FFVII: Advent Children dated

By Ellie Gibson Published 8 February, 2006

Coming to Europe in April.

Sony Pictures has announced that CGI feature film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children will be released in Europe this coming April.

Advent Children features the voices of Jessica Alba off of Fantastic Four, movie/pop starlet Mandy Moore and Steve Burton. Steve previously provided the voice of Cloud in Kingdom Hearts, and once appeared in an episode of Who's the Boss?.

The film is set two years after the events of FFVII and sees Cloud tasked with saving a load of kids from a deadly disease called Geostigma. Sephiroth's in it.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is out on DVD and UMD on April 24th, priced £19.99.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (49) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • terminalterror #1 6 years ago

    Will it make much difference if I haven't played through FF7?

    I'm tempted to at least rent it just to ogle at the CG.

  • captbirdseye #2 6 years ago

    nope. Film is pretty shit though not much better than spirits within.
    Edited by 1 at 08/02/06 @ 15:04

  • Flightrisker #3 6 years ago

    If your a fan of Final Fantasy then the film is fantastic. Pure fanservice, and in essence polar opposite of Spirits Within. Try to get a genjeral background knowledgde of the story of 7. You don't really need it, but it definaltey helps. Start here! http:/ /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_fantasy_vii

  • platinum #4 6 years ago

    can't say that i care after having been let down by it so much.
    »captbirdseye« is right, the movie kinda sucks. besides the shiny CG there isn't realy a lot to it – and i'm a die hard FF7 fan, mind you.
    i'll even be as bold as to say that i prefer Spirits Within! at least that one had a story!
    in Advent Children there realy isn't any. if you don't know the game chances are you won't get the story at all! or at least not the motivation of the characters…

    but hell,
    i'll probably end up buying it anyways…
    just for it artistic value!
    of course…

  • Freek #5 6 years ago

    The movie is primairely action but the story that is there is direct sequal to FF7. So if you just wanna watch some of the best CGI animation out there, you'll enjoy it. If you wanna try and understand it without the knowledge of the game you will hate it.

  • Dizzy #6 6 years ago

    >Cloud tasked with saving a load of kids from a deadly disease called Geostigma

    Who invents this shit?

  • Kami #7 6 years ago

    Sh*t or not, it's going to find it's way into my collection...

  • jcafarley #8 6 years ago

    The fanboys lap it up.

  • Taurus #9 6 years ago

    is it gonna have the original language?

    The rule of thumb is the dubs usually are not very good.

  • Zuiyo #10 6 years ago

    I'd buy this for 5 quid.

  • Scimarad #11 6 years ago

    Personally I thought FF:AC was a good laugh and will probably get it:-)

    Edit

    Just read the article properly and I'm glad the KH voice actors are being used but...I hope this doesn't extend to a certain other famous FF characters who appeared in KH:-(
    Edited by 1 at 08/02/06 @ 15:43

  • Pike #12 6 years ago

    Pretty CGI. Story was complete and utter wank. No idea if it would have beem better if I had played FFVII first though.

  • terminalterror #13 6 years ago

    Why does Spirits Within always get slated? I loved it. Sure, a fair bit of the dialogue was cheesy and the humans weren't quite right (although a damn sight better than most examples I can think of).

  • Kazzahdrane #14 6 years ago

    As for dubbing didn't I hear recently that we're getting the film so late because they're actually re-doing all the lip-synching so that it won't really be a dub after all?

    Also, I read "Jessica Alba" as "Jessica Simpson" and vomited my brain. Thankfully I was mistaken :D

  • abigsmurf #15 6 years ago

    http://www.ukanime.com/template2.php?page=news /news.php&prevnext=8

    pfft, old news.

    Still, FFVII:AC is pure fanservice. Great character models, great battles (with some admittedly sloppy camera work). Probably not something for anyone but FFVII fans though

  • Yazoo #16 6 years ago

    Woo :)

  • Daryoon #17 6 years ago

    Wonder who Jessica Alba's playing? Tifa I assume, though she's not the voice actor they have for KH2. Then again, reports are Mandy Moore isn't doing Aerith this time round either.

