strange most noticeably in the beginning. Did we really need 2 fade to black shots when the injured Libertus gets placed into the truck? But I did like the transition when Crowe leaves in the Speedy Chocobo van and it changes over to the airship entering Tenebrae.
- Voice acting was great and the voices suited everyone - the actors really put in their emotion to bring their characters to life. Odd one out was Libertus though - he sounded a bit “overacted”. Maybe he’s supposed to sound gruff, but anyway, I got used to him.
- Lip syncing was ok, but sometimes the mouth and facial movements didn’t quite match the voice or emotion. Overall, nothing unforgivable.
- Fight scenes were amazing. Something like that can’t be pulled off in a live-action film. I got a bit lost during the Ultros fight as I couldn’t figure out which direction Ultros was heading and the only indication of up or down was when the characters were falling. Also got a bit lost trying to find Nyx and Glauca in the stone statue fight, but who cares, it was so freakin’ epic with all the statues warping!
- Music was lovely; most notable tracks were the emotional prologue theme, Somnus and the main theme. I also heard the main FF theme when Luna’s escort argued with the gate keeper.
CHARACTERS:
- Nyx was a cool, manly character. A pure badass with likeable personality - duty-bound, but with a slight touch of arrogance. Hearing his sister scream in his head at strange times felt a bit out of place though. I suppose it was an attempt to give him some backstory, but due to time, it wasn’t fully explored. I’m sure we’ll hear more about him in the game since Luna will have to explain how she escaped that destruction.
- Libertus had some nice development despite little screen time. Fighting off Glauca on top of a car with a broken leg deserves some badass points. I have a feeling he and the rebellion will play a role near the end of the game. On a side note, I didn’t quite understand the point of that rebellion leader - his mutterings didn’t make sense to me when he died…
- Crowe was like one of the guys and deserved better than a cruel death (the markings around her eyes reminded me of the statues from the Versus XIII trailer).
- Pelna seemed like a good guy, but then that tentacle appeared around the corner…
- Luche the douche - you deserved what you got…
- Drautos was utterly terrifying as Glauca. Literally a back-stabbing bastard! I’d like to learn more about his motivations. He actually tried to kill Ravus to stop him from wearing the ring, which makes me wonder what he’s truly after. He was an unstoppable force in the movie and I don’t believe this is the end of the King/Queen slayer.
- Clarus put up a better fight than the other royal guards, but damn, what a way to die…
- Regis was a lovely character who desperately did everything he could for his son. He harboured so much guilt over abandoning Luna and I could feel his pain. She was like a daughter to him. I sobbed terribly when he let go of Luna’s hand and wished for her and Noctis to live happily. He put up a good fight against Glauca and I sobbed even more when he died. Luna reuniting with Regis after 12 years only for her to see the life disappear from his eyes was heartbreaking. I can’t wait to see more of him in flashbacks in the game.
- Iedolas is such a sly, old man. It was almost fun to see his patronizing exchanges with Regis.
- Ardyn is so much fun to watch because you don’t know what he’s up to. He’s one of those unpredictable characters you just can’t quite figure out.
- Ravus is a rather unlikeable character. I felt sorry when his mother was killed before his eyes, but then he grew up to be an idiot with a warped sense of reality. You could sense the tension between him and Luna. There doesn’t seem to be any love lost between them because Luna didn’t seem to bat an eyelid when he lay on the ground screaming in pain. The movie was holding back on his character and the other antagonists - I expect them to be fully fleshed out in the game so we can have a better understanding of their motivations.
I’ve saved the best for last. I have a quite a lot to say about her so please bear with me.
- Luna is more complex than she appears to be. A lot of people have criticized her portrayal in the movie continually calling her a damsel in distress. I disagree completely. Yes, she needed to be rescued once or twice, but when you have no armor, weapons or magic, what can you possibly do against Glauca or the terrifying Ultros? She was competent enough to run, jump, climb and pull herself up. She assisted in throwing that tracker into the airship thus destroying it and drives the car on 2 occasions. And she was even willing to risk her own life to put the ring on when they were all cornered by Glauca - that takes flippin’ balls.
She may not be a physically, strong fighter, but she possesses an impressive mental fortitude and intelligence which she uses to manipulate others or the situation. For example, it seemed reckless for her to jump out of the airship, but I believe she was forcing Nyx’s hand because he refused to take her back to Regis. She manipulated Luche into wearing the ring knowing full well he would burn to a crisp after seeing it happen to her own brother. She even convinces Libertus to leave her by sugar-coating her reason. I think it’s not because he’s a “great hero”, but because he’s a fugitive and his broken leg would also slow her down.
Luna displays a maturity that few heroines possess. She is not the screaming, flailing, girly girl. She is brave, independent, knows who she is and what she wants and is not afraid to take matters into her own hands. She knows her own strengths and weaknesses, but will not let a disadvantaged position cower her in fear. She is my favourite character so far and I can’t wait to see her story in the game. SE is definitely holding back on her character as well - I’m sure she’ll surprise us even more.
CONCLUSION:
Overall, I enjoyed the movie and felt that it succeeded in setting the scene for the game. Themes like betrayal and sacrifice play a huge role in the movie and will most certainly carry over into the game. The tagline “Everything for the future king” wasn’t kidding. Insomnia was obliterated; fathers and good soldiers sacrificed themselves to hold the enemy off and Luna went through hell to get the ring out. The movie has really made me look forward to the game when Noctis and Luna reunite and he sets out to reclaim his throne!
