Why Didn't You Like Advent Children?!

[bipper]

Most of the criticism of Advent Children is made without the critic being fully aware of certain facets of the movie.

Perhaps the most important point is that AC is not merely a sequel; it's also a part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.

I really don't think I can go with this. The movie expands beyond the rights of even an epilouge and expands quite a bit on the story of seven. Therefore - it is a sequel. I do think it had a very deep plot, for what it was. Definatley not as deep as the longer final fantasy games.

Specifically, AC was meant to elucidate certain specifics regarding Cloud, Tifa, and Aeris, just as Dirge of Cerberus will help clarify matters pertaining to Vincent (and, who knows, maybe the other characters as well). The characterization of Cloud, Tifa, and Aeris was well executed, particularly if one has read Kazushige Nojima's novella On the Way to a Smile, which helps bridge FFVII and AC. Not only does On the Way to a Smile allow for much deeper insight into (and, by extension, a deeper appreciation for) the dynamics between Cloud and Tifa, it also does much to explain the otherwise "mysterious" character of Denzel. It also helps clarify the nature of Geostigma, although this still requires a certain amount of reasoning by the reader/viewer.

That is all great and all, but I think this all represents another negative in the whole direct sequals taking on many forms of media as the matrix did. I think it tends to screw things up quite a bit. I am not a huge fan of reading books for entertainment. I would agree if these mediums used were merely real compilations, but they usually find themselves story building.

Also, to clarify my earlier point. I agree that the main characters got a good solid base in the movie; but there were more characters introduced and revisited that should have recieved more of the spotlight. The jumpiness and scene translation really made the movies seem jumpy enough. That coupled with the lack of depth in several parts - really made the movie loose a lot of steam in my opinion.

As to the plot of the movie itself, its apparent simplicity is not necessarily a drawback. Rather, it assumes a very accurate understanding of the more complex plot elements of FFVII, and then builds upon them, creating a single episode resulting from the nature of Sephiroth's defeat at the end of the original game. Ignoring the sheer artisitc brilliance of the symbolism embedded within AC, the actual plot (while not overly extended) still challenges the viewer.


Of course, my saying this doesn't preclude anyone's still disliking the movie, or certain aspects of it. I would recommend, however, reading On the Way to a Smile; this novella can only enhance one's appreciation for the movie.

I do agree here. There was a ton of deeper meanings and a ton of symbolism in the whole mix. I did love this movie, but not as a movie. To me, it gets the respect of what should have been an extended version of final fantasy VII upon a rerelise or somthing. It seems to be more of a bit of bonus material in some aspects, like you had said. Then they try and strech it into a movie, it really looses a lot. I would say, to me, it seemed to stand out too much to be bonus material, and not enough to be a movie. Not Enitrly a complilation as it adds a lot of out of plot elements. Things that need not be mentioned to explain the story, or support the given explination.

Bipper