New York Times
"...The visual effects are wondrous..." 07/11/2001 p.E1USA Today
"...A visual marvel....The emotional kick wouldn't be much stronger were it populated with people..." 07/11/2001 p.7D Variety
"...Visually impressive....[The] voicing is solid down the line....[The film] evinces a craftsmanlike fastidiousness throughout all levels of production..." 07/09/2001 p.20 Entertainment Weekly
"...A mesmerizing technical achievement....These computer-created characters represent a cinematic art of the future....It's a great wow..." 07/20/2001 p.42 Rolling Stone
"...The film exerts a hold..." 08/02/2001 p.70 Sight and Sound
"...Those being inducted to FINAL FANTASY through THE SPIRITS WITHIN will marvel at the technical expertise of game-producer-turned-director Hironobu Sakaguchi..." 09/01/2001 p.42-3 Total Film
"...Sci-fi fans and programmers will find it hard to contain their glee as battleships explode in vibrant shades of orange and red....The alien phantoms, luminous and ethereal, are both beautiful and terrifying..." 09/01/2001 p.88-9 Ultimate DVD
4 stars out of 5 -- "This was a groundbreaking movie that triumphantly unveiled realistic virtual humans..." 04/01/2008 p.64 Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10
...In reviewing a movie like this, I am torn between its craft elements and its story. The story is nuts-and-bolts space opera... But the look of the film is revolutionary. Final Fantasy is a technical milestone, like the first talkies or 3-D movies. You want to see it whether you care about aliens or space cannons. It exists in a category of its own, the first citizen of the new world of cyberfilm. - Roger Ebert
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