[General Discussion] FFVII Compilation Thread

I wanted to be the one to make the new thread, but my validation e-mail took a while. This really should be in media center you know, it's a movie after all.

The only thing I request is that you post "No Spoilers" on the thread title, and then make an "Advent Children Discussion Thread (Spoilers)" to accompany it. Anyway....

So I’m sure everyone knows by now that AC has finally been given an official release date. With the news quickly posted on Square’s page, things are finally set in stone for an April 25 release.

Hopefully.

And what were my thoughts during the announcement? Mostly good, but there were some mixed feelings as well. What can I say, I’m jet lagged after so much waiting, and so far the details have not confirmed any US bonuses that would serve as a sort of apology for the long wait. The running time remains the same, along with the extras of the Japanese release, and no mention of Last Order anywhere. Personally, I believe LO will still be included, as a pre-order bonus if nothing else, but I’m not going to dwell on that until the release nears. Standard edition or not, at least we finally have a date.

What I do want to dwell on though are the asshole remarks thrown around the web upon announcement of the news, especially the ones in gamesarefun. Okay, so you downloaded the movie and watched it until it got old. Good for you, but how about a bit of courtesy for those of us who decided to wait it out? No, of course not, it’s FFVII; it’s popular, and thus must be bashed.

I just don’t get why these people have to constantly state that the movie sucked. Do they really think that’s going to keep the rest of us from watching it anyway?

But enough of that, I’m replying to offer my opinions about the official cast list for the English release. If there’s one thing I can say positively, is that Square scrounged up a very good set of VA’s for the roles in this movie. I don’t have any qualms about any of them, and I’m sure they’ll do a bang-up job. I’ll refrain from commenting about Cook or Suvari, as both of them have samples from their KH2 roles online. Impressions about both will go in the KH2 thread.

Kadaj: Steve Staley

Staley is currently playing River in IGPX. This is pretty funny, as while hearing River’s voice, I kept thinking he would be a good fit for KH or some other Square game (it helped that he was the antagonist for Haley Joel Osmend’s character). He’s going to be a great Kadaj.

Wheelchair Guy (play along): Wally Wingert

This was one of the first VA’s listed, but now he’s confirmed. I only know him as Maximo, but I think he’ll do fine.

Reno: Quinton Flynn

Ha ha ha, Raiden. Raiden is Reno. Too funny. He’ll also do a good job regardless.

Rude: Crispin Freeman

Now this is a big surprise. I’m glad Freeman is playing SOMEONE, but Rude? I have no idea what to expect, since he’s never played a black character. But it’s Freeman, so he’ll be awesome no matter what.

Yazoo: Dave Wittenberg

Allen, from Xenosaga. He’s played plenty of arrogant bad boys before (the dude who lost his arm in Samurai Champloo), so it’ll be an easy job.

Loz: Fred Tatasciore

Played the Hulk in the latest Ultimate Avengers DVD. Having watched that recently, I can confirm that Loz is going to be fun to listen to.

Vincent Valentine: Steve Blum

Another surprise. I always thought Blum would make a good Reno, but Vincent? Blum has played plenty of dark characters before, but he usually uses the same voice for all of them. The exception would be Wolf’s Rain’s Darcia though. If he uses his Darcia voice for Vincent, it could work. I really wanted Freeman to do Vincent though.

Barett Wallace: Beau Billingslea

Amazing. Cowboy Bebop’s Jet. I would’ve never thought of that. And yet it’s a perfect fit for Barret.

Cid Highwind: Chris Edgerly

Also listed way back. I only know him as the hippo from Harvey Birdman.

”Did you get that thing I sent ya?”

Cait Sith: Gregg Ellis

I did a search on imdb, but this guy has been in nothing whatsoever, so I can’t comment.

Red XIII: Liam O'Brien

The only role I’ve seen this guy in is Joachim from Castlevania: Lament of Innocence. I had a feeling they’d get Red to sound like Blanca from Shadow Hearts 2. Most people thought a Sean Connery type voice would’ve worked, but considering Red’s age, something younger would be more appropriate. This will work.

