Final Fantasy is a legendary video game series that just about every gaming fan has heard of. Whenever you think of an RPG, Final Fantasy will be the first series that pops into your head. The series practically defines the genre and has had many excellent games in the past. (With more coming in the future) After the…interesting Final Fantasy film that had come out earlier, Advent Children was definitely a welcomed surprise. This time the film was going to be set in the VII continuity. (While we still struggle to find out where they got the Spirits Within plot from!) The movie is set after the Final Fantasy VII game so it is definitely exciting to see what the characters have done with their lives after the game ended.

Immediately you can tell that this won’t be your average CGI film (Not usually a big fan of those) and the animation is very well done. A battle scene happens almost immediately between Cloud and a gang of newcomers. The fight scene is definitely intense and a nice foreshadowing of what is to come. It effortlessly blows away just about any other CGI film and we’re just at the opening scene! After the fight, we find out that Cloud is now part of a mail delivery service. After some discussions between Cloud and a character that may surprise some people, we go to another scene.

Tifa and Denzel are waiting for Cloud, but it’s been a while since he returned. They are attacked by one of the new villains and it’s the only pure hand to hand fight in the movie. I like hand to hand fights (Almost as much as sword fights) and it was pretty good. Cloud heads to the Forgotten City and takes on the three villains. Of course the battle did feature hostages and interference from another character so the conclusion wasn’t completely satisfactory.

The climax happens soon after and the villains summon the legendary Bahamut SIN! From there on, the rest of the film is really just one large action scene. We get to see many cameos from the VII cast and they all pitch in to help. Cloud’s big battle against the three adversaries is epic and they’re battling while atop motorcycles and moving at high speeds. (Cloud will always be the strongest Final Fantasy protagonist!)

The soundtrack in this film was incredible and I like just about every one of the tracks. Sephiroth’s new remix was great and it definitely made his scenes have a very grand scale effect. During the last battle we also get a pretty good track by the name of J-E-N-O-V-A which is pretty fast paced and fun to listen too.

Once again I’ve got to say that the fight scenes were spectacular. They’re the best that I’ve ever seen from a CGI film and I doubt that it will be surpassed anytime soon. The fight scenes were very fast paced, but you could still follow along and really feel every blow.

Cloud reprises his role as the main character from the games and he’s a solid lead. He’s definitely not as happy in this film, but he still proves himself as a hero. Sometimes he may appear uncaring, but when he knows that someone’s in danger, he’ll head off right away. He’s battling through a sickness the whole time, but he never complains about it and fights to his last breath. His swordsmanship is definitely excellent and while he’s constantly outnumbered, he always holds his own.

Denzel is a boy that gets some decent screentime. I wouldn’t call him a bad character, but he wasn’t that necessary to the film. He was just there to be there I suppose. Aside from Cloud, Tifa was really the only hero to have her own fight. It was a good battle and she got to show off her super strength, but I would have liked the fight to be a little longer. It was still a pretty good role overall and while I think that she could have helped in the climax (Make it 2-3 odds) at least she helped against the Bahamut. Cloud’s other friends get cameos to help, but they’re really too small to be mentioned that much. Vincent had one critical scene, but I would have liked him to fight some more. (If you’ve played Dirge of Cerberus then you will know just how much he could have helped)

The three villains are all right. I definitely don’t like them as characters, but they’re good as villains. Kadaj is pretty much the leader of the trio and he tends to call the shots. His skills are definitely not as good as Cloud’s and in a one on one fight, he wouldn’t stand a chance. Not to say that he’s weak. He’s a very powerful fighter and he would do good in many other franchises, but against Cloud he never stood a chance. Luckily for him, he’s got his two backup members. The three of them tend to gang up on Cloud during their fights. Loz has super speed, which is pretty cool to watch, Yazoo is the group’s long range fighter, and Kadaj is the close combat fighter. Together they make a very dangerous fighting force. The monster known as the Bahamut SIN also appears and he has a decently cool design. It was a good way to bring in the whole cast together to fight him, but he’s definitely not one of the stronger characters in the film. Still, he’s a decent addition if you like seeing monsters battle.

Sephiroth is naturally the villain that sticks out from the rest. His first scene set the tone immediately. (Catching Cloud’s powerful slash with his bare hands) He is leagues ahead of any other villain in terms of power and speed. His skills even seem to surpass Cloud’s by a considerable margin and it feels like he’s toying with him the whole time. Sephiroth is pretty awesome and I can see why he’s a fan favorite. I agree that he’s one of the best Final Fantasy characters out there. All of his scenes are extremely epic and he knows how to be dramatic.

Final Fantasy VII Advent Children is currently my favorite CGI film and one of the greatest films of all time. The action scenes are very good and the animation is definitely excellent. Cloud’s ultimate attack is stunning and it’s an attack that you will remember for a long time. I highly recommend this film to all viewers and Final Fantasy fans will get a kick out of it. Even if you haven’t played Final Fantasy before and you don’t recognize the references to the past, don’t worry about it! It’s still a very enjoyable film and you’ll end up liking Cloud by the end. If you want a little extra action I recommend buying the Blu Ray version. It’s uncut and features some additional scenes that help you enjoy the overall experience even more. I’ve watched this film many times over the years and I’ll continue to watch it at least once a year.

