Neo Classic


Angst and action abound in Advent Children.

Debuting last E3 2005 was a brand-new trailer for Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, and it was pretty awesome. The trailer was a sight for sore eyes as the last new footage of the upcoming Square CG movie based on the classic PSOne RPG was months and months ago. Well, the wait was worth it as we saw new scenes aplenty- a slightly closer look at the man in the wheelchair (I'm really thinking this is Rufus Shinra back from the dead, or in rehabilitation after almost getting fried by Diamond Weapon), more action between Cloud and the SHM (Silver-haired Men), more from the fight between Tifa and the silver-haired bruiser in the Flower Garden, the whole FFVII gang battling a summoned monster (Coolest moment, Yuffie the ninja throwing her humongous shuriken), the return of the Highwind airship and what appears to be Sephiroth himself finally returned?!

From some articles and interviews I've read, the original FFVII Advent Children project was just an experiment- probably Squaresoft was treading lightly after their initial disastrous venture into CG movies (care of the crappy Spirits Within flick). AC was meant to be a very short feature- about 30 or so minutes. Perhaps they just wanted a few scenes showing Cloud after the game, giving a few hints of what life he was leading, the signs of a new threat and then perhaps the FFVII hero regaining his guts to fight and then, THE END.


Questions will be answered.

However, audience and fan response apparently proved overwhelmingly high, and soon the project began to grow. People didn't want a teaser movie- they wanted the whole kit and caboodle. They wanted all the FF gang back, whether they were alive or dead at the end of the game (cue Aeris theme), somehow, someway. They wanted an adventure to wash away the bitter bile taste of Spirits Within. And that may just very well be this movie. From a thirty-minute teaser demo, FFVII Advent Children will supposedly be 100 minutes long when it's finished- a full length feature, bringing to life a world, storyline and characters once seen only as a PS videogame with teeny-tiny cute sprites and simple first-gen CG cinematics. HELL YEAH.


Sephiroth-wannabees are on the rampage.


Yuffie shows off her ninja skills.


Remember the Turks? They're back too. Where's Elena though?

They say it's coming in September, but we can only cross our fingers and hope. I for one have been waiting for this since the mid-nineties, after finishing the game the first time. I want this movie. I NEED this movie.

We've still got a ways to go, but darn... this early I think the wait's gonna be worth it.