Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is a film sequel to the Squaresoft game Final Fantasy VII. The film is also released on both DVD and Sony's UMD formats, and is set two years after the events of Final Fantasy VII. The movie was released April 25, 2006 in North America.

Story
Two years after the events of the game (Final Fantasy VII), a mysterious disease known as Geostigma begins infecting individuals around the world. Geostigma was caused at the end of the game by the infiltration of Jenova cells into the Lifestream that encircles the planet (Gaia). It is known that Jenova was a powerful being that attempted to take over the planet many centuries ago, and attempted to make the planet submit to its will. This mysterious disease makes many uncomfortably weak and drains them of their physical and mental power.

The film introduces the main protagonist, Cloud Strife, two years after defeating Sephiroth. Mentally crippled in thoughts about failing to rescue the woman he had loved, Aeris (or Aerith) in the game, Cloud becomes a delivery boy for his own company, Strife Delivery Service. Tifa Lockhart becomes the owner of a bar dubbed 7th Heaven. Still burdened with the thoughts of Aeris' death, Cloud becomes more and more isolated from the rest of humanity and secludes himself.

One day, while on a delivery, Cloud is attacked by three unknown individuals, the leader of which is Kadaj, with Yazoo and Loz. The three individuals attack him, and Cloud finds himself outmatched due to his emotional instability and the presence of Geostigma. Cloud then enters the Healin Lodge to see Rufus Shinra, leader of the Shinra Electric Power Company. It is evident that Rufus regretted aiding in the near-destruction of the planet, and invites Cloud to join his special division, the Turks. Cloud refuses the offer, but looks for answers to the three men who attacked him, from where he gets none.

It is found that Kadaj's gang are looking for the head of Jenova, whom they call "Mother". They are remnants of Sephiroth and carry his genes. If they are able to successfully take the Jenova Head, they can destroy the planet and continue to feed on the Lifestream, in what they call the Reunion. They also aim at defeating Cloud, who they believe have the head.

Kadaj and company enter shortly after Cloud makes an exit, and critically injures many of the Turks. Rufus tells him that he does not know much about "Mother" and lies in a crippled state, shrouded in a white hood and cloth and sitting on a wheelchair. Kadaj pities him and leaves, not knowing that Rufus has the head covered away on his lap, covered by the cloth and only acting out his wheelchair state. Loz then makes his way to Cloud's temporary home in Aeris' temple, where he defeats Tifa and steals Cloud's materia.

Kadaj and his comrades collect children with the Geostigma, taking them to the Forgotten Capital of the Ancients, in an attempt to have them show him where the head is located. Cloud attempts to rescue the children and fails, but the late arrival of Vincent Valentine halts Kadaj's onslaught. Vincent warns Cloud that if Kadaj succeeds in his Reunion the result may be the return of Sephiroth. He also reveals that Geostigma is the result of one's body working excessively to fight off an infection brought on by Jenova's lingering presence within the Lifestream. After stabilizing his emotional self, Cloud agrees to face Kadaj in direct battle at Edge.

Kadaj then attempts to cause disorder in the populace by wreaking havoc with monsters and the Bahamut SIN in the city centre. During this chaos, many of Final Fantasy VII's party members re-emerge and fight the Bahamut SIN. While overlooking these events in a nearby building, Rufus reveals to Kadaj that he has been in possession of the head of Jenova all along, tossing the box containing it from the edge of the building. Kadaj dives after the box and recovers it, although Rufus manages to crack the box slightly by shooting it with a pistol. Rufus himself survives the fall when Elena and Tseng launch nets to catch him. Before Kadaj can celebrate his good fortune, he spots Cloud in hot pursuit of him. An intense motorcycle chase carries them into the ruins of Midgar, but not after Reno and Rude use two ingenious timebombs to appear to kill Yazoo and Loz.

Cloud catches up to Kadaj and engage in a heated duel, where Cloud is able to cause some damage to the head of Jenova. They then return to Aerith's old church where Kadaj sees the extent of the damage to "Mother" and lets out an anguished scream before Cloud arrives. They confront each other and Cloud is injured critically by a blast from Kadaj's materia. Kadaj unknowingly destroys the flowerbed and releases an outflow of seemingly Lifestream-infused water(Aerith's Level 4 limit "Great Gospel") which heals Cloud's Geostigma and confuses Kadaj, who flees to the Old Shinra Building.

Compelled by Aerith's voice, Cloud faces Kadaj and defeats him decisively. He leaves Kadaj hanging off the brink of the Shinra building, but Kadaj distracts Cloud by throwing the box containing Jenova's head into the air and catching it, showing Cloud the Reunion. Kadaj begins to transform as Cloud sees his error and attacks. Before the impact, Cloud is stopped in midair by the abruptly revealed Masamune in the hands of a fully regenerated Sephiroth, cueing the entrance of the new One Winged Angel music that determines the rearrival of Sephiroth. Sephiroth reveals that once those who die from the Geostigma return to the Lifestream, he will be able to control it. Sephiroth also reveals that he plans to use the planet as a vessel as he travels space until he finds a new planet where he can start a bright new future.

An intense one-on-one battle follows across Midgar, destroying large sections of the ruins in the process. Sephiroth critically injures Cloud's sword arm after launching Cloud into a wall and stabbing him. Asking Cloud whatever he cherishes and that he would take it away, Cloud eventually gains a burst of strength and confidence from thinking of everything he holds dear, and recovers into fighting stance. Cloud then attacks Sephiroth in mid-air with his strongest Limit Break, separating his First Tsurugi sword into six fragments and using them to kill Sephiroth.

Sephiroth dissipates, leaving Kadaj's severely weakened body behind. Aerith's spirit begins to pour healing rain across Edge, curing everyone of their Geostigma. Speaking softly to Kadaj, who now lies dying, Aerith tells him to be at rest. Believing Aerith's voice to be that of his "mother," he complies and is joyfully taken by the Lifestream.

Cloud is shot through the back by Yazoo's blade-gun. He and Loz survived the timebombs, but are now slowly succumbing to the healing rain as well. Yazoo and Loz then use their Materia- filled arms to cause incredible damage and explosion, attempting to die together. Cloud appears surrounded by a white light. Aerith and Zack, Cloud's old mentor, claims that he is not ready to enter the Lifestream yet, and sends him back into the old church.

Cloud is then awakened by children holding on to him in the pool of Lifestream-infused water in the church. After a moment, Cloud demonstrates the healing powers of the water pooled in the church by curing Denzel of his Geostigma, and then the remainder of the afflicted children, in a baptismal-like ceremony. He then looks up and sees Aerith crouching by some other children. As she stands and walks to the doorway, she turns back to assure Cloud that he's all right now, and then steps into a white light with Zack. Cloud smiles and agrees, stating that he is not alone anymore.

Production

 * Director: Tetsuya Nomura
 * Co-Director: Takeshi Nozue
 * Producers: Yoshinori Kitase, Shinji Hashimoto
 * Scenario Writer: Kazushige Nojima (Stellavista)
 * Music Composer: Nobuo Uematsu (SMILE Please)
 * Art Director: Yusuke Naora
 * Mechanical & Creature Designer: Takayuki Takeya

Motion Actors

 * Akihiko Kikuma
 * Isamu Tachihara
 * Jun Ishii
 * Mayuko Aoki
 * Masakazu Morita
 * Tesshin Murata
 * Yukiko Nakamura

Battle Motion Actors

 * Kenji Arai
 * Masahiro Watanabe
 * Miwa Hashiguchi
 * Riichi