Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV review by Bobby Blakey

Through the years there have been not only various of the Final Fantasy game series, but also TV and film adaptations with it showing no signs of slowing with the release of the latest film Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV featuring the voice cast of Aaron Paul, Lena Headey, and Sean Bean. Could this film offer up another great adaptation of the popular game or will it be a war not getting invested in?
Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV follows the magical kingdom of Lucis that is the home to the hallowed Crystal, but the menacing empire of Niflheim will stop at nothing to make it theirs. King Regis of Lucis commands an elite force of soldiers dubbed the Kingsglaive. Wielding their king's magic, Nyx Ulric and his fellow glaives stand before the crown city of Insomnia, fighting to stay the inexorable advance of Niflheim's imperial army. As the war of wills rages, the machinations of Niflheim transform Insomnia into an awe-inspiring battleground it pulls Nyx into a struggle for the very survival of the kingdom. I am not one that has kept up or even played any of the Final Fantasy games, but have always marveled at the trailers that advertised them. I remember seeing their first feature film Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within back in 2001, but it wasn’t anything that really stood out with me. Going into their latest film I had low expectations just because I was afraid that I would have no idea what was going on with so many games and films past, but to my surprise it ended up being pretty cool. The story isn’t overly complicated and likely has things that are going to mean a lot more to fans of the game series, but as an outsider I was still able to jump right into the fun.
Visually the film is stunning with tons of great imagery and character designs that fully realize this world. They waste not time getting the action going right from the start and hardly letting up until the very end. There is still plenty of story to keep it moving, but this is a full on action piece all the way. Seeing these warriors in action is awesome, especially when they throw their blades that teleport them to its location. This effect alone is worth seeing the action here, but there is so much eye candy to enjoy it is amazing we haven’t gotten more films like this. Where it does struggle a bit is the voice cast. They aren’t bad in performance, but not all feel like they match with the actual character.
In the end whether you are a fan of the series or not this film manages to really offer up some awesome action that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. I can only assume that fans of the game series will be drooling to see this world come to life once again in all its glory. Be sure to check out the film opening in limited release on August 19th at AMC Valley View Mall and AMC Parks at Arlington and then hits Digital on August 30th.