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 fter
the release of Final Fantasy: The
Spirits Within, actors may soon be seeking a new line of work. The
100% 3D computer animated film has a look that is so real, viewers will
forget they're watching an animated film."It is beyond anything that has ever been done before," said director Hironobu Sakaguchi. And he should know. Sakaguchi has been part of the Final Fantasy team from its very beginnings as a video game in 1987. The series (which now includes nine chapters) became a smash hit worldwide, selling over 17 million copies. Like many role-playing games, the player is expected to take the hero and his team through monster-infested lands, visit towns, gather information and defeat the bad guys to prevent their world from destruction. Enthusiasts were quickly hooked on Final Fantasy's intricate stories, complex characters and mind challenging quests. Each game is unique, hosting different characters and new worlds. So it should come as no surprise for game fans to find a brand new cast of heroes taking the reins for the motion picture. |
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A unique feature for the film is the leader, who will be female for the first time in Final Fantasy history. Dr. Aki Ross (voiced by Ming-Na) holds the key to discovering the secret to defeating alien invaders on Earth in the year 2065. While scouring the Earth to collect eight spirits she believes will save the planet, she studies her dreams to find the answer to the alien mystery. To help her complete her quest is a military squadron led by Capt. Gray Edwards (Alec Baldwin) and her mentor, Dr. Cid (Donald Sutherland). Ming-Na was introduced to the project by producer Jun Aida who had previously worked with her on the film Street Fighter. The Chinese native was stunned by the visual effects and realism of the characters. "This is definitely a different realm," said Ming-Na, who also voiced the title character in the 1998 feature Mulan. "I feel like I'm looking at another being. The reality of (Dr. Aki Ross') image is so vivid and so realistic that you feel like you're seeing somebody else. It's just that she has my voice." Aside from showcasing the latest and most extreme innovations in computer graphics, Final Fantasy also displays the work of some of the most creative people in the field of entertainment film animation. Sakaguchi worked with a team of 200 people from around the world, including artists who have toiled on films such as Godzilla, Titanic and The Fifth Element. In a film with such high expectations, getting each scene and character just right presented enormous challenges. "Technically, the natural human facial expressions were the most difficult aspect," explains Sakaguchi. "Unlike bringing inanimate objects to life, it is an extreme challenge to simulate human movement, hair and clothing, because our eyes are naturally critical toward movements as we observe them everyday." "You could ask if it wouldn't be easier to shoot it as live-action," Aida pointed out. "But we're trying to set new standards and establish a new genre of feature films." - Jane Sanderson |