Mar 29th
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within**
US/Japan 2001. Columbia/Square USA. 106m. ws

In 2065 New York, the remaining humans on Earth fight for survival against an asteroid crater of alien "phantoms".
Billed at the time as the first 100% all-animated "photo realistic" feature film (with millions apparently spent on the heroine's hair - which conveniently never slips in front of her face), this visually stunning mixture of Alien and The War of the Worlds sticks to a few familiar cliches - Dystopian society, humans versus aliens, redneck generals, etc. - with a slightly baffling ending. It certainly earns marks for trying something new, but unluckily (or happily perhaps) it did not start a general trend. CGI films still need actors.

Written by: Al Reinert, Jeff Vintor, Jack Fletcher, Ramin Mebdy, from a story by Hironobu Sakaguchi, based on the computer game.
Producers: Chris Lee, Akio Sakai, Jun Aida.
Directors: Hironobu Sakaguchi, Moto Sakakibura.
Voices of: Ming-Na, Alec Baldwin, Donald Sutherland, James Woods, Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi, Peri Gilpin, Jean Simmons.
Photography: Moto Sakakibura.
Music: Elliot Goldenthal.
Production Design: Mauro Borrelli.