Alec Baldwin's Forgotten Final Fantasy Movie Deserves A Second Look

Among the most bizarre "Final Fantasy" adaptations is 2001's "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within." A joint effort between American studio Columbia Pictures and Japan's Square Pictures, the animated feature was directed by "Final Fantasy" creator Hironobu Sakaguchi and featured famous actors like Alec Baldwin, Donald Sutherland, Ming-Na Wen, and Steve Buscemi.

It follows Aki Ross (Wen) and the Deep Eyes, led by Captain Gray Edwards (Baldwin), as they fight aliens known as Phantoms who have invaded Earth and are infecting humans. Aki discovers a possible way to defeat the Phantoms by channeling eight spirits of Gaia, the planet's soul, putting her into conflict with General Douglas Hein (James Woods), who wants to simply blast them with an environmentally devastating weapon.

"The Spirits Within" wasn't well-received. On Rotten Tomatoes, it sits at 44% from critics and 48% from users, with many panning its weak, confusing story that has little to do with its namesake franchise. It was also a massive box office flop, earning just $85 million on a budget of $137 million and resulting in the closure of Square Pictures. Despite that, "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" is worth revisiting 25 years later for its groundbreaking photorealistic visuals that hold up far better than most CGI from the time.

"Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" is convoluted with a sometimes nonsensical script. Characters wax poetic about Gaia and spirits rather than expressing real environmentalist values, and the writers can't seem to decide whether the Phantoms are incorporeal beings that feed on souls or physical things that can be blasted by missiles. The movie makes up for its weaknesses with spectacle, resulting in a fun viewing experience. Despite being the first photorealistic animated film, it still outshines things like the Scorpion King from "The Mummy Returns," James Bond surfing through an icy tsunami in "Die Another Day," or pretty much any moment from "The Polar Express."

Additionally, the media's treatment of Aki Ross feels prophetic amid the rise of AI and its use in film. It's hard to not draw comparisons between Aki, who appeared on the cover of Maxim, and AI "actress" Tilly Norwood. Lead animator for "The Spirits Within" Roy Sato commented on the similarities, telling The New York Times, "Seeing how people are reacting to A.I., it was the same feeling I had 25 years ago. We had this hyper-realistic computer graphics actress, and people were like, 'Am I going to be replaced? Am I outdated?' It's a funny parallel that 25 years later it's happening again."

"Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" may not have a great story, though it's worth noting the plot is similar to "Spectral," a Netflix film that was better received. It also doesn't really connect to its namesake in any meaningful way. Still, in the same way that the early talkies and color films remain important, "The Spirits Within" is worth remembering for being a technical achievement that pushed the limits of CGI.