Reeve: Jamieson Price

The mission announcer guy from Ace Combat 5. It’s a lot deeper than I imagined for Reeve, but it’ll fit.

Tseng: Ryun Yu

I didn’t know Tseng had a speaking role in this movie. And an asian is playing him? This will be interesting.

Elena: Bettina Bush

Sadly, this isn’t Last Exile’s Tatiana, as was listed way back. Too bad, that would’ve been a good voice for Elena. As for this VA, she played Rainbow Brite, which I did watch when I was younger (don’t laugh, I saw plenty of He-Man, Thundercats, GI Joe and Transformers too), but I’m still not sure how she’ll do.

Marlene: Wallace Grace Rolek

Didn’t see Nausicaa, so I don’t know.

Denzel: Benjamin Bryan

Ditto for Denzel, but I’m glad they actually got a young boy to play him, instead of a female VA trying to sound like a boy.

Girl: Andrea Bowen

………

Zack: Rick Gomez

Says he was in Sin City (!), but also played Gippal from FFX-2. I really wanted Johnny Yong to play Zack, but Gippal shared the same youthful optimism that Zack had, so he’ll work too.

Sephiroth: George Newbern

Now here’s the biggest surprise of the bunch. Justice League’s Superman as Seph himself. I never would’ve imagined. He also played FFX-2’s Nooj, but that doesn’t help either in picturing Newbern as Sephiroth. He’s never played a bad guy before. But, I have confidence in his talents, so I can’t wait to hear how he handles Sephiroth. It beats Lance Bass any day.

And that’s that. Believe it or not, I’ve thought little of AC lately. I suppose knowing that it’s finally coming helps ease things. I still have a lot of frustration to air out before then, though, especially if it’s true that the reason for the delays was the failed attempts to acquire Mandy Moore in reprising Aerith.

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Yeah, I forgot about that as well. That Kefka statue in particular looks very nice. I'm also hearing rumors of a Kadaj and Cid figure being made, the former making sense if they're working on his bike. I hope this is the case.

I also wanted to ask you, Simo, about the US Cloud figurine (the one with the good head). I'm browsing around online, trying to find a good deal on the Cloud w/Fenrir package, but I want to make sure that I'm ordering the US edition and not the Japanese one. Is there a seriel number or lettering on the packaging that I could look up to confirm that I'm purchasing the right Cloud? Also, if you find a link that sells it for less than $60, I'd like to see that as well.

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(Lets hope SOLDIER doesn't get back too soon, or he'll hijack this thread like the other one)

Come on, I don't remember hijacking the old thread, aside from responding to the constant "why don't you download it" whines. Regardless, I have little to say about the movie now until it comes out. Anything I plan to say before the release will most likely be on my journal anyway (release date rants). I'm not even sure if I'll review it when it comes out.

Double Post:

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Oh, and since when did the airship from FFX actually have a name?

I thought the same thing. I also thought it was a really stupid name.

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Nah, it's cool, I'm aware I went overboard. That's what happens when you delay it for six months. ><

You're right, I think it was called the Celsius. Maybe that's the NA name (much better, as always). They need to make a model of FFVI's airship anyway, it always was my favorite (has that classic feel to it as well as looking cool).

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Okay, thanks. Yeah, even the ones that are $50 end up 60 after $10 shipping. I'm not sure if the price will go down if I wait a while, or the toy will only get scarce.

I've also seen a few japanese auctions on custom figures, like the previously posted Cloud with the swiss army type sword, or with shades. There was also a Tifa with an improved face, with her hair cropped up and her eyes adjusted, and a Sephiroth with a KH-style black wing. I'd like to try and buy the custom sword pieces if anything else.

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The Celsius was the airship in FFX-2. =O

Darn, I knew that. I guess the FFX one was never named in the game.

How ya doing, buddy?

Ragnarok was indeed mentioned in the game.

Quote:

Esthar Airstation: This is Esthar Airstation.

Squall: (It's...)

Esthar Airstation: Ragnarok, do you read? Ragnarok, do you read!?

Squall: (...a radio signal.)

