It’s finally here.  After numerous delays, the US release of the highly anticipated Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is upon us.  The straight-to-DVD (and UMD) film, originally slated for a December 2005 release, will hit stores on April 25.

What better way to kick off the stateside release than a one-time, big-screen, high definition showing at the famous Arclight Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles?  That’s exactly what Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Square-Enix pulled off during a public premiere on Monday, April 3.  The evening began at 6:00 p.m. with the black carpet arrivals of celebrity attendees, including voice talents Rachael Leigh Cook, Mena Suvari and Steven Burton, along with the film’s producers, and famous director/character designer Tetsuya Nomura, who flew in from Japan.

Shortly thereafter, the dome began filling with fans, some of whom had arrived at 2:00 a.m. that morning to secure tickets.  An announcer introduced the film, and thanked everyone for attending, receiving shouts and applause from the audience.  She joked that most of the hardcore fans in the audience had probably already seen the Japanese version of the film, which brought shouts of “bootleggers!” from the VIP section of the dome.  The film opened with extended trailers of Kingdom Hearts II and Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus, both of which looked very promising. 

Having been in the works for several years, Advent Children takes place two years after the events of the original Playstation hit title Final Fantasy VII.  A mysterious disease called Geostigma is spreading through the slums of Midgar, and the cast of the game returns to investigate.  The hero, Cloud Strife, must battle new enemies while coming to terms with his troubled past.

While the film’s creators classify Advent Children as a drama, there is plenty of action to go around.  The visuals are absolutely stunning; the film is worth watching just to see how far CG animation has come over the years.  The voice actors perform well, and the music effectively sets the theme and tone of the film.  Despite the film’s roots in a series known for expansive storytelling, Advent Children manages to accomplish a lot in a “mere” 100 minutes, as the narrative is surprisingly focused and engaging.  I only wish Square-Enix had decided a number of years ago to release this film instead of their animated abomination, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.

After the film, the voice actors, producers, and Tetsuya Nomura were introduced to the audience, to much applause.  Ten lucky individuals sitting in certain seats received prizes, including PSP systems, PSP games, Advent Children calendars and an Advent Children pamphlet signed by Tetsuya Nomura.  All other attendees received a gift bag on the way out of the theatre, which included the Advent Children soundtrack and movie poster.

The screening was immediately followed up by an after-party, which was open to VIP attendees only.  The festivities featured plasma screens showing the same Kingdom Hearts II and Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerebrus trailers shown prior to the film, and blown-up images of an EGM Magazine feature of Advent Children. 

With the release of Advent Children later this month and a number of related game titles to be released later this year, Final Fantasy VII fans have a lot to look forward to.  If the excitement at the premiere is any indication of the success of Advent Children, Sony and Square-Enix should have a hit on their hands come April 25.