Overall 9/10

Achievements
Own it

I was highly anticipating this film from the moment that I saw the first trailer. Seeing the three main characters from their respective series in one film would be immensely awesome. I’m a big fan of crossovers and especially when they’re done right. Yugioh has always been an incredible franchise and the three series that were being crossed over into one series were all amazing! (Yugioh GX 10/10, Yugioh 9/10, Yugioh 5Ds 9/10) When you’ve got three series as well made as those three meeting up in one film, then you know that it’s going to be amazing.

Of course, that could make the film confusing for non Yugioh fans right? How can you keep up with all of the mythology and easter eggs that only Yugioh fans would catch? Well, the film has a quick introduction to each of the characters before the actual film starts. It’s pretty awesome and they did a good job of highlighting the critical moments for each character. It’s a good explanation of the past events and I’m sure that you’ll have a good understanding of the series by the time it’s over.

The film starts out with Yusei dueling a mysterious duelist. Yusei is holding his own, but the new opponent doesn’t play by the rules and quickly escapes the duel after stealing Yusei’s best card! Yusei gives chase thanks to the incredible power of the Crimson Dragon which allows him to travel through time.

In the slight past, Jaden is defending the city from a group of dragons. Their master is the same mysterious duelist who faced off against Yusei, Paradox! Jaden activates his Yubel and Supreme King eyes and summons his all mighty Neos! Seeing as how Jaden is the strongest of the three protagonists, I have no doubt that he would have crushed Paradox in this scene. Of course, they are interrupted and the scene shifts back even more into the past.

Yugi Moto was attending a celebration and he seems to have forgiven Pegasus. His Grandpa seems pretty happy about the whole thing as well, but the dragons appear and quickly lay waste to the city. Paradox deals some immense damage to the environment and there are many casualties. Someone dies and Yugi must end Parodox once and for all!

Yusei, Jaden, and Yugi meet up in the past before Parodox could destroy the city and unite to duel against him. All three of them use very different decks, so teaming up could be risky. In one of the best scenes of the film, they all power up with their unique abilities. Yugi’s is the most traditional as he lets Yami Yugi take control. Yusei unlocks his Signer abilities and Jaden goes into total battle mode. Unlike a certain Man of Steel, they make sure to evacuate the city before they start their climatic duel. We don’t want any casualties right?

From the 3 main characters, Yusei gets a bit more of a focus than the other two. It makes sense since he’s had the least amount of time to leave an impression on his fan base. (Yugi = 200+ Episodes. Jaden = 170+ Episodes. Yusei = around 150 episodes) Also, Yusei was the most current at the time (Sadly, Yuma is now the newest protagonist) so fans may be able to relate to him the most. Yusei is a solid character and he’s pretty confident in his abilities. When he meets up with Yugi and Jaden, it gets a little rough for him since both of them are better duelists. Yusei is an A-S rank duelist in his own right, but these guys are living legends. Still, Yusei fights until the end and he proves to us why he’s the hero.

Yugi is the original master duelist and he’s the King of Games. All games, I might add. He’s not just a master duelist, but he is unbeatable in whatever game he tries. It’s all thanks to Yami Yugi who is another soul that rests within Yugi’s body. He has the uncanny ability where he (seems) to be unable to lose any game unless he wishes to lose or is not in his right mind. Yugi is a decently good character, but for most of his epic scenes I’m talking about Yami Yugi. Yami Yugi appears right before the duel starts and you can immediately tell the difference between him and Yugi. His cape seems to flow with the wind more and he’s much more confident. His cards may be a lot older than Jaden’s or Yusei’s, but he still manages to show the others why he’s known as the best. Yami Yugi has the most experience with the Shadow Duels and he’s definitely not afraid of Paradox.

Jaden is the man in the middle. His series wasn’t the most positively received and people tend to forget him a lot more than the other two. I’m in the minority, but I think that Jaden is the best duelist from the three. He doesn’t need extremely overpowered cards to win his duels and he does it through pure skill. Unlike the others, Jaden seems to be able to make his cards do real damage in the world. Not to mention that he’s easily got the best attitude from the three. He treats the whole thing like a game and if you thought Yami Yugi was confident, just check out this guy! Jaden’s easily the best Yugioh character of all time and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Paradox is the main villain of this movie and he wants to change the future. It would seem that card games are more deadly than we could have ever thought possible. To prepare himself, he stole some of the most powerful dragons in the Yugioh universe and created evil versions of them. Paradox is definitely out of his league considering that he’s fighting three of the best duelists of all time. Still, he manages to give them a decent fight and proves his worth as the villain. In the actual duel, I dare say that Jaden put up the best fight. Yusei did all right, but he set himself up for destruction a couple of times. Yami Yugi had some critical saves when it came down to his turn and he had a solid offense. The reason that Jaden did the best in my opinion, is that he not only dealt intense damage to Paradox (Destroying two dragons) but he also saves Yugi and Yusei quite a couple of times.