Esthar Airstation: This is Airstation. Do you copy?

Rinoa hugs Squall's back.

Squall: This ship is the Ragnarok?

Esthar Airstation: Whoa! Is this really the Ragnarok? You're in space,
right?

Squall: Yeah but, I have no idea where we are.

Esthar Airstation: Roger that! We can track you from here.

Squall: (We can go home...?)

Esthar Airstation: Ragnarok... It's been 17 years!

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Gotta say that I'm really looking forward to hearing how George Newburn will present Sephiroth. Perhaps Superman with a more devious voice? He played the ultimate good guy in JL, and now he's going to be the ultimate bad guy in AC, this should be very interesting.

Well, he did play Justice Lord Superman (an alternate Supes that wasn't afraid to burn Lex Luthor alive), but that Supes wasn't actually devious, just angrier. About the only other evidence of his villainous voice was when Nooj was momentarily possessed in FFX-2, but that was too brief to get a feel. Basically, I have no idea how he'll sound, but I certainly hope he pulls it off.

Do you know any sites that might sell just the custom swords? If I could pick them up for only $10 or so, I definetley would buy them as additions for Cloud (if I ever buy him).

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

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I dunno, I kinda having doubts on a FFXII Play Arts line, as so far all the FF Play Arts figures have been from games where Tetsuya Nomura had been the character designer.

They have Play Arts for Dragon Quest VIII.

I'd love for some KHII Play Arts figures myself.

FELIPE NO

A pathetically small list, but at least they changed that ugly red border.

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Especially since it was stated that Nomura was spending day and night in his CG studio working on the US version. Well, there's still a shot that there are some unlisted extra features, or that there's a limited edition that's yet to be announced. But honestly, there's very little they could actually add that would make up for the massive delay, and expect to read a journal rant from me later on.

On that note, we should be happy it at least has a solid release date.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

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Special Advent Children Screening in LA
Square-Enix and Sony Pictures will be holding a special one off screening at ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood on April 3rd. Although there will be no charge to attend the screening, tickets will only be available on a first come first served basis. Production staff are also expected to be in attendance.

-ac.net

The burning renmants of the original plan to show the movie in select theaters.

Fuck you, Square Enix.

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......I don't know how to feel about this. I could be optimistic and say there could be more bonus features not listed. After all, I doubt the VA interviews alone would take up 1.5 hours. But tossing in non-FF/non-SE trailers that nobody will care about is quite lame.

Guess we'll just see. I do not have AC on the brain, and I'm not going to until April nears us.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I thought the 2 disc DVD did have a commentary?

I'm still going to stay ignorant and not count Last Order out until it's absolutely confirmed not to be included.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Keep in mind that they don't always list every special feature when advertising a movie. There could be some things not listed, like the commentary track. And regarding Last Order, my hope is that it will be available as a bonus disc, possibly the third disc that was just announced. I have no doubts Last Order will reach the american shores eventually, but I'd prefer to have it sooner rather than later (as a pre-order bonus for Crisis Core).

But let's face it, I don't think there's anything that's going to make me forget about how long we've had to wait for this movie. It really does make me sick thinking about the repeated delays, and how it could all have been for nothing, if the paltry extras and unchanged running time are any indication. It really sucks how my enjoyment of the movie's debut might be hampered by my anger towards Square and/or Sony for the colossal fuckup they've done to us fans.

I was speaking idiomatically.

You could get that answer spending half that much in the actual game....

So is that third disc going to be shipped before the movie's release, or at the same time as the release? I'm hoping for the latter, as I'm certain there will be spoilers in some of those interviews.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

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I'm amused you completely miss the satire.

I didn't. I just wasn't that amused.

I'm pretty sure they've already confirmed that it will have english and japanese audio.

FELIPE NO

I thought I'd give some impressions of the VA's heard in Kingdom Hearts II, which will be featured in AC.

Cid: This one is going to stir up a LOT of debate. I always half-joked that they might end up giving one of the characters an accent, but I never expected they would actually do it. Cid now has a Texan accent, as generic as you can imagine it.

