Ryan Shoots First: Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV
Final Fantasy maintains over all of the years to be one of the most celebrated and popular entertainment franchises in the world. Perhaps what allows it to stay so evergreen is its ability to reinvent itself and stretch across mediums. Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV continues that tradition by taking us deeper and providing some context to the events of the game. The two however are completely independent and you can enjoy this film on it’s own without playing the game or any in the series quite frankly.
The movie takes place in the fantasy magical kingdom of Lucis which is home to a sacred crystal that with the assistance of the King protects the city from their greatest threat Nifheim. The king commands an elite force of soldiers that are called the Kingsglaive. In this group is where we meet our main character Nyx who is voiced by Aaron Paul. Much can be said for the star power in the film with the voices of Game of Thrones alumni Sean Bean playing the King and Lena Headey playing the Princess Lunafreya. They do something awkward to the voices in post to where they do not sound 100% like their actors but there are moments where the ticks and inflections are recognizable. Odd choice but still an impressive cast. Nyx is the outsider who works his way up the ranks through sheer will and determination but never loses track of what got him there, which in a world of aristocrats and nobles can be grating. Still he has his rag tag group that are loyal to him and keep him centered anchored by his lovable oaf Libertus. What starts as an opportunity for peace in this endless war quickly turns into intrigue and mystery as a greater plan is discovered by Nyx and his team.
The film is visibly stunning as you come to expect from any Final Fantasy medium, if you like to watch cut scenes from video games but hate the whole gameplay part this film may be for you. One thing many of the different Final Fantasy timelines have done well is the world building, mixing high fantasy with a modern twist. In this world you may see giant statues of Kings past sitting outside a large cathedral of stone that looks straight out of Tolkein Lore only to enter the city center and see cargo vans, crosswalks and digital billboards on skyscrapers. This blend of Fantasy Modern is such a cool look and ads to the visible splendor of the movie. I also very much enjoy when Japanese entertainment whether it be Anime or Video games pull from a medieval European aesthetic. It is a popular avenue in many animes and it always has this post imperial feel that the creators are getting out about the western influence on Feudal Japan but also a weird romanticizing of the period. The movie is also not short on action, with a 2 hour runtime you are never far from a particle effect infused CGI fight with monsters, robot soldiers and magical warp fighters. The Kinsglaive themselves all have this warping ability where they can throw a boomerang type dagger and then warp to wherever the dagger is which allows for some truly creative fights and action set pieces as they use this ability in creative ways. It can be daunting to take on at first seeing the XV on the box and some of the names and houses but if you hang in there it is a pretty straight forward story anyone can latch onto without needing any previous education. However, if you were a fan of the game this is really an essential viewing as it takes place at the same time and really presents itself as a companion to what was going on back home during the time of the game. If you’re a fan of anime or even just really well done animation Kingsglaive is worth the time for you.
