To this film's credit, it has a number of dynamics between each character, which are explored a little, but this all still seems a little sterile and lacks any real punch. Stereotypes are found aplenty, from the flawless and svelte Dr Aki, to the quite likeable but disposable 'black guy' Ryan (voiced by Ving Rhames) - who really could have gone down in a bit more style. Ironically, where this movie triumphs also happens to be the paradox that lets the film down; how the makers had to use almost perfect flawless figures in this film makes you wonder, why they didn't make any 'regular looking folk'? If there was to be a really critical point made about the film, I would say that the eyes needed more expression, as looks between the characters at times look a little glazed. This could be the very reason the director chose to use subtle cut-away scenes or the more melodramatic face towards the camera with a back to the one talking .
Another serious point I would make is that the film probably makes a lot more sense in the eastern part of the world, but translates a little less sensibly to western audiences. This is none more evident than when the mysterious glowing orbs are described as 'warm' by the senior Doctor Sid (voiced by Donald Sutherland), which in Japanese culture (I'm reliably informed) means they're happy, good and content spirits.
There seems to be quite a bit of repetition used in this movie, whether it's for dramatic effect or if it was simply to help stretch out the the movie to a proper length from what could have been achieved in an animated short remains unclear. What is clear, however, is the meticulous lengths and money spent on individual things. At the time, the company paid $1-million to ensure the hair looked realistic on the main heroine and the artists gave Dr Sid age spots with dry skin on his balding head and face.
As you would expect from the first ever film completely made in CGI, there are some fantastic successes and a few short-comings. With everything considered, people should look kindly on this film as it is entirely fantasy (as the name even suggests), so the plot matters as much as it does in other PG movies (aka not a lot). To get the most from this film, suspend cynical reality and sense and slip yourself into 102 minutes of goodies versus baddies and the stuff in-between! I'm proud to admit this was the first ever DVD I purchased and still remains one I'd watch today.
- Has aged well, despite the advances in technology
- Some good action sequences
- Some tear-jerking moments
- Good actors help bring the CGI to life
- Fantastic looks and very realistic
- Has a fairly baffling plot
- Could have been done with more action
- Should have been better, given the budget/time spent
- Still no clearer what Gaia is, or just how Aki can save the world
- It makes (albeit not much) more sense thanks to the DVD commentary