Keep in mind this isn't necessarily a bad thing, as they're just trying to create a little diversity with the character, just like when they gave Wakka his semi-jamaican accent. However, I don't know if a Texan accent works for this particular character. I always envisioned Cid as a gruff mechanic type. I don't see any room to include any Texan into him.

" 'Yall sit yer asses down, and drink yer goddamn tea, I tell ya what!"

The voice itself isn't bad, but again, I'm not sure if an accent is the right move or not. You spend 8+ years imaging how these characters would sound in your head, and when you finally get the chance, a controversial change occures.

Aerith: Suvari does not live up to the incredible work Mandy Moore established. She simply sounds too flat and devoid of life, as if she's trying to make Aerith into some soft-spoken type. I should have known she'd fail to grasp the character fully, considering in that MTV interview, all she would talk about was how she loved Aerith's clothes (while, in comparison, Racheal Leigh Cook seemed to have a much better grasp of what makes Tifa's character work. As such, I expect great things from her).

However, the whispy tone could work, considering the context of the movie (Aerith no doubt mostly talking as a ghostly, disembodied voice). Still, losing Moore and having this instead feels like a major blow.

Yuffie: For some odd reason, Christie Romano isn't in KH2, even though she was already confirmed for AC. I have no idea why she would star in one feature but not the other. That said, her replacement does a very good job as Yuffie, but I still favor Romano, who had a bit more subtlety, as well as a hint of Yuffie's trademark smugness. I just hope they decide on a permanent actress afterwards, considering Yuffie's role in DoC.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I haven't heard Burton yet, so I can't comment, but I have no doubts he'll do great. I still can't wait to hear more than 3 lines out of him though.

And I really, really can't wait to hear Newborn's take on Sephiroth.

Gah, now I have to decide if the bike is worth shelling out the extra cash, or just settle in with Cloud.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I really hope so. I'm more interested in how he'll handle Sephiroth than Suvari with Aerith. Her role, in the end, is minor after all, so if she still can't do a better job, it won't be too bad. But if they mess up Sephiroth, it will completely ruin the big battle we're all waiting for.

I'm also hoping Cook will do a great Tifa. While like I said, she sounds much more confident about the character than Suvari did, and the clip from MTV was favorable, I worry if she can pull off Tifa while she's fighting. I don't want any girly sounds while she's punching and kicking, she needs to sound aggresive and pissed.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

This is one of the worst April Fool's jokes ever.

http://www.adventchildren.net/ (top story)

Not only are they not even trying with the fake logo and non-nomura characters, but they advertise that it will be on a cellphone? Why would SE waste another title for the cellphone when they have like 4 major systems they haven't touched?

The worst thing is the fools at ac.net's forums actually believe it.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

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Advent Children LA Screening a Success!
According to several members of our forums who attended the LA screening of Advent Children, the event was a success. Fans lined up from 8am in the morning just to secure tickets for the event. Several of the voice acting cast was also in attendance along with Tetsuya Nomura. Although it has been reported that the voice acting is not lip-synched, most were impressed with the voices.

Well there you have it. Unless the DVD version is different, the lips won't be resynched. On the upside, it sounds like the dub was stellar, though I wonder if Suvari improves at all.

My excitement is rising again, now that the movie is less than 30 days away, but after reading about the lips remaining the same, I once again wonder that if nothing new was added or altered whatsoever, then why in the hell did it take America so long to get this? Expect a rant from me soon (not sure whether to keep it as a post or a journal).

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Reunion File and Compilation Scan
A magazine scan featuring an article on the Compilation as well as information on the Reunion File artbook has surfaced on the web. According to the scan, the artbook will contain the following:

- Interviews with Nomura, staff and cast
- Countdown To Reunion, following the film from the start of the project to its Japanese release and international going-ons
- Character File and Story Digest
- Stories from production, and concept images
- Shots from the original pilot film made by Visual Works which lead to AC
- Stuff from the staff and cast about the characters

I'm interested in the pilot images, to see if my theory holds true that "Case of Tifa" was the original movie they had planned, before it ended up being a short story.

