The Spirits Within was definitely a Moment in Time. I remember reading that Sakaguchi wanted the 'characters' to be digital actors; I think everyone involved saw the possibility of trout like lil miquela, kizuna ai, and even vocaloids before those things really became in vogue. Speaking of vogue, it's clear that the dream never died considering Final Fantasy XIII's Lightning modelled Louis Vuitton a few years ago.

I've watched a lot of like B-grade sci-fi flicks in the past 10 years and The Spirits Within sits among them as perfectly serviceable, enjoyable flicks that don't require too much effort to consume. I liked it enough to have watched it a few times and recommended it to some people who had similar tastes, but it certainly wasn't the kind of big hit that Square wanted. Can't fault them for having a crack, though.