Hey and welcome back folks, well lets dive into this film. We start off when an opening narration of the planet Alcyone were two racial cultures (the Ceveans and the Storrians) have been at war with each other for centuries. This cause the planet to "defend itself" upon the warring races leaving most of the planet's populous nearly wiped out and the planet itself in ruin. But then the narration speaks of a Cevean priestess Amiel who helped other Ceaveans to build a great domed city on top of a giant robot god (the Ark). This Ark was meant for the all to leave the doomed