    I hope Lance Bass is Sephiroth again. He is a girly bloke, so a boy-band member is the perfect fit! Sephiroth would sound silly if they gave him a macho voice, given his looks!

    Have they got Mr T for Barrett? That would convince me to watch the movie again, even though I thought it was shit.

  • Firewine #18 6 years ago

    I hope Lance Bass is Sephiroth again

    According to IMDB, Paul Dobson is playing Sephiroth (he also voiced Folken in Escaflowne if that means anything).

  • jack_klugman #19 6 years ago

    Sephiroth is for nerds.

  • Bates #20 6 years ago

    I never played through half of FFVII, but I enjoyed this movie. It's true switch off your brain fun in classic Commando style. It's certainly better than any other video game movie I've ever seen, like that Doom bullshit. I saw that a few days ago, fuck me that was crap. Made me appreciate how much fun Advent Children was all the more.

  • rinoaMW #21 6 years ago

    well I think it finishes off and it fills in all the ambiguity of the ending to VII, very nicely..

    And If you've never played VII then its an all out action film..

    So either way you can't lose :)

    and @ Dizzy

    "Cloud tasked with saving a load of kids from a deadly disease called Geostigma

    Who invents this shit? "

    well GeoStigma was one of the main themes of the game so something tells me that they would have it in the film too....
    Edited by 3 at 08/02/06 @ 18:55

  • Daryoon #22 6 years ago

    According to IMDB

    According to the IMDB, Barry Chuckle could be Sephiroth. All you have to do is submit the information and they'll post it!

    well GeoStigma was one of the main themes of the game

    Eh, wha?

  • Firewine #23 6 years ago

    Daryoon: Yeah, I was aware of that ;) Also, I didn't mean for my post to sound so arrogant. I just thought it was worth posting (it didn't seem likely to be made up and I for one would be glad of any slightest hint that Lance Bass doesn't get the role).

  • Xerx3s #24 6 years ago

    Yawn. That film was even worse than the original. And that was a new low in filming.

  • Freek #25 6 years ago

    Major theme is over stating it a bitt, but it's there. You meet sick kids in the slums early on in the game. Later on you get to that tropical island with the special hospital on it, where Cloud ends up.
    It's more of a side thing but it's there.

  • AFX #26 6 years ago

    I'll be getting it. Althoguh when it comes to foreign films (specifically Japanese ones) I much prefer the original language with subtitles. Dubs are often terrible.

  • Zero_ #27 6 years ago

    I loved Final Fantasy VII. Hated this movie like this piece of gum on my carpet. Yes, that much.

    "well GeoStigma was one of the main themes of the game so something tells me that they would have it in the film too...."

    No it wasn't, and neither was flying (Sephiroth... well, I'm one of the people who think that's Jenova, but I won't get into that debate).
    Edited by 1 at 09/02/06 @ 07:13

  • Genji #28 6 years ago

    "If your a fan of Final Fantasy then the film is fantastic. Pure fanservice, and in essence polar opposite of Spirits Within."

    Then I probably wouldn't like it, given my admiration for Spirits Within.

  • SpaceKoala #29 6 years ago

    Advent Children is simple - it's like those cartoons from the 80s (you know Transformers. Thundercats, etc.).

    Who cares what the motivation behind any of the characters is?

    It's a pure action flick - they don't spend time filling in back story or breathing life into the characters. It's just a bunch of cool set-pieces strung together by some flimsy storyline, like any good action flick. Which is good.

  • Kafeen #30 6 years ago

    "well GeoStigma was one of the main themes of the game so something tells me that they would have it in the film too...."

    Have you ever played the game?

  • ElephantMonkey #31 6 years ago

    I don't believe this. I've preordered it a month ago from play.com which said it was going to be out the 20th of this month

  • Taurus #32 6 years ago

    I won't buy it then, if it will only have the dub in english.

    I consider the english soundtrack dub even if they are lip-synching the whole movie, i would have preferred they released it, like 6 months ago, with only the original soundtrack and english subtitles instead of this dub that will very probably suck.

