Review of Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV (2016) by Ra C — 20 Nov 2016

Kingsglaive hits the bullseye, but on the wrong targets. Visually the movie is a masterpiece. They've managed a new level of realism in character expressions and animation, the fights are amazingly well done compared to Advent Children. The characters actually have characterization that I'm not used to seeing from a Final Fantasy flick. Each one has a distinct personality. They each move and emote differently, at least where the main characters are concerned. When it's a secondary character involved you can actually see the lack of detail on them compared to the main cast. Hairstyles are punk and fun. The outfits are nuts, but isn't that part of it's charm? I have a problem with the movie once it starts to focus on Lucis' princess (Lena Headey) and once I found out Prince Noctis was going to be the protagonist for the game proper, I was all but done with this Final Fantasy installment. They finally give us characters with visual and emotional grit and imperfection and we genuinely CARE about some of these characters and respect or empathize with their motivations. Only to reveal that none of this will carry over into the game. We're to be saddled with, again, the same waify, cliched jrpg characters that we pray will actually be taken apart by their enemies and shown for just how frail and useless they are.

I loved the movie: script was SOLID, even if the plot was a bit vague. Characters had genuine flesh on their literal and emotional bones, and the world building done with the architecture, backstory and landscapes was awesome.

And then they left the fate of world in the hands of a rediculously conspicuous waif in a blindingly white and silver dress, when she was supposed to be slipping out of the city incognito. *headdesk* I swear the Japanese are trying to make me go bald...