Also, I can’t forget to mention the amazing soundtrack. They did a really good job of making sure that the music played at appropriate times. Jaden’s (Awesome) theme played when his turn came to duel and it was definitely a great throwback to the old days. Likewise with Yugi and Yusei when their turns came to fight. I’m happy to say that I immediately recognized all of their themes and the soundtrack helps you to appreciate your Yugioh knowledge from watching the shows. It’s an incredible movie for everyone, but Yugioh fans can especially appreciate some of the smaller things that only they would pick up.

This is definitely a film that I’ll always remember and I’ll be watching it many more times in the future. They should definitely make another Yugioh crossover in the future. While it would be extremely difficult to be better than this one, (Near Impossible) I know that it would still be awesome. Seeing them all on the big screen (I saw this one in theaters!) was a truly great experience and there will probably never be a film as good as this one. There was nothing negative about it and I would say that this was the perfect film. I only allow one perfect score for each category and this is definitely the film that earns it. Naturally I completely recommend this film to all audiences and you should watch it as soon as possible.

Overall 10/10

Dragon Ball Z is an incredible franchise that has spawned many video games and movies in the past. This is the 7th film in the series (I’m not counting Dragon Ball at all in this review. I’m only talking about the Dragon Ball Z days) and it definitely defeated the previous six films.

The film opens up with Goku and his family shopping and then settling down to eat some good looking food. It’s a pretty happy way to start the film and seeing the city was definitely unexpected. The Z fighters are usually on the go or fighting in the mountains. Trunks, Krillin, and Roshi are waiting in line to make it to a show (in a very awful subplot) but as per usual they didn’t think ahead. After a lot of crushing realizations, they join up with Goku and pals. At a very top secret base, the androids wake up and immediately head for Goku. Due to their scanners, they find him pretty fast and commence their attack by blowing up the building.

Dragon Ball Z never disappoints when it comes to a fight and that was the perfect way to start the film off. The Androids don’t take time to act mysterious or talk tough in the shadows. They just barge in and blow up the place. It’s definitely a very efficient way to get Goku’s attention. The rest of the film is a huge fight against the three androids and that’s a very good thing! The fight scenes in this film would put just about any other big franchise to shame. (Marvel, DC, Nintendo, Sega, etc) The villains are immensely powerful and they actually manage to give Goku an impressive fight. Granted that he was being attacked 2-1 for his first battle, but it’s still a feat.

As I mentioned earlier, there are three androids. Android 15 has a pretty large hat and “cool” sunglasses to remind us that he’s the most stylish of the three androids. His rival in this film is the (vastly superior) Vegeta. I’d personally go ahead and say that Android 15 is the weakest of the three, but considering that he’s still a faster than light, planet buster, he’s still strong enough. As for Android 14, he seems to have a lot of raw strength, plus he’s definitely the quietest of the bunch. His rival in this film is Trunks and he makes sure to give him a good fight. He’s immensely powerful and a pretty decent villain. I much preferred him to Android 15.

The film was named after the final Android and that’s definitely for a good reason. He’s much more skilled than the other two androids and he is able to fight on par with Super Saiyan Goku. He’s incredibly good at martial arts and he has a large array of energy attacks. I liked his character and he was definitely to the point. He attacks Goku and is possibly winning, but then he pulls the ultimate Dragon Ball Z villain technique…He transforms! After merging with the parts from the other androids, he is able to become the Super Android 13. In this form, the combined might of the Z fighters seems to be no match for him. I’d easily say that he’s an S rank fighter in this form and he could easily annihilate the planet with a single blast. He made for an extremely awesome final boss and the fight scene is intense.

Goku is pretty awesome in this film and he shows us what a true hero is. He stands up for all that is right and he’s someone that everyone can look up too. He takes a huge beating for the majority of the film, but he always gets up. He fights pretty well and even though he was outnumbered for a while, he managed to hold his own.

This is one of the only films where (Future) Trunks gets to appear. He does pretty well for the most part and while he’s significantly weaker than his fellow Saiyans, he gives it his all. For a while it is just him and Goku against the three androids and he made for a good ally. Piccolo appears very briefly, but he manages to have a critical moment where he saves the life of one of the Saiyans. Unfortunately, he is no match for the villains so he doesn’t look particularly great in the fight scenes.

Krillin and Gohan try to lend some moral support, but that’s about all of the support that they can give in this kind of fight. Once Vegeta shows up (Apparently he was inside a glacier or in the ocean…) things definitely look up for the heroes. He has a spectacular entrance and it should remind everyone why he’s the greatest Saiyan. (He’s my favorite anyway)

This film has everything that you could have hoped for as a DBZ fan. There were spectacular fighting scenes, the Saiyans all got some pretty good screen time, and they actually got to fight in the city for a little bit. The only negative in the film would be the Roshi and Oolong subplot, but that couldn’t bring down the rest of the film. It was just far too good. This is one film that I strongly recommend as it’s one of the greatest films of all time.

Overall 9/10