‘Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV’ is an exciting, occasionally incoherent spectacle

When it comes to feature films, “Final Fantasy” has been sort of a clunker. “Spirits Within” was a joke, while the otherwise visually mesmerizing “Advent Children” failed to win over the average moviegoer, thanks to an unintelligible plot and soulless characters.

As for the game series itself, its popularity has waned over the years. Perhaps it’s because its core audience has grown up, and are already beyond the concerns of vapid, obscenely good-looking teenagers. Or maybe recent games have simply poured more effort into style over substance.

But all that’s about to change! “Final Fantasy XV” is on the way, and it looks knock-your-socks-off amazing. In development limbo for ten thousand years, “XV” finally showed us its sexy chops back at E3 2013. And boy, have we been salivating since.

To prepare us for “XV,” Square Enix has given us “Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV.” Set in the “XV” universe, this CG-animated film depicts characters and events crucial to the game’s story. Fans should be thrilled. But does it offer anything of value to non-fans?

We’re not in Kansas anymore

“Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV” takes place in Eos, where the magical kingdom of Lucis finds itself struggling for survival. The technologically superior Niflheim empire, you see, is busy gobbling up neighboring nations, and Lucis is next on the menu.

Lucis spends over a decade fending off Niflheim’s invading hordes. On the frontlines are the Kingsglaive, an elite force of soldiers wielding powerful magic bestowed upon them by King Regis Lucis Caelum CXIII himself. But all this warring has weakened Regis. Fearing for his people’s future, he agrees to an armistice when it is offered by Niflheim’s imperial chancellor, Ardyn Izunia. The catch is that Lucis has to surrender a bunch of territory to Niflheim. Secondly, Regis’ son, Noctis, has to tie the knot with Lady Lunafreya of Tenebrae. Seems a little unfair, but what else would you expect when you’re making a deal with a smarmy, fedora-wearing douchebag like Ardyn?

Things, of course, are not as simple as they appear, and Nyx Ulric, the leader of the Kingsglaive, finds himself dealing with dangerous, unexpected turns of events.

Drop dead gorgeous

Let’s get one thing out of the way: The movie looks drop dead gorgeous. The setting, Eos, is an odd mixture of the contemporary world, science fiction, and medieval fantasy. You’d think such an obnoxious combination wouldn’t work, but all the aesthetic elements meld incredibly well to create something unique and enchanting.

Both manmade and natural structures come alive with detail, color, light, and shadow. You can almost feel the cool, gentle sprinkles from cascading waterfalls, taste the bitter smoke of war on your tongue, and smell the product on Nyx’s fabulous hair.

“Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV” is very gritty for a “Final Fantasy”; characters sweat, bleed, sustain horrible wounds, and get covered in filth. It helps cultivate a sense of danger when your heroes aren’t wide-eyed mannequins and plastic supermodels like those found in the games. Everything is so realistic you’ll sometimes forget you’re watching a movie generated entirely by computers.

The special effects and animations are just as spectacular. Humans not only appear but also move with incredible realism—even when they’re defying the laws of physics with magic. The lip syncing is good, but every once in a while someone will move their lips a tad stiffly, breaking the illusion. Thankfully, this doesn’t happen often enough to detract from the experience.

Speaking of magic, the movie is chockfull of people performing special moves taken straight out of video games. There’s one in particular that the Kingsglaive seem fond of using, a cool technique that involves throwing a dagger, then teleporting to wherever it ends up. It’s flashy yet deadly, and a lot of fun to watch.

Needless to say, the action scenes are a thing of beauty. “Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV” throws everything at you, from swordfights, to automobile destruction, to full-on magical showdowns, to an honest-to-goodness kaiju battle. The monsters are as grotesque as they are a joy to behold, and include series staples such as Cerberus and the mighty Behemoth.

The final battle drags on for a bit, though, its ridiculousness exacerbated by the major players, who seem to see a fight to the death as an opportunity to exchange pseudo-philosophical claptrap.

Occasionally incoherent

While the movie’s story is nothing special, its pacing is great. The build-up to the day of the peace treaty signing is particularly strong; the suspense will keep you guessing, and worrying that things will turn out exactly as you feared they would.

The story isn’t as incoherent as you’d expect from “Final Fantasy.” You’ll still encounter a couple of head scratchers along the way, especially if this is your first taste of the series. If you don’t want to get lost, it’s a good idea to have some basic “Final Fantasy” knowledge, not to mention know the movie’s premise, before watching.

Also, familiarize yourself with the names of the characters and factions, because by God, does this film shove a whole crapload of proper nouns down your throat. It helps little that most of the names are the kind you won’t remember after your first handshake. Are those supposed to Latin names? Germanic? Viking? Who cares? They all sound daft.

It also pays to keep in mind that while this movie is a self-contained tale, it is meant to be an accompaniment to the video game. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll be able to forgive its many unresolved plot threads and that awkward post-credits scene.

From the charismatic to the dull

The major leads do fine voice work. The charismatic Sean Bean brings gravitas to King Regis, demonstrating a weariness only a ruler who’s been fighting forever would know. As Lunafreya, “Game of Thrones’ ” Lena Headey exudes a quiet, elegant aura of fortitude and defiance. Nyx, voiced by “Breaking Bad’s” Aaron Paul, doesn’t sound at all like everyone’s favorite meth-snorting junkie. Paul tries to infuse Nyx with as much soul and charm as he can muster, and the result is commendable.

Sadly—though it’s nice to see a “Final Fantasy” protagonist who isn’t fresh out of a high school for a change—nothing can save poor Nyx from being quite a bore. He’s written as your stereotypical overly serious hero, the kind who couldn’t crack a smile to save his mother. Admittedly, he does get more interesting over time, so there’s that.

Unfortunately, the other characters barely get enough screen time, so their motivations are as clear as mud. It doesn’t help that a lot of their speaking lines are cheesy, making them sound like cartoons rather than real people. The generally poor characterization makes it hard to invest any emotions in them, so someone kicking the bucket is hardly any cause for alarm. Heck, I even found some of the deaths quite amusing.

We need more ‘XV’

“Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV” is a masterpiece of technology and visual art, boasting an exquisitely realized world and bombastic action scenes that make for compelling viewing.

But there are snags. While Bean, Headey, and Paul do a swell job with their characters, Nyx remains underwhelming as the main protagonist. The others lack proper development, and are therefore impossible to relate to. And if you’re a stranger to the series, the abundance of esoteric “Final Fantasy” concepts and silly names also makes the movie a challenge to follow.

Still, “Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV” is a visual treat from start to finish, with very few lulls between adrenaline-pumping fights and explosive set pieces. If you can appreciate it for what it is—action-packed eye candy—you’ll never get bored. Most importantly, it’ll make you want to play “Final Fantasy XV.”

If that is the entire reason for this film’s existence, then it has succeeded in its goal. — AT, GMA News