Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

[DeathScythe]

Argh, first JLU and now this.

According to The Digital Bits.com, and reported by 1up.com, as well as Gamespot, Sony's only definate plans for the DVD release is "by the end of 2006."



Can't be that hard to find voice actors, can it?

-Lord Scythe-
(atleast I've got the japanese version)

[Immortal1982]

Its supposedly been finished. They just repeatedly delay it and pull it from its scheduled release date constantly...


~SkY~

[Isamu Starkiller]

Well the New FFXI expansion and the X360 version is coming out April 18th. It would make sense to release FFVII:AC on 4/18/06 also. If you do a google video search there's plenty of fan made vids out there...it's been released in Japan so whats the hold up Squeenix?

[DeathScythe]

They general feeling is there's a delay in hiring english voice actors, since Square Enix have not announced any English actors. So far the only "confirmed" actor is Wally Wingert (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0935042/) (Alex from Madagascar and a regular on Family Guy) who will play "The Wheel-Chair Person" or Rufus Shin-Ra for those who have seen the movie already. and that's only confirmed because he confirmed it on his own personal website.

The movie itself is finished and been released in Japan where it's sold over 1 million dvds since it's September release. but they just won't even give us English speakers any love. :(

[Jarl]

Anyone else have trouble following the plot?

-Or am I the only one? (I know for a certain 100% fact I'm not)

[DeathScythe]

It's different, that's for sure. What parts do you have problems with, Jarl?

[Jarl]

OK, so, after about 6 months of conversations with a bunch of my nerd friends and research on Wikipedia's article on Sephiroth (lots of Kaballah stuf) I think I have it mostly covered... but things still sit...

OK, so, the Sephiroth Clones (that's what I've been led to belive they are) killed the other two Shin-Ra bodyguards, didn't they? The lead one drops their ID cards at Shin-Ra's feet. So, how is it possible they're still alive later? Phoenix Down?

Exactly how does the whole reunion thing work? As I understand it, it's something like...

Sephiroth was a normal human that got infused with Jenova cells while in the womb. This makes him... Sephiroth. He dies, but uses the Jenova corpse to kill a bunch of people (Aeris-kebabs, anyone?). They go to the crater, kill him, the end.

Next, Shin-Ra folks come to the crater to gather up some of his "residue". They meet the clone things. Where do the clone things come from?

Sometime around here, or shortly before, the Geostigma begins affecting all life in the world. This is linked with Jenova someway. So, Jenova's presence in the Lifestream has led the Lifestream to attack itself, like a virus.

Anyways, we have about an hour of cool and completely understandable action until we get to the forest scene and the kidnapping of the kiddies (the Children of the title, I assume, probably incorrectly).

OK, so, the kiddies all have the Geostigma. How do the clones ease this and get the kids under their spell? Is it because the clones have the essence of Jenova in them, and can thus ease the suffering? if they're so conneted with Jenova, why is it necessary to find Sephiroth's ooze for reunion? I figure the magic the kids have later is some materia-related trick.

OK, we're good for a while. Kids, yeah. Weird hound things, Ok. Big dragon-y summon, I can dig it.

OK, now we get to the last two big fights. Cloud attacks the loser with the sephir-semen and chases him around for a while. Better Red Than Dead says that the clone is some kind of larval Sephiroth, which sounds like it explains a lot, but really only reiterates some stuff and then doesn't make sense if you really think about it.

Sephiroth comes back to life after clone #1 drinks his essence. There follows now a battle, which is pretty sweet, with some seriously Star Wars level trashtalking tossed around, and then the big omnislash, then Sephiroth manages "I won't become a memory" before dissolving.

-Too much for my simple mind, but then, I'm a simple boy.

[DeathScythe]

SPOILERS!!!!!







OK, so, after about 6 months of conversations with a bunch of my nerd friends and research on Wikipedia's article on Sephiroth (lots of Kaballah stuf) I think I have it mostly covered... but things still sit...

OK, so, the Sephiroth Clones (that's what I've been led to belive they are) killed the other two Shin-Ra bodyguards, didn't they? The lead one drops their ID cards at Shin-Ra's feet. So, how is it possible they're still alive later? Phoenix Down?