  • rinoaMW #33 6 years ago

    @Kafeen and Dayoon and Zero

    Yes i have played the game - What do you think Mako Poisoning is? Geostigma is a form of Mako Poisoning - its an over-exposure to the lifestream (which now has Jenova's Cells in it, which got into the lifestream after the final battle in the Northern Crater at the end of VII)

    and they wern't flying, they were just falling (and jumping) with style :)


    EDIT: clarification :)
    Edited by 7 at 09/02/06 @ 15:17

  • theHypothetically #34 6 years ago

    Wow so much hate for what started as a gift to the long-time FF fans. Well, you asked for it, and you got it.

    Personally I thought it kicked a lot of arse. As a sequel to a video game of COURSE it was never going to win any awards or appeal to a mass audience, but I literally squeed in delight at several sequences and, yes, their is much fan service fun to be had.

    If you know very little or nothing of FF7's storyline or characters, don't even bother watching. If you do, at least have the courtesy not to slander the game, you ignorant twats.

    I do tend towards films which suck me out of reality and I can just completely chill out and absorb something other than walkaday life. This film delivers that in spades. Outstanding CGI and action sequences which put Hollywood to shame. (Incidentally, if someone mentions realism again so help me God I will ****ing bitchslap them to next Sunday.)

    Nobuo's soundtrack is implemented a little awkwardly at times but is nonetheless a fine representaiton and reinterpretaion of some of his works. The piece played during the final scenes is a typically beautiful Nobuo bittersweet farewell, and the slow build and cue into Cloud's first encounter with Kadaj's boys is something special. You will know then and there whether this movie is for you.

    Now if anyone would like to offer some REAL and constructive criticisms instead of the crap I'm wiping off my shoes having walked in here, I'd be happy to hear why you did or didn't enjoy it.

    Yes, identity is completely anonymous on the 'net, but stupidity is radiant (and rampant).

  • rinoaMW #35 6 years ago

    wow, that was a bit harsh TheHyperthetically... Even though some people might be a little clueless about the plot of VII, there hasn't been that much slander in here about AC. Most people have said that they liked the style and action, even if they didn't like the plot of it. But like you said it was made as a gift to us fans so there's bound to be that residual misunderstanding of it. There was also a little discussion about dub actors... thats all - chill dude ^^

    Edited by 1 at 09/02/06 @ 14:05

  • Daryoon #36 6 years ago

    I've played FFVII through several times. I think it's a decent game, though there are certainly JRPGs I easily prefer. The film was, however, a badly written and horribly expensive fanfic, and I think it's a damn shame that FFVII has now been reduced to fanservice over content.

  • theHypothetically #37 6 years ago

    :D Oh, my post wasn;t meant to be harsh. On the contrary I was just feeling enthusiastic about supporting a film I love. I guess I ended a tad strong, but in my defence there _were_ some dumb comments earlier on. Such as...

    “Film is pretty shit.” & “Who invents this shit?”

    Pretty self-explainatory. Purely subjective, without any critical substance, and inflamatory at best.

    “Story was complete and utter wank. No idea if it would have beem better if I had played FFVII first though.”

    So this one wasn’t even familiar with the game. Not exactly the best person to critique the plot.

    “Yawn. That film was even worse than the original. And that was a new low in filming.”

    The original? I assume he means the game, but then goes on to refer to that attempt as a new low in _filming_. Does he perhaps mean Spirits Within? Again, doesn’t sound like they know what they’re talking about.

    So yeah, I'm just tired of seeing films in general trash talked, and summed up in a single crass sentence at that.

    I'm a little surprised to be honest. The posters at Eurogamer are generally far more well-behaved than those at other sites.

  • rinoaMW #38 6 years ago

    actully i guess you're right - my love for the film blinded me against the harsher comments - leaving me to respond to the ones in direct reply of my original post :)

    at least theres a few of us that liked the film :)

  • Drakron #39 6 years ago


    Pretty self-explainatory. Purely subjective, without any critical substance, and inflamatory at best.


    Opinions are subjective.


    So this one wasn’t even familiar with the game. Not exactly the best person to critique the plot.


