Final Fantasy - The Spirits Within

Japan's long-running computer-game franchise provides the bare, thematic bones for this 100-per-cent computer-animated movie, which was released hot on the heels of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Directed and co-written by the game's creator, Hironobu Sakaguchi, with new characters and story, the film follows the quest of brilliant young scientist Dr Aki Ross (voiced by ER's Ming-Na) to find a peaceful end to the ongoing war between mankind and invading “phantoms” in 2065. The goodies are Dr Sid (Donald Sutherland) and a military squad straight out of Aliens (including light relief Steve Buscemi); the baddie is hawkish General Hein (James Woods). The story is simple sci-fi stuff, even a little off-puttingly “touchy-feely” at times, but it's strong and intelligent enough to prevent the film from being merely an expensive ($140 million) exhibition match for the US-Japanese animators. That said, it's a truly state-of-the-art display — so realistic at times, you wonder why they animated it at all — although there's a rubbery quality to the human characters, who still can't mouth dialogue convincingly.

"...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..."