A stroll in the park (7/19/01.)
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Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. [Hironobu Sakaguchi, 2001.]
The earth having been devastated by ghosts from another planet long since destroyed [phosphorescent monsters which float like jellyfish, their design apparently inspired by microscopic critters like dust mites], the remains of humanity live in fortresses guarded by electronic shields amid the ruins of the great cities of the world. Ace chick researcher Aki [Ming-Na] and wise old scientist Doctor Sid [Donald Sutherland], aided by essentially the same squad of Marines we remember from
Aliens [Ving Rhames is Apone, Alec Baldwin is Hicks, Steve Buscemi is Hudson, Peri Gilpin is Vasquez] devise a peculiar form of exorcism that seems to be based upon a Fourier analysis of the evil spirits; this necessitates they find eight fundamental tones [or whatever] in the ruins of the earth, from which the antidemonic can be composed. Naturally they’re opposed in this quest by evil General Hein [James Woods], who favors the simpler scheme of zapping the demons with a death ray and thus destroying the earth in order to save it.
All of which though entertaining is unremarkable; the astonishing thing, obviously is the fact that this is an animated feature which approaches photorealistic verisimilitude so closely that, though the goal is not achieved [the lip synch is not quite right, the Marines’ faces are a bit too squarejawed and perfect, the motion of the characters is a trifle too constrained and graceful, their clothing doesn’t rumple quite the right way, and similar quibbles — though, nota bene, all this will probably be visible only on the big screen] it is now obviously within reach: all previous animated features look like Clutch Cargo compared to this, and never has anyone produced human figures that moved so naturally, flexed bent and wrinkled in so many places; or had lopsided facial blemishes with uneven coloring, for that matter.
Indeed, the Screen Actors Guild is now voicing concerns that human actors may soon be replaced by synthetic thespians. But, since [judging by the incredible length of the closing credits] this will entail hiring a much larger and presumably no more malleable horde of programmers, the gain for pennypinching producers might not be all that great. [The additional protest that all this artificiality is dehumanizing is absurd: Aki is considerably more natural than, say, Pamela Anderson.]
Fascinating, at any rate; but you wonder, as usual, what will come along to top it and how soon.
____________Gorillas in the mist (7/19/01)