    And neither am I ... in fact I holded the choice of buying the PC version but pass because I disliked the graphics and general artwork.

    But if they are making a movie its for who?

    The people that played the game about 8 years ago or people that never seen it?

    If its the first choice then its pure fan service ...


    The original? I assume he means the game, but then goes on to refer to that attempt as a new low in _filming_. Does he perhaps mean Spirits Within? Again, doesn’t sound like they know what they’re talking about.


    I own the FF:SW DVD ... I watched it when it come out and as I listen to the commentaries it became clear the flaws the FF:SW had.

    No direction in anything and more a huge tech demo that anything else.

    As for being worst that the game ... well that is a taken since you CANNOT shove a 40 hours game into 1.30 hours movie.

    Also I know that originaly it was FFVII:AC was intended to just run 30 minutes and serve as a tech demo of sorts ... until Squarenix realized how popular it was and ...


    So yeah, I'm just tired of seeing films in general trash talked, and summed up in a single crass sentence at that.


    Films in general sould be trash talked, most of then are pure mindless crap that god only knows how that was autorized in the first place (unless its from a certain german director, we know why they were).


    I'm a little surprised to be honest. The posters at Eurogamer are generally far more well-behaved than those at other sites.


    Ah but you see Square fanboys are anoying, FF VII are even worst that regular fanboys.

    Being on PAL region its kinda hard to be much supportive to a company that pretty much ignored us in relation to certain titles (true, they are no "Europe?" Nanco) so we suffer less form "Squarenix-o-fanboy-ish-o-damn" and this is not Euroimporter yet.

    FF VII:AC invokes my wrath because of 3 reasons.

    1) FF VII fanboys.
    2) A clear case of pure fanservice.
    3) The downfall of Square that instead of making inovative titles and leading by example turn into one of their too well known titles and started to milk all that they can from it since it seens anyone creative is no longer in their ranks.

  • tengu #40 6 years ago

    Fuck me, a movie created as a celebration of a well loved video game is fanservice, what are the odds?

    I really enjoyed AC myself. It wasn't challenging, yeah, but it was more fun than most movies I've seen this past year, that's for sure, and isn't that the point of movies, to entertain?

    Oh, and theHypothetically, I hope you stick around, you sound like the sort of guy this forum needs more of, especially these days.

  • theHypothetically #41 6 years ago

    “Opinions are subjective.”

    Yes, and there’s more than way to state an opinion. Here it was just base drivel.

    “But if they are making a movie its for who? The people that played the game about 8 years ago or people that never seen it? If its the first choice then its pure fan service...”

    It’s already been stated that the project was carried forward primarily as a gift to the fans. However, of _course_ SE wants to make as much money out of it as they can, so it’s marketed as more than that.

    “I own the FF:SW DVD ... I watched it when it come out and as I listen to the commentaries it became clear the flaws the FF:SW had.”

    And FF:SW within has nothing to do with AC. In your first post you make it sound like AC is a sequel. It’s nothing of the sort. The stories don’t even exist in the same universe.

    “No direction in anything and more a huge tech demo that anything else.”

    There was a story, period. If you couldn’t understand or be bothered to follow it, that’s not my problem.

    “As for being worst that the game ... well that is a taken since you CANNOT shove a 40 hours game into 1.30 hours movie.”

    People inherently invest a lot more emotion into video games as they control the characters and become personally involved with the world and story. The movie was in no way intended to replace the game, but expand on the experience. Again, if people expected the same experience from a movie than from a game… well, what can I say?

    “Films in general sould be trash talked, most of then are pure mindless crap that god only knows how that was autorized in the first place (unless its from a certain german director, we know why they were).”

    Hey I enjoy a good trash talking. I’ve been known to rent out videos purely for the experience. (AvP and RE2 come to mind). The difference is I have a laugh with my friends, and not in public or a message board where I expect my jabs become insults to people who did enjoy the film. There’s nothing wrong with acting civil. I have no issues with people attacking a film, but if they don’t provide reasoning and simply act like trolls, don’t expect me to respect their opinion.

