"Is it live action, or animated?" So begins Chicago Sun-Times movie critic Roger Ebert's preview of the upcoming Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, Square's feature film of the same name as its flagship game series. Ebert's article, entitled Not too hard on the eyes, emphasizes just how realistic and revolutionary the film's animation is, stating that "If their work is successful, you'll think you're looking at real human beings having adventures in the real world." The article goes on to restate some of the impressive technical information regarding the film's production.

Ebert also mentions that the success of the Final Fantasy movie may "challenge the reign of action stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and directors such as George Lucas." After all, as computer-generated characters become capable of looking and behaving as realistic as hollywood actors, it will eventually become quite simple to create digital versions of those actors.

Ebert's preview can be read here in its entirety. It is certainly worth checking out, whether you've been following RPGamer's coverage or just want to get up to date on the progress of the film. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is currently slated for release in theaters next July.