I wasn't bemoaning the lack of cutscenes, I was bemoaning the lack of dialogue between main characters (not the NPCs though, that was good). Honestly, in your next playthrough, count how many lines of dialogue there is between Mt. Bur Omisace and Archades.

I'll spare you the trouble. The only meaningful dialogue is as you enter the Phon Coast. And what about the Sandsea (Boredomsea)?

That is truly irritating. By the time I got to Archades, I had completely forgotten the awesome scenes at Mt Bur-Omisace. And that is another issue I have with the game. There are only three moments that make you go WOW! The first is the game's opening, the second is the events at Mt. Bur-Omisace (this includes the events simultaneously occuring in Archades) and the final one, the boss battle at the top of the Pharos. When I play a FF, I want to be WOWED! I want to be amazed. And with XII, I felt that it was good, but not excellent.