FFVII: AC stands as the greatest videogame film ever made and could possibly do to movies what FFVII did for games.
For my review, since I am on Gamespot's review scale, I will adjust gameplay instead to acting and story. Graphics still represent artistic and technical achievements, sound still represents itself, and value still represents the feeling to watch it over again and possibly watch it one day in the distant future. As for reviewer's tilt, I'll adjust that to my opinion on what the film does for theme, motif, and overall storytelling. Let's begin.
VOICE ACTING/STORY
Advent Children gets off in a hurry. Within ten minutes, we've already introduced Kadaj's gang, who have for some reason surfaced from the Great North Cave to find Jenova and complete their "reunion." However, AC gets off too fast. The early narration by Marlene and the setup for the plot is all well constructed, but things get going too quickly to allow it to sink in. However, once the movie is finished, you hardly even notice. About 45 minutes to an hour in, everything else is a joyride of nostalgia. You're on the edge of your seat, completely immersed, and hanging on every word. Overall, the story is quite well done, with the theme of life showcasing the entire plotline. No scene really seems out of place and the timeline is very well constructed. It remains true to the FFVII universe and expands on its symbollic meaning in and of life. Deduction for the stumbling beginning, but no other complaints here. OVERALL 9/10
Now, on to voice acting. Obviously, many of us have already constructed a voice and a personal interpretation of what these characters sound like. Not to worry as every voice actor assigned fits the bill. Steve Burton handles Cloud very, very well and is matched by George Newburn's portrayal of the mighty Sephiroth. The two are as epic as they've ever been, now with voices. Rachel Leigh Cook as Tifa is spot-on, as well as Christy Carlson Romano as Yuffie, and even Mena Suvari stepped up her voice talents from her dreadful performance in KH2 to wonderfully craft Aerith. Kudos to all. The only complaint I have with voice-acting, and I fear that this had to happen, is the lip-synching. Since the film is made for the Japanese language, English sometimes doesn't fit the bill. It doesn't deduct from the overall potency, but it just seems awkward in some parts. Lines of dialogue, thankfully, aren't out of place and everything goes together well. It isn't perfect, but that is not at the fault of the actors. Mainly, it is due to technical incapability or corporate unwillingness to redo the lips for added cost. OVERALL.....9/10
CG QUALITY
What more can be said? FFVII:AC is the finest CG film to date and probably will continue to be for some time to come. All the minute detail and impossible camera angles are well-conceived, well-handled, and brilliantly executed. Realism is in for the CG industry and Advent Children is the film to usher that idea in. OVERALL.....10/10
SOUND
Now, all I can say is wow. Sound-mixing, editing, background music, surround sound capability, and sound effects are top of the line. If anything deserves an absolute perfect score, this is the category. Flawless in every sense of the word. OVERALL.....10/10
VALUE
Well, this might be a tidbit of a weakness. With a buttload of features, you can spend a few hours enjoying the extra commentaries, though it's the film itself I should be reviewing. Once you watch it once, you will probably want to watch it again. But how many times? Well, it depends on the person, but I don't think many of us would come home on a Friday night with a date (or with some buds) and say, "Hey, how about we watch Advent Children?" Even if you're all alone, it doesn't seem that enticing to watch over and over again. However, once it is in the machine, you won't want to skip a moment. Getting it in the machine, however, is going to be the tough part. OVERALL.....8/10
THEMES/UNIVERSE
Now, as I mentioned earlier, re-creating and expanding on the FFVII universe is a daunting task; anything out of place could spell instant disaster. However, everything works out very well. From setting design to chase scenes to battle scenes to story progression and character attributes, everything remains true and consistent with the original. I mean, how many of us would have thought to include Materia in the film adaptation of FFVII? That's how meticulous everything is. Every detail has had the maximum amount of attention and effort put into it. Just like FFVII, Advent Children ends but doesn't truly. When the film is over, you don't get up thinking "Wow, that was a cool movie." Instead, you feel as though this game hasn't ended (or in this case, film), but rather the movie has become a part of you. It's something that stays with you, even once it's over, making it seem as though it never really did end. Such is life, the lifestream, and Advent Children. OVERALL.....10/10
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or anything else you would like to bring to my attention, feel free to PM me with anything you have regarding...well, anything, but particularly this review. I strongly recommend anybody who's even remotely heard of FFVII to check out the film and would recommend a purchase. Thank you for your time and thank you Square-Enix for this wonderful film and wonderful game that you have given to all of us. Now, how about that remake... :)