Vincent save them. How, he doesn't explain. Just that he found Tsung and Elena being tortured by the Trio and he healed them. in the subs I have, it just mentioned torture and not death.

Exactly how does the whole reunion thing work? As I understand it, it's something like...

Sephiroth was a normal human that got infused with Jenova cells while in the womb. This makes him... Sephiroth. He dies, but uses the Jenova corpse to kill a bunch of people (Aeris-kebabs, anyone?). They go to the crater, kill him, the end.

Is
Next, Shin-Ra folks come to the crater to gather up some of his "residue". They meet the clone things. Where do the clone things come from?

I don't think it was ever truly explained, but my rationale is that all three are different aspects of Sephiroth's personality created from the Jenova poisoned lifestream. A case of Geostimga gone the whole nine yards so to speak. Perhaps even created by the lifestream itself, so that Sephiroth could be defeated once and for all?

Sometime around here, or shortly before, the Geostigma begins affecting all life in the world. This is linked with Jenova someway. So, Jenova's presence in the Lifestream has led the Lifestream to attack itself, like a virus.

Jenova cells were absorbed into the LifeStream during the final battle. It's poisioned the Life Stream and is eating away at it. As it eats and destroys the life stream, it of course, begins to show in people. Ultimately, it's revealed that this is Sephiroth's plan. To poision the Life Stream and kill the Earth so he may use it as a space ship to travel to the next planet, just like Jenova did, since he can control the Jenova cells(Like how he killed Aerith with them).

Anyways, we have about an hour of cool and completely understandable action until we get to the forest scene and the kidnapping of the kiddies (the Children of the title, I assume, probably incorrectly).

Yup, you assume correctly


OK, so, the kiddies all have the Geostigma. How do the clones ease this and get the kids under their spell? Is it because the clones have the essence of Jenova in them, and can thus ease the suffering? if they're so conneted with Jenova, why is it necessary to find Sephiroth's ooze for reunion? I figure the magic the kids have later is some materia-related trick.

I guess I shoulda explained this before. The ooze isn't Sephiroth. It's Jenova itself(or herself I suppose). Sephiroth was able to actually take the remains of Jenova with him in the game. The Turks were in the Northern Crater searching for Jenova's remains. The little box is all they found of it, the rest of it being absorbed into the Life Stream to poision it.

Kadaj ultimately "possesses" the kids, uniting with them through the Geostigma they have, sorta collecting all the remnant Jenova cells together. He needs them for the Reunion to work. If he didn't have the kids, he wouldn't have turned into Sephiroth.


OK, we're good for a while. Kids, yeah. Weird hound things, Ok. Big dragon-y summon, I can dig it.

You must respect the Bahamut!

OK, now we get to the last two big fights. Cloud attacks the loser with the sephir-semen and chases him around for a while. Better Red Than Dead says that the clone is some kind of larval Sephiroth, which sounds like it explains a lot, but really only reiterates some stuff and then doesn't make sense if you really think about it.

See above

Sephiroth comes back to life after clone #1 drinks his essence. There follows now a battle, which is pretty sweet, with some seriously Star Wars level trashtalking tossed around, and then the big omnislash, then Sephiroth manages "I won't become a memory" before dissolving.

Kadaj completes the reunion with Jenova and presto, Sephiroth lives again. Of course, he's more powerful, having been connected with all of Jenova's Remnant Thought(the cells that have poisioned the life stream) and ultimately, it's Cloud's realization that he has to fight to have a chance to save those he loves that allows him to pull the Omnislash off. By defeating Sephiroth, he's destroyed the major part of Jenova's Remnant Thought and this allows Aerith and the Life Stream to absorb and destroy the remaining Cells, curing all the Geostigma, including Kadaj, Loz and Yazoo, allowing them to ultimately become one with the Life Stream

-Too much for my simple mind, but then, I'm a simple boy.

I'm a creative boy, so while I have NO idea if it's right, that's how I understood it as.

[Jarl]

So, Sephiroth's gone for good? 'Cause if he is, his last line suddenly loses some flavor.

-The rest sounds good to me. But that idea that the Lifestream created them as an instrument of Sephi's demise... that's harshly and delightfully twisted.

