Review of Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV (2016) by Alex M — 30 Aug 2016

Beautifully crafted and well executed, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV is a refreshing burst of energy in an otherwise stagnant summer of 2016.

A lush and vibrant world sets the backdrop for the action setpieces, which are expertly choreographed and full of detail. In parts there is a bit of creativity overload, which can cause you to lose your mental mapping of the characters in a scene, but overall this is some of the best action in a film released in the past few years.

The plot seriously isn't as confusing as the critics seem to believe it is, and just by listening and watching the film you should have a clear understanding of what's going on. The names might be difficult for some to remember, such as Lunafreya, Nyx, Regis, Libertus, Drautus, Idolas Aldercapt, Ardyn Izunia or Genral Glauca, but if you're familiar with fantasy stories at all, such as Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, or even the Final Fantasy video game series, you shouldn't have any trouble.

The characters, while fairly standard cookie-cutter protagonists, are vessels for the plot and action to flow through and aren't the main focus of the film. A few exceptions are present however, such as king Regis, who was given more depth than I was expecting from a film like this, and remains thoroughly bad ass throughout the film, with Sean Bean providing the perfect voice for the character. Emperor Aldercapt was also great to watch, and has joyous banter with Regis on multiple occasions, with David Grant doing an excellent job voicing the character. Ardyn Izunia was a delight in every scene, and Darin De Paul clearly has great love for the character and voices him with such joy that you can't help but also fall for the charming devil. Lunafreya, while being a fairly typical headstrong princess type, was still proactive and not annoying, which is a huge trap that many of the princess-type characters fall in. Lena Heady also provides an amazing voice for her, and suited the age, appearance and character of Lunafreya.

And if you are a fan of the Final Fantasy games, there is a lot of fan service for you to enjoy, with a very special appearance from one particular lecherous octopus. I shan't say more.

Overall, this film is a lot of fun with some great action and a competent plot, and is a superb introduction to the world of Final Fantasy XV. (Just don't expect too see much in the way of our band of heroes from the game, but wait until after the credits for a very short scene).