    “Being on PAL region its kinda hard to be much supportive to a company…”

    I’m PAL, I live in Australia. I’m disappointed by wait times and the absence of many games I looked forward to, but in the end they’re just games. I got over it.

    “FF VII:AC invokes my wrath because of 3 reasons.
    1) FF VII fanboys.
    2) A clear case of pure fanservice.
    3) The downfall of Square that instead of making inovative titles and leading by example turn into one of their too well known titles and started to milk all that they can from it since it seens anyone creative is no longer in their ranks.”

    1) Cool reasoning. You hate the fans so you hate the product.
    2) As previously stated, such was the intent. And this I don’t get. Fans of game- and comic- to movie conversion everywhere are clamouring and pleading with developers and studios to honour the fans and not give into wide public appeal by “Hollywoodising” the product. Here SE has created something almost entirely fan-oriented, and everyone is causing a stink. Just another example of the hypocritical nature of human beings.
    3) SE wants to make money. Their shareholders, want them to make money. In this they are little different to any other company on earth. Personally, I still enjoy the games that I’ve played (and I’m by no means a hardcore collector or player) and I enjoyed AC. For those who didn’t and were disappointed, maybe it’s time to move on and stop trying to convince everyone that everything is crap now.

  • Drakron #42 6 years ago

    I made the comment that Sony would be happy with a PSP conversion of FF VII.

    My issue is this, FF VII was created and completed 8 years ago ... eight years!

    There is no more room, FF titles always been a open-and-shut case and trying to build on it just leads to things as ... FF X-2 (eek).

    Yet FF VII fanboys want more ... they want FF VII-2 ... heck they want anything that is FF VII related, I know this movie likely sold that $250 piece of hardware called PSP.

    (I also know that DoA sold that piece of hardware called Xbox).

    Do I hate this ... no, its just a waste of time that could be spend of making a pre/sequel or either PE or CT/CC (heck, any other of their IP or creating a new one) or complete the FF XII already.

    So what you rather have ... Chrono "something" or FF VII "Yuffie's pony challange"?

    The fact people dont like this is because its a rather shameless cash in at the expense of FF VII fan(boy)s ... not that I do not mind the old saying "a fool and his money are soon parted" but it affects me in the sense others might start doing the same .... its not like Square created the concept anyway (Techno and DoA beach game anyone? ... and yes, its fun but pure and shameless fanservice) but I do think that game developers SOULD be game developers ... FF VII is GONE, it was eight years ago and its over and done with.

    Also the fact I do like it does not mean I have to keep my mouth shut about it ... I blasted FF X-2 in FF X-2 forums showing my concerned about the game and I have all the right to do so.

  • theHypothetically #43 6 years ago

    And again I must reiterate that I have no issue with the voicing of an oppinion. It is the manner in which you do it which I find indecent. We live in a society, and it never hurt anyone to show some manners and take into consideration the views of others.

    As per your oppinion that FFVII is too long-running, may I then assume you believe the James Bond movies should be canned, despite their box office? Perhaps DC and Marvel should retire their respective superheroes, many of which are many decades old.

    Eight years is too long you say? Why then go on to contradict yourself by declaring you're want for that ever-so-elusive CC/CT sequel? These games are closing in on the 7 year mark.

    No, here's the thing. The property is still wildly popular, despite a vocal minority trying to convonce everyone how crap it is. The products still sell (granted it doesn't hurt that the FF and SE logo is present). SE wants to make money, and so do its shareholders, and I would have thought anyone that had loved some part of that company would at least want to see it turn a profit and be able to go on producing games.

    FFX-2 made money. The problem arises when we compare it to other FF titles - it doesn't fit our expectations and thus we label it failed. However, it was still a good game when compared with the other 99.99% of titles out there.

    I also don't see anything wrong with fan-service. If it's not your cup of tea, don't buy into it, but don't scold others for taking pleasure in experiencing their cherished worlds in some new form.

    Conclusion. You're bitter that SE isn't catering to your wants, and slandering their other projects is the eaiest way to vocalise it.

    What I don't want to waste time with anymore: That I'm supressing your oppinion.