[DeathScythe]

Now we will finally see if I was right.


Square-Enix finally did something right today, by issuing a press release confiming an April 25, 2006 North Americian release date.


DVD BONUS FEATURES INCLUDE
# Story Digest
# Deleted Scenes
# "Making Of" Featurette
# FINAL FANTASY VII: Advent Children Venice Film Festival Footage
# "Sneak Peek" of the Upcoming FINAL FANTASY VII Games


Also it's been confirmed that Steve Burton (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0123733/) will reprise his role as Cloud Strife(whom he played(will play) in the Kingdom Hearts series) Rachael Leigh Cook (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000337/)(She's all that, Josie and the *****cats) will play Tifa Lockheart and Aerith Gainsborough will be voiced by Mena Suvari (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002546/) (American Beauty, Rumor Has It)


Looking good so far!

[Minion]

Blasted Gundam-humping Tony Danza beat me to it by...umm....4 hours.
.
.
.
Screw you, I hate to work! :wink:

Anyway, I want to know why it is that Square-Enix is so damned good when it comes to producing English voice casts? I mean, just look at the cast of the English Kingdom Hearts II game (though my money says that Disney threw in a few dollars here and there as well).

I'm always pleased to see professionals getting involved in these sorts of things instead of them just being rushed out the door for a quick buck.

Minion: Can wait until April....he is too busy with school to even breath let-alone watch this movie in English.

[DeathScythe]

It's ok, Wave. Work hates you too. ;-)


According to 1up.com, the entire voice cast was also released by Square Enix. Keep in mind, 1up is the only site to post this cast list, so if this is the final list, there's one notable change. Michelle Ruff, who previously said she would be playing Elena of the Turks has apparently been recast. but who is "girl"?


Cloud Strife: Steve Burton (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0123733/)
Tifa Lockhart: Rachael Leigh Cook (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000337/)
Kadaj: Steve Staley (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0134269/)
Rufus Shinra: Wally Wingert (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0935042/)
Reno: Quinton Flynn (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0283594/)
Rude: Crispin Freeman (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0293342/)
Yazoo: Dave Wittenberg (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1043186/)
Loz: Fred Tatasciore (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0851317/)
Vincent Valentine: Steve Blum (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0089710/)
Barett Wallace: Beau Billingslea (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0082507/)
Cid Highwind: Chris Edgerly (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0249283/)
Yuffie Kisaragi: Christy Romano (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005579/)
Cait Sith: Gregg Ellis
Red XIII: Liam O'Brien (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1240448/)
Reeve: Jamieson Price (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0528936/)
Tseng: Ryun Yu (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0950554/)
Elena: Bettina Bush (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0079354/)
Marlene: Wallace Grace Rolek
Denzel: Benjamin Bryan (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1510046/)
Girl: Andrea Bowen (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0100792/)
Zack: Rick Gomez (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0327078/)
Aerith Gainsborough: Mena Suvari (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002546/)
Sephiroth: George Newbern (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0627624/)

[bakamatsu]

@DeathScythe, so, you played the game and got knights of the round table too? hehehe... you are right about almost everything, IMO.

[DeathScythe]

Yup. I like Knights of the Round Table. and thanks Bak. It's nice to see that there are times my overactive imagination can be useful.


unfortunately, my greatest sin is I have not actually defeated Sephiroth. :o but shh... don't tell anybody.


PS Welcome!

-Lord Scythe-
(will probably never live this down, thanks to that soulless Moderator now...)

[Spike the Vampire]

Picked this up today, it was pretty good. Never actually played the game, but the story seemed good.

[DeathScythe]

Hey it's Spikey! :D

I can't believe you've never played FF7. :(

I picked it up too. I'm thinking maybe I'll post my thoughts on the DVD at some point. If I don't feel too lazy.

-Lord Scythe-

[Immortal1982]

If you want, watch the Reflections feature on Disc 1. It provides a 20 minute Dry run of FF7 and the events leading up to Advent Childrens opening.

Nice features, and i do gotta say, The english voices provide one of the best dubs i've ever heard. I like Mena Suvari as Aerith, just as the kind and gentle, with even one humorus moment at the end of the film.

A solid DVD, and not bad for 15$.