Review of Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV (2016) by Brandon W — 09 Oct 2016

Definitely and instantly my favorite movie of the year!

Looks like this year of 2016 is a dawn of a new age for CGI films as I liked the present Marvel movies especially X-men: Apocalypse but the more I was amazed when I saw Final Fantasy XV: Kingsglaive.

Im not a big fan of the whole franchise (only the FFVII back then) and not a player of the game but I appreciate this film as it has the best graphics that I've ever seen.

With something this spectacular, one couldn't just give a down critic. So here's how I rate it: from 1 as the lowest to 10 as the highest or excellent.

Story: 7/10.

The title is Final Fantasy XV: KINGSGLAIVE for a reason. Since I have no background on the recent FF story, the first 12 minutes of the movie is kind of difficult to swallow but as the events go by, little by little, I begin to grasp the happenings. If you listen to the intro, most information you need to know is there. Maybe you just have to pay more attention to details to get it quickly at first glance. Yes, too much new is hard to absorb but this doesn't made me stop from watching the movie for I am an open minded person and likes fantasy to sci-fi movies. I was able to grasp the lore of Lord of the Rings in its first film, so it wouldn't be a problem for me in this film.

Going back to my first sentence, the story did justified the title of the movie. While we are introduced to new realms, it does focus on the King's soldiers called the Glaives who are known as outsiders of the Lucis Kingdom. At first I didn't know what the title means but thanks to the story, I get it.

After all, the main point of the story is to protect a kingdom from an invasion of an evil empire. That's it, but the other details were indeed complicated. Some people who are used to simple plots or spoon feeding or happy endings will definitely not appreciate the story.

The flaw I see here is, as most would say, it seemed rush. Everything is fast paced, maybe because they cut it short to fit in for the 2 hour limit if that's their goal. Maybe this is why, new comers have difficulty in taking in things the movie wants us to know. The only remedy here is by rewatching the movie over and over again to understand it fully.

Graphics: 10/10.

Perfect! Near to reality. I am truly marvelled by the scenery and the effects and all which helped me appreciate the happenings even more. Never have I watched a full CGI movie this realistic. If without its flaws like some unmatched lip syncing, one would think this was a live action movie with real actors on the set.

Every action scene is truly marvelous.

Characters: 9/10.

At first, I didn't know who the protagonist is. Haven't seen the trailer or read beforehand, but the events of the story after those first 12 minutes made me see who the main character is. Repeatedly, they spoke of his name which made him known. Nyx Ulric. Its up to your research on the correct spelling. I can say he wasn't eye-catching at first glance, however, the later events made him successfully shine out. At the end, he is justified as the 'hero' of the story which made me like him and eventually became a fan. Insert cool, awesome, handsome, and badass here to describe the character.

Moving on to the Princess, I'd say she is so perfect that she is impossible to exist in our real world or in our minds. This maybe the reason why some critic despise her character. Her perseverance to do her sworn duty made her reckless that she often makes sudden moves. This may sound stupid for some but looking over her acts in second thoughts, she did the right thing a feeble minded couldn't do. For example,*SPOILERS* if she haven't rushed to jump over the ship, she and Nyx wouldn't be able to save the King and the ring will be on Glauca's hands the moment they got in. Another thing is when she came out instead of hiding when Luche shot Nyx twice and kicked him to the ground. If she hadn't made herself a bait, Nyx would've died and the ring may fall to Glauca's hands then to Niflheim. If you were in the case of the Princess, would you rather run away without knowing where to go 'alone'? That's a more stupid thing to do.

Oh hail the great King Regis! I can see he is a wise and strong leader (but old, he admits that). While others see that he is a selfish one for running away and hiding behind the walls to protect his own royalty, his actions are for greater good. I'm with Nyx the first time I've seen the situation. It may seem a selfish act but eventually I came to understand why his decisions are like that and this.

Like why they resorted to trust the treaty when critics say it was obviously evil plotted. Again, second thinking is required before you criticize things. I've analyzed the situation right away. As said in the story repeatedly, the King is old, so are his comrades, that is why they took this treaty as a chance to settle the long war between two kingdoms. And if they haven't accepted it, more wars are to come and will eventually passed on to the next generations. More importantly, the ring must be passed to its rightful owner so the kingdom the people who lost their homes will be restored and they will be safe and sound.

Libertus is another supporting character that should be praised. While his decision to *SPOILERS* leave the Glaives and betray his kingdom were a no-no, he made it up for it in the near end of the story. Without him, Nyx's sacrifice will be all for nothing. Our hero couldn't do it alone so thanks to his best pal.

Crowe is one of my faves, not just she looks like a strong type, in personality, and she also got magical powers and beauty. Too bad, her role is short like the rest.

The death of good characters is the downside of this movie. Like some of them were wasted. As Libertus said, 'she deserved better', same with everyone else.

Replay: 10/10.

If you don't get everything the first time, the replaying the movie is a must.

Overall, I'd score this movie as 9/10.

Blind are those who only see the flaws in one movie.

While it has its downsides, I appreciate the beauty of the story and characters,and stunning graphics done to create such a treat. It doesn't have to be perfect to be called my favorite. It just have to be entertaining and relatable.