Not sure what to make about that Vincent-type character, but I hear BC throws in a few new characters and questions to be addressed in the next compilation.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

The more I think about it, the more upset I get. If they haven't done a single damn thing to the film after 6+ months of delays, then the only other explanation is the rumor about Mandy Moore (as in, they were holding the movie back until she was available). I honestly want to strangle Moore right now, if she's responsible for the delay as well as the hack job replacement.

Even the date pisses me off. It's on the same month as the Silent Hill movie, and I'm still on Kingdom Hearts 2. Even the November date was fine, since there was nothing else to look forward to, but now it's hard to give AC my full attention.

Nothing about this sits right with me, even if the dub and everything else turns out fine. It's not worth the extra waiting and the complete smugness of people who downloaded it early, and now claim that "no one cares anymore". And if they plan to release a Blu Ray edition that DOES have resynched lips and a whole heap of new extras, my rage will know no bounds. Fuck that, I'm not accepting anything else FFVII-related unless it advances the story post-movie.

Or the PS3 remake. Either is fine.

EDIT: After finally meeting Cloud in KH2, and basically getting an FFVII cutscene rendered for PS2, I feel a bit better about the whole AC situation. If I got excited just from that short exchange, then I'm certain I'll forget all of my personal beefs with Square and their delays when the movie arrives.

Yeah, it was that good.

I was speaking idiomatically.

A few more details from the LA screening (I think I'll refrain from investigating further to avoid spoilers).

Cait Sith has a Scottish accent. I actually support this, as it beats the alternative (a generic cartoonish voice), as well as beating the accent he developed later in the game (country, much more than Cid). Also, if I recall, the spirit of Caith Sith comes from Scottish origin. So it works.

I'm hearing Red will have a British accent too (they must have read all the Sean Connery requests). Not sure if I approve of this, but he only gets one line.

There are no additions or changes whatsoever in the film.

"Zuru Zuru Zuru" (yes, I know what that is) has been changed to "'dilly dally shilly shally'". I can actually imagine the character saying something like that.

Mena Suvari does a better job here than in KH2 (but still isn't good enough).

Sephiroth reportedly sounds like a darker Cloud, to the point that he could probably play him. Intentional? I wonder.

The video and sound quality seems to have the highest definition possible.

While the lips haven't been changed, it's very hard to notice.

It seems to be unanimous that Tifa has the best overall voice, along with Kadaj and Reno.

And that's that.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Most fans want to see what happens after the game, too, especially considering the piss-poor ending. You can only take so many iterations of the same story (film, remake, etc) before you desire something new.

And Bambi II was a prequel.

FELIPE NO

Heck, I'm still wondering if Cait Sith is a robot, or a living creature? I was always a firm believer of the former, but that is some pretty realistic fur....

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

It's like I've been saying, the things they're trying with the FFVII series would qualify as "new" titles. Just because DoC features an FFVII character as the main lead doesn't really matter, it's still an original SE title. And I don't see how these titles are keeping Square from creating original titles, especially since the ideas are mostly coming from Nomura (and he's clearly good at multitasking if he's also working on FFXII).

I always attribute to the distate people have toward the Compilation down to two things.

1) Those who are jealous that their favorite Final Fantasy doesn't get the sequel treatment (FFVI, FFVIII, etc).

2) Those who feel the original FFVII was "perfect", and shouldn't have any new additions that might ruin the name.

I know it's not for everyone, but it's clear that there's a great deal of interest out there to see more of FFVII's story. And they have said that the Compilation won't run forever; there is a final story to wrap it all up.

Personal bias aside, this is the best idea Square has had in years. People worry that the multiple sequel route can get old, and it could, but constantly creating a different FF with a whole new cast and world to memorize can also grow old in itself. Sometimes a particular FF is worth revisiting, giving developers a chance to answer everything they couldn't in the first iteration. FFVII is one of those titles; there's still so much more to tell.

And EC was so obviously fake, I pity anyone who gave it more than a second glance. They already covered a cellphone story dealing with the time Cloud, Zack, and Sephiroth were still part of Shinra, there's no reason they would do another.

Jam it back in, in the dark.