    Not only would I not want to do that, it is impossible for me to do so. Do not bring it up again. My issue was with the fashion in which certain individuals' viewpoints had been expressed.
    Edited by 1 at 12/02/06 @ 02:24

  • Drakron #44 6 years ago

    Actually yes, Bond is completly overdone (to the point its sick) and comic books have so many restarts its not even funny ... you must be a real fanatic to not outgrow then at some point.

    And dont you start with "they want to make money" because that leads to EA model that is simply not something we want to spread, unless you want shitty games "yearly update" based on a existing franchise (and EA model is starting to fall apart) ... perhaps you MISSED the part were I said Square was inovative and there is were Square got its name.

    FF X-2 sold a lot but it created with leftovers of FF X (FF X-3 was canned when they realized there was not enough for Rikku story and it was intregated into FF X-2) and it was incredible thin ... it was fanservice for FF X fangirls that wanted a happy ending.

    In fact FF X-2 costed something like 200,000 so they make a lot of money with it ... in terms of cost vs revenue its likely Square more succeseful title.

    I am not bitter about Squarenix ... I dont give a damn about japanese developers since they dont give a damn about PAL to start with, when we have a idiot that thinks relasing "Death By Degrees" is better that releasing "Xenosaga Ep.I" it says a lot at what they think of PAL market ...

  • tengu #45 6 years ago

    Ah, you're not bitter about Squenix, you're bitter about ALL Japanese developers then? Good for you. However, some of us actually enjoyed FFX-2. I don't care how cheap it was to make, if it's a fun game, what the fuck does it matter?

  • Daryoon #46 6 years ago

    Fuck me, a movie created as a celebration of a well loved video game is fanservice, what are the odds?

    Fanservice, especially of this type, is incredibly lazy. Instead of coming up with something interesting and new, they decided to rehash Cloud-vs-Sephiroth. They're saying AC "completes Cloud's story" ... well I'm sorry, but I thought the game did they pretty damn well myself!

    It would be like someone writing a sequel to Lord of the Rings, where Sauron comes back and we get him having a Matrix fight with King Aragorn, or something equally stupid. And oddly enough, people *have* written such things...we call them "fanfics", and in general they're awful and ruin the original story.

    But that's okay, because they're fan-made and not "canon". AC doesn't have this excuse, and I'm sure the inevitable FF7 remake will have story alterations abound in order to make it fit in with all the spin-offs.

  • tengu #47 6 years ago

    I can't see the FFVII remake ever happening myself tbh, but if it did, I can't really see what they'd need to change to accomodate the spin offs.
    Edited by 1 at 12/02/06 @ 22:43

  • Daryoon #48 6 years ago

    They've already changed events as it is, with the anime version of the Sephiroth-Goes-Insane flashback.

  • tengu #49 6 years ago

    Well, for anyone interested, here's the complete voice cast for AC:

    Final Fantasy VII Advent Children voice cast:
    Cloud Strife: Steve Burton
    Tifa Lockhart: Rachael Leigh Cook
    Kadaj: Steve Staley
    Rufus Shinra: Wally Wingert
    Reno: Quinton Flynn
    Rude: Crispin Freeman
    Yazoo: Dave Wittenberg
    Loz: Fred Tatasciore
    Vincent Valentine: Steve Blum
    Barett Wallace: Beau Billingslea
    Cid Highwind: Chris Edgerly
    Yuffie Kisaragi: Christy Romano
    Cait Sith: Gregg Ellis
    Red XIII: Liam O'Brien
    Reeve: Jamieson Price
    Tseng: Ryun Yu
    Elena: Bettina Bush
    Marlene: Wallace Grace Rolek
    Denzel: Benjamin Bryan
    Girl: Andrea Bowen
    Zack: Rick Gomez
    Aerith Gainsborough: Mena Suvari
    Sephiroth: George Newbern

    Interesting that they've dumped Lance Bass in favour of George "Superman" Newbern. Be interesting to see how that works out.

    Now Eurogamer, care to tell us where you got the idea that Jessica Alba was going to be in this?