Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV is a 2016 Japanese computer-animated science fantasy anime film directed by Takeshi Nozue, voice performances include Aaron Paul, Sean Bean, Lena Headey, David Gant, Darin De Paul, Trevor Devall, Adrian Bouchet, Liam Mulvey, and Alexa Kahn.  Based on the 2016 video game Final Fantasy XV, the film follows an elite guard called the Kingsglaive who must stop a sinister plot during a peace treaty signing between the two nations, Lucis and Niflheim.

Positives:

• Phenomenal visuals
• Beautifully crafted score
• Great characters
• Great voice performances
• Great cinematography
• Fast paced action

Negatives:

• Lackluster story
• Lackluster supporting cast

Plot:  This is probably where the film is the weakest.  The film follows this war between two factions and the peace agreement that the two agree to have, but is ultimately a lie.  And for as interesting as the setting and characters are the film doesn’t flesh the story out properly.  There is no unique twist outside of the predictable ones.  All in all, there isn’t as strong a compelling element to it as it could’ve been.  And despite the story being around the Kingsglaive it doesn’t feel like it’s around the ground, more like a personal story of the character Ulric. (3 out of 5)

Charactets: Nyx Ulric is a pretty cool character.  He’s tough, he’s smart, he’s skilled, but he also has vulnerabilities.  Lunafreya is a great female lead.  She’s graceful but is a strong character.  Even though she isn’t as skilled as the other characters she isn’t just a damsel in distress. Regis was pretty beast for an old man and his decisions which he was forced to make does say a lot about his character. Glauca was actually a pretty cool antagonist. There are other interesting characters such as Libertus, Crowe, Aldercapt, Izunia, Ravus, Drautos, and Lazarus but the film fails to give enough exposition on their lives or their position of the whole conflict. (3 out of 5)

Cast: The film is brilliantly cast.  The English cast includes Aaron Paul, Sean Bean, Lena Headey, David Gant, Trevor Devall, Liam Mulvey, Darin De Paul, and Adian Bouchet. The Japanese cast includes Go Ayano, Tsutomu Isobe, Shiori Kutsuna, Shozo Iizuka, Keiji Fujiwara, Yuichi Nakamura, Koichi Yamadera, and Mitsuaki Kanuka. (5 out of 5)

Visuals: Visually the movie looks spectacular.  Easily one of the best looking animated  films.  The cinematography was utilized really well with the motion capture.  The level of realism when it comes to the character design is unreal there are a lot of moments where it feels indistinguishable. (5 out of 5)

Score: The score is just brilliant.  The voice performances are not only good but are actually well cast.  The music is beautifully crafted.  There are instances of extreme emotion as well as great fast paced action. (4 out of 5)

Writing: The script overall is simple, though character do show complexities.  Takeshi Nozue gives good direction, especially at how grand the film feels.  The action sequences are pretty intense and can be chaotic at times to the point that it is hard to follow.  Ulric and Glauca’s ending fight was just hard to follow. (3 out of 5)

The Verdict: In the end, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV is a good film but not a compelling one.  Despite a lackluster story and supporting characters, the film features phenomenal visuals, great action, terrific voice performances, a great cast, and a good score.  Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV gets 4 out of 5.