Kingsglaive Final Fantasy XV [Blu-ray]

DVD Wholesale Quick Overview:

Let me make this as clear as possible: If you’re a Final Fantasy fan, are excited for Final Fantasy XV, and plan to play the game whenever it releases (with hope, in our lifetimes), this is the movie you definitely need to see to get hyped for it. Critics who have been watching this movie have no idea about the lore or the work and story behind the characters the cast in Kingsglaive are related to, making it difficult for them to follow it (or want to).

However, having watched this with non-Final Fantasy fans, also gamers, who had their interests piqued with this movie, I can safely say that this is a great introduction into the lore of FFXV, the Kingdom of Lucis, and the starring characters that we will eventually encounter in the videogame. The movie requires more than one watch to actually grasp- and the dialogue dub for english is hurt by some of the words being mumbled, but hopefully, the subtitles should help there. While the main cast is your typical everyman’s soldier, a princess and an ailing king for a fantasy tale, they’re all memorable and beautifully animated. The lush and crisp CG will leave you looking around everywhere, and the lore behind the abilities of the Kingsglaive members is both powerful and beautiful to watch in execution.

Lena Headey is wonderful as Luna’s voice, bringing a lot of personality to who could have easily been a typical pure princess damsel-in-distress character, but the real showstealers are Sean Bean as King Regis and Darin De Paul as Ardyn Izunia, who deliver powerful performances filled with character, and bring all their characters to life for the short while they’re shown. While the story ultimately circles around Nyx Ulric, the lead “hero” of the ‘Glaive, it doesn’t entirely linger on him or bore us with exposition about him. There’s a lot left to consider and figure out, something that will likely benefit players of the upcoming game.

The rest of the members of the Glaive are all what one would expect, but they all shine with personalities worth recalling. The character designs veer away from Final Fantasy’s standard “anime” look, while maintaining a sweet blend and real world feel of anime and western action-fantasy. There are many Final Fantasy related easter eggs to be found, including a certain one that will make one recall a famous “seafood stew”, and many more for the keen-eyed (or keen-eared!).

Don’t listen to the critics, and yes, while the movie is far from perfect, it’s a fun and exciting ride throughout, just meant to be enjoyed as is and prep us all for Final Fantasy XV. Watch it to enjoy the work put into it, and to be introduced to the lore and world that we’ll eventually get to explore in the videogame, or if you don’t expect to play it, then enjoy creating your own with this lovely introduction into the universe of Eos and its fantasy, based on reality.

– Shiny Q

DVD Wholesale Main Features:

Actors: Aaron Paul, Lena Headey, Sean Bean
Directors: Takeshi Nozue
Producers: Koseo Ito, Larry Sparks, Shinji Hashimoto, Hajime Tabata
Format: AC-3, Animated, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: French, Portuguese, Malay, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Indonesian, Cantonese, Thai, Spanish, English
Dubbed: French, Portuguese, Thai, Spanish, Japanese
Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 2
Rated: PG-13 Parents Strongly Cautioned
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: October 4, 2016
Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2019
Run Time: 115 minutes
ASIN: B01H2RR7FO