Advent Children DVD finally coming to US
by Christopher Grant 
{ Feb 4th 2006 at 11:00PM }
The holiday season has come and gone and, though anticipated, Square's CGI spectacle, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, has yet to see a North American release. According to a post made on The Digital Bits, "Mike Stradford [an executive in Sony's DVD division] told me that Sony's working hard to get the film released on DVD here in the States by the end of 2006. Apparently, it's taking a little extra time to work with the director to get all the supplemental elements finished, but the title is on track for release sometime later this year."
Sometime "later this year" isn't terribly reassuring, the year's just started! With a DVD release probably several months off, it'll be a long wait for the fans who haven't already downloaded the title off the internet. Come on Sony! How about an official date?
[Via Cinematical]
[Update: corrected a grammatical error]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
William @ Apr 14th 2006 1:40AM
Look, when it comes down to the final fantasy games. They started going downhill fast. Some are bland, some aren't. Final Fantasy VII was a highly enjoyable game to me but I actually enjoyed Final Fantasy IV and VI a little more than VII. As for the movie, stop being picky critics and appreciate it. Think of it as just what it is supposed to be. Nothing more than a mere CG movie. You would enjoy it more. Personally, I have given up on most new FF games and their bastardization of them(FFX-2 for example). Square will never make a good final fantasy game again probably. Dirge of Cerberus might be decent but cannot be considered an rpg. As for FF12, I played it...screw it. Final Fantasy 13...get original with it square! As for a remake of FFVII..it will never happen. However I wish they would make a remake of FFVI.
lazy @ Feb 4th 2006 11:30PM
Stupid sony doesnt care about us north americans.
Mark 2000 @ Feb 4th 2006 11:39PM
There's no real point in getting excited about this. Visually stunning, but a mockery of the original plot-wise. I did a write up of it a few months ago:
http://mark2000.com/?p=39
mofomojo @ Feb 4th 2006 11:40PM
Just about 12 months after it was available via import and torrent.
limitbreakerx @ Feb 5th 2006 12:02AM
Everyone who truly loved the game have already seen it by now. We all know this DVD will definitely NOT sell well in the US.
Probot @ Feb 5th 2006 12:57AM
I've already seen it and am still planing to buy it.
@Mark 2000,
I disagree with a lot of your review. Nobuo Uematsu's Black Mages-like stuff was very welcome in my opinion.
The new "One Winged Angel" is amazing, though I can understand if rock isn't your thing. It's important to remember that this is first and foremost an action movie and the soundtrack suits it well.
And that was the biggest flaw: you failed to mention any of the incredible fight scenes. It's an action movie, and you didn't mention the action!
The film answered the biggest question left by the game. Holy did not kill off humanity the way a lot of people (including yourself, according to your review) believed.
Assuming that the translation I saw was accurate, the script isn't that great. But neither was the one for the game. It moved the movie along, though it was a bit oddly paced.
So what they put in a cell phone ad? Cloud had a cell phone in the game, so they aren't forcing it in. It was a great opportunity to cleverly work in an ad. This is the way all in-game/in-movie ads should be. Vincent even made a joke about it in the movie.
Is this my favorite movie? No. But it was pure fan service, and it worked well.
imark G5 @ Feb 5th 2006 12:57AM
sounds pretty odd when I just saw full page advertisments for it in all this months game magazines.
Zsavior @ Feb 5th 2006 1:19AM
Number one No offense to you, or to any other gamers, but I am begining to agree with Rodger Ebert thinking video games is not a medium of art that should be translated into movies. Final fantasy Advent children was a good movie, just that nothing more nothing less. In your post you mention the game play had 80 plus hours, of content. EIGHTY PLUS HOURS! How would they fit that into a movie, don't say make the movie longer because I saw people complain about the length of movies like King Kong and Lord of the Rings.
THe Real problem though with Videogamers is this, there is no room for expansion in these worlds, they want the samething over again to explain the same game they played over a thousand times before. Sony annouces a new FF VII with just updated graphics and fans eat it up. IF the creators do try to expand the world, gamers(WHo suddenly feel they are the ones who know the story better than that of the creators) feel decieved or gypt. Also these movies have to be made for an outside audience, that never played the game. In the world of movies you can't say "Just Make it for the Fans" that is not how a movie is done and that is a big reason I feel video games should never see a movie screen.
Last gamers aren't willing to let the game die and let a new story take it's place. I agree FF Advent Children wasn't A GREAT movie but it was good for what is was a Hero movie! The story of self discovery and re-emergence of Good coming forward to fight evil. BUt gamers want it to be hardcore and stick to everything they remember about the video game, and this can't happen. I was a giant fan of spider man comics, when they made the movie I Loathed it. Not cause the comics were better(which they are) just because the plot is drivel and a waste of special effects and my time. I Lose my power cause I feel sad? COME ON! And a crap load of other plot holes they stick in there just to move the story. Literary fans often make this mistake but true fans like Lord OF the Rings Fanatics give the movies a chance, alot was changed from those books to give the movie life and give the characters depth and importance. I just don't think videogames should go to the silver screens then fans are not quite ready neither are the creators, but that is my honest opinion.
P.S. I also think this is why the movie is taking longer to come out in the AMerica. Japan and asia in a whole accept Myth and fantasy much easier than Americans, we want to know how the fly, why they fly, where they get their power from, if they can't do this , why they don't do that. While Japanese, Indian, and other asian audiences will just except that this is fantasy and imagination and not try to make sense of it with sciene. I think those special commentary or to help out the american gamers that is going to feel cheated because the film doesn't go the way they think it should go cause the story differs from the game.
youtubefan @ Feb 5th 2006 2:46AM
@ Zsavior
i don't think you have your facts right. the movie isn't the game. they arent' trying to cram 80 plus hours of gameplay into about 2 hours. the movie takes place after the game. about the flying, like you said this is fantasy and when it comes to fantasy games or movies you just accept some stuff i think otherwise you just won't enjoy it. not trying to start anything, just my 2 cents.
Jago @ Feb 5th 2006 4:05AM
The movie "was" supposed to come out sometime in March but now it is set to come out towards the end of 2006...that news story you guys have is a tab old (even if it is marked as Feb. 2nd.)
Vagabond Artist @ Feb 5th 2006 4:14AM
MARK2000!!!!
After reading your review, it is clear we agree 100%.
Also to Zsavior, I know what you mean.
That is why I am looking forward to Final Fantasy XII, a radical departure from traditions in the previous games.
After 7, the only other FF I really could get into was 9.
Does that mean I was upset that final fantasy X didn't star Cloud?
No, I just didn't like the story direction and characters in X.
From what I've played of the FFXII demo I don't think I'm going to be disappointed with SquareEnix's new direction.
oh yeah and Dragon Quest 8 is awesome.
mofomojo @ Feb 5th 2006 4:46AM
Also, for the record, use North America instead of US.
CANADA IS A NATION TOO, IT HOUSES 30 MILLION FRIGGIN PEOPLE!!
XD
Zero_ @ Feb 5th 2006 4:53AM
I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with some of the negative views here. I was one of the people who played the original back in 1997 and were not only in love with the graphics, but the characters, story and music as well. Over the 7 years, it has stayed up there as my favourite game of all time (and still is).
And when it was announced in October '03, I was estatic. I followed every last ounce of information from trailers to interviews. Fast Forward to late 2005 when it was 'leaked' and I was literally shattered. The movie was in no way near as good as the game.
Perhaps it was when Sephiroth and Cloud started flying, or how a majority of the music was rubbish (coincidentally, the ones I've disliked are composed by people other than Nobuo), or maybe it was the whole storyline that didn't really make much sense. The movie was complete and utter garbage, honestly.
Will I buy the movie when it comes out? Probably not. And now begins the inevidable decline of the once video gaming king, Square.
Probot @ Feb 5th 2006 5:09AM
Which tracks are you referring to, Zero_, because the only listings I've found of the soundtrack show Uemetsu as the only composer.
Personally, I love FF7. I'm absolutely a fanboy, but I don't think the game is perfect. Sorry to say this, but the plot doesn't make much sense in the game. And Sephiroth could fly in the game too!
Your welcome to your opinion, but don't let your memories of the game cloud your opinion of this movie. (Pun intented.)
bobthebeagle @ Feb 5th 2006 5:18AM
So let me get this straight, North America has not got an official release date yet, but in Australia (where I live) we do, 3rd May. How does that work? It's usually the other way around.
Probot @ Feb 5th 2006 5:36AM
2am typos:
"Uematsu" not "Uemetsu"
and "You're welcome to" not "Your welcome."
Zero_ @ Feb 5th 2006 6:13AM
"Which tracks are you referring to, Zero_, because the only listings I've found of the soundtrack show Uemetsu as the only composer."
http://squaresound.com/albums/f/ff7advent.html
As you can see, most of the original tunes are composed by Nobuo, but then remixed by other Square arrangers/composers.
"Personally, I love FF7. I'm absolutely a fanboy, but I don't think the game is perfect. Sorry to say this, but the plot doesn't make much sense in the game. And Sephiroth could fly in the game too!"
Neither do I. There are many things that aren't perfect with it, but it's still a magnificent game. As to whether Sephiroth could 'fly' or not, well. It's debatable. I'm one of the people who interprets the storyline where the Sephiroth you see flying around etc. is actually Jenova, and everything you see him do (including the death of Aeris) is Jenova's doing.
But everyone's entitled to their own interpretation.
Probot @ Feb 5th 2006 6:44AM
I don't know what the difference is between composing, mixing, and arranging. Well, I know they are different, but I don't know what each job entails.
The only Sephiroth we see in the game (not including flashbacks and the body in the Crater) and the only Sephiroth we see in the movie (not including flashbacks) are the same "person." It's basically Jenovah cells taking over a host. So no matter what theory you subscribe to, the flying makes sense.
And why is it that big of a leap of faith? He causes a storm with the flick of his wrist. Flying is just one his powers.
I'm rewatching the movie to see if Cloud actually flys. I remember he jumps high, but that doesn't compare to what Sephiroth does.
The only reason I'm defending the movie is because I think too many people are letting nostalgia stop them from enjoying a decent movie.
Alan @ Feb 5th 2006 6:54AM
WHy is it taking so long?!?!? When this comes out it better have: option to switch between japenese and english voices (if they've recorded it in english) and better include the last story anime: and loads of other bonuses for the price of any other DVD.
Hurry up Square-Enix, it's taking even longer than a final fantasy game!!
Jay @ Feb 5th 2006 7:22AM
What a terrible film it is too. It just seemed to be nothing more than fan service. I've forgotten all the points I had about why it's a bad film, something along the lines of it being utterly obvious and predictable film. It was ages ago since I saw it after all. The only part I liked was the phone ring tone - that brought a little smile to my face. but the rest? I sat in disgust. As did my FF7 obsessed girlfriend. thought the film was sacrilege to the game.
Visually, its beautiful.
Film wise, its Spirits Within.
Chill392 @ Feb 5th 2006 7:59AM
Yep... I torrented.
Naoki @ Feb 5th 2006 8:41AM
Right let me dive into the whole Sephiroth and Cloud "flying" topic?
First and foremost, this is a "Fantasy" movie where it is a world of "Magic" and just, well....."Fantasy"!
Second, this is a movie "sequal" based and set in the same "Videgoame" world
And third and last of all, this is one thing Western viewers are not used to since "flying" is very common in East Asia Action Cinema/Movies. May I give you two words "Chinese Wuxia" (Westerners may call it as "Wire-Fu", but the fact remains that this style has been done for decades!), and another two words, "Japanese Anime". This is the Asians style for making swordfights more interesting!
Anyways, I may agree that this movie is dissapointing, and far too action oriented (But still damn cool!), but then again, this is a movie based from a videogame, your going to have to get used to it. And considering that this movie was also a "treat" towards fans of the game, they expect most viewers to understand the plot and concept.
Jay @ Feb 5th 2006 9:13AM
"your going to have to get used to it"?
no. You don't seem to understand gaming and film culture. If you don't like something you don't get used to it; you don't watch it or have anything to do with it again. It's not like you've just got a disease that you have to live with. Its a piece of plastic that can be sold on eBay.
I hope, I wish that someday Square make Final Fantasy good again. Until that day I'll play my GBA remakes and hunt down a working PS1 and less-damages FF7 disc.
Naoki @ Feb 5th 2006 10:51AM
"no. You don't seem to understand gaming and film culture."
That depends on which ever culture it is, Western or Eastern. And since Advent Children is obviously Japanese, don't need to be a genius there to figure it out.
crono141 @ Feb 5th 2006 11:20AM
See, you peoples' problem is that you wanted this movie to be godlike, akin to the game; forgetting all the lessons we learned from watching the Spirits Within: that overhype can kill a movie. When you expect the impossible, when you see what you get, you will be disappointed. Many of you seem bitter, like this film personally insulted you.
I don't see any of you people screaming about all the impossible stuff in anime. Do you not realize that FF7 (the game) was the last FF game to BE anime? Do you know what "suspending disbelief" is? Its when things don't make any possible sense on screen, but you accept it anyway because to do otherwise will kill the film for you. How could Spiderman possibly grow web spinnerettes in his wrists OVERNIGHT? He can't, but we suspend disbelief so we can enjoy the rest of the film. How can Cloud and Sephiroth fly and do all that other crazy, impossible stuff. They can't possibly, but we suspend disbelief and don't let it bother us because doing so will ruin all the action sequences.
I was very satisfied with this movie. There were a few things that bothered me, but none of the things they did (flying, balancing on small tree branches, fighting while shinra tower was collapsing all around them) ruined the movie because I realize that its ultimately an ANIME FF adaptation, where that kind of crap happens all the friggin time.
Suspend disbelief. They just "can", ok.
I feel like watching this again. Such a cool movie...
Naoki @ Feb 5th 2006 11:28AM
crono141,
Thank you for explaining and expanding the whole "Anime" aspect of this! It is just one of those things alot of ignorant "Westerners" need to learn about when it comes to Japanese movies, whether real life, Anime, or videogame based which all of them are just standard stuff in Japan.
Simple clash between West & East ideologies and movie styles.
Someone @ Feb 5th 2006 11:42AM
Okay, kiddies, you must understand that this movie takes place AFTER the game is finished. Meaning all your characters are at LEAST level 65-99, and are pretty much minor deities anyway.
Flying is not unreasonable if you've seen some of the limit breaks and summons and spells you get IN THE ORIGINAL GAME when you're that high level and complete the optional side quests. Put simply, the characters in FF7 were ALWAYS meant to become obscenely powerful; Advent Children is consistent with that.
Not to mention that the entire cast can apparently hold their breath underwater for 20 minutes fighting Emerald Weapon. Easily. With no scuba gear or anything. On the OCEAN FLOOR.
Also, be aware that what FF7 did; for Sony, RPG's in general and Square especially; was make them mainstream by providing the slickest packaging and presentation for a decent story that anyone had ever seen. People BELIEVED in the Playstation at that point, and it was the biggest nail in the coffin for the Sega Saturn. It sold a bajillion copies, and opened the door to plenty of other great rpg's, including the Grand Theft Auto series ;-). This is why FF7 STILL shows up on many gamers' BEST GAME EVARR!! lists, because it is rightfully a landmark moment in console gaming. My point? There is a metric TON of nostalgia for FF7, more so than many of the others.
Mind you, neither the game nor the movie nor the other spinoffs have great stories, just good ones. Enough action and intrigue to keep you interested and satisfy those who endured FF7's craptastic ending. Don't try to defend the ending of FF7, because it blew. I would have traded the USELESS 5 minutes of the "magic tunnel" for even a STILL SHOT of the rest of the cast after the ending. This is why, overall, FF7 is my least favorite Final Fantasy. No satisfaction for the 50+ hours put into it. Other games have done this too (I'm looking at YOU, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver).
Finally, thank the maker SOMEONE else besides me thought that FF9 was an awesome game (with its flaws, but still awesome), and that Tetsuya Nomura is not Gawd. (Yoshitaka Amano 4EVR ZOMGWTFROFLMAOBBQ!!!)
Kenneth @ Feb 5th 2006 11:48AM
So what was that I saw on the shelf in my local Blockbuster?
Momus @ Feb 5th 2006 12:06PM
It's not worth even renting if it doesn't come with Last Order. That, as an exploration of Zack's character, was more worth watching than the spastic zoom-ins and -outs of those pseudo-bullet time fight scenes. Barf.
Nomura should stick to character design. He is a BAD director.
Lucca @ Feb 5th 2006 12:17PM
For Pete`s sake, the movie is meant to reminiscence on the Best Game Ever Created. It is not a great movie, it is not a movie at all, it is a MEMORY. Yes, it does explain what happened later on, thus it`s an epilogue, a 1-hour long FMV never implemented in the game. Of course there`s too much action in it, play the game again, see the ending, then watch the movie, and it adds up at least a tiny bit.
And besides, there`s Sephy again in it. Thus I LIKE IT. And when (or should I say, if) it gets to Europe, I am buying it.
Ran @ Feb 5th 2006 12:31PM
Finally? It's already had a release date and been delayed 3-4 times. I expect a couple more before we actually see it. They had better give us a perfect translation and all the extras with all these delays.
crono141 @ Feb 5th 2006 12:48PM
I bet they're going to keep putting it off until they can release it in a bundle with the FF7 remake for ps3.
Zsavior @ Feb 5th 2006 4:16PM
@ #7
No I don't think you were understand my post, what I was trying to explain was the fact alot of fans were complaining that the movie didn't stick the the premiss of the FF VII game. But this would be impossible to pick and chose 80 hours of game play and stuff it into a movie that is 2 hours. That is what I meant by Gamers don't like expanding stories. Instead of doing that the creators did the right thing by expanding the story to go past the first incident to the reprecustions of the incident.
CV @ Feb 5th 2006 4:32PM
Hopefully it's being released as a Blu-ray disc if it's being put off that long.
everdreaded @ Feb 5th 2006 5:40PM
Thanks for that lesson Chronos in the basics of watching a movie....entertainment.
Like someone said..is it Oscar worthy..?
Who cares! But I liked it. I fell into it without my fan boy check list and my need to have everything explained to me in one neat bundle.
The aspect of a story unfolding in a non linear fashion is something the west still have a problem with.
The media a story is presented in is still viewed as being oriented towards particular ages, demographics and such based on its appearence rather than substance.
Advent children was a good movie I can watch over and over again and to me thats good enough.
Besides...Clouds bike and sword(s) looked sweet!
everdreaded @ Feb 5th 2006 5:40PM
Thanks for that lesson Chronos in the basics of watching a movie....entertainment.
Like someone said..is it Oscar worthy..?
Who cares! But I liked it. I fell into it without my fan boy check list and my need to have everything explained to me in one neat bundle.
The aspect of a story unfolding in a non linear fashion is something the west still have a problem with.
The media a story is presented in is still viewed as being oriented towards particular ages, demographics and such based on its appearence rather than substance.
Advent children was a good movie I can watch over and over again and to me thats good enough.
Besides...Clouds bike and sword(s) looked sweet!
Exbzurg @ Feb 5th 2006 5:45PM
at least its not as bad as the "video game movies" uwe boll puts out....
really quit complaining..... its better than some other gaming movies released this year.....
Me @ Feb 5th 2006 8:53PM
This movie was pretty damn entertaining. Not entirely sure what you folks are saying it's a horrible movie for. People hate Spirits Within because it was pure story, no action, no fantasy. All science. Then they make this which is pure action, little story, all fantasy. Still complaining. It's plenty enjoyable, lots of good action. Maybe I like it because I generally like anime? Eitherway, I've watched it around 9 times and plan on buying it on UMD and DVD for the sake of supporting it. Can't wait to hear it in English, as long as they get good VAs. It's not the greatest movie ever, but it's pretty damn entertaining and emotional.
Would be awesome if they released it at the same time as a rerelease of FF7 on the PSP. Unchanged and delicious. I would totally buy that.
bluebren @ Feb 5th 2006 9:08PM
For the life of me, I don't understand why getting this release ready is so hard. What exactly are they changing? Whip up some new menus, some new box art, and some subtitles-- which can't be that taxing, since the thing really doesn't have very many words.
I don't get it. o_o
Jago @ Feb 5th 2006 9:51PM
Well they do have to do bonus material and other goodies for the english audiences too.
"Would be awesome if they released it at the same time as a rerelease of FF7 on the PSP. Unchanged and delicious."
Not gonna happen and that would just add to all the ther ports the PSP already has...regardless of how good the game is.
TaiZ @ Feb 5th 2006 11:05PM
Gotta re-animate the mouths. That would make since to me anyway, don't want Cloud to look like Sonic in Sonic Adventure do we? (Horrible mouth spasms for every character)
Me @ Feb 6th 2006 3:08AM
Actually it's taking so long because of legal issues. Sony is giving Square a hard time releasing it in NA.
And c'mon the, PSP is completely all for the rereleases. Especially something that's sold like over 11million copies to date. I can guarantee it'll happen before the end of the PSPs life, just not in 2006.
Probot @ Feb 6th 2006 3:57AM
"Actually it's taking so long because of legal issues. Sony is giving Square[sic] a hard time releasing it in NA."
Source?
I think they may be getting English voice actors. That would explain why they're taking so long. Plus they'd have to rewrite a few things so it would make sense to North American audiences.
It would be nice to hear something concrete though. I never heard about a delay of this. They just didn't send it out when they said they planned to. I didn't know a company could do that.
Me @ Feb 6th 2006 5:30AM
"Source?"
No official source. Just a common consensus on the internet. They'd never announce that.
"I think they may be getting English voice actors."
Dude, new VAs do *NOT* take a full year. If you watched anime at all you'd know localizations don't take that long. Especially if you already watched the movie, you'd know there are basically zero cultural references. Everything inside the movie pertains to the game world, and all the parts of the game world it pertains to has no mythological or historical lore behind it in the real life... IE - no cultural references to rescript.
:It would be nice to hear something concrete though. I never heard about a delay of this. They just didn't send it out when they said they planned to. I didn't know a company could do that."
-- I agree. I don't regret torrenting it one bit since they are taking for fucklong ever to release in NA. God i wish it came out already or had an official date yet...
But yeah, the rumor of it being release issues with Sony spawns off the fact that it's actually being released in Aussie before the US. No problems down there.
Probot @ Feb 6th 2006 10:37AM
"Dude, new VAs do *NOT* take a full year."
It hasn't been a full year. It's only been four months. I'm sure they had no plans to add English voices initially, hence the earlier release dates. They could have just changed their minds. That's just speculation of course.
Thundercizzle @ Feb 6th 2006 10:56AM
I'm glad I got mine when it came out for Japan. I don't mind subtitles. Sony and Square suck! This is the movie that was supposed to come out as a PSP exclusive at PSP launch, and how long has it been for an official American release now? I say spread the word of the download. They don't care about us, we shouldn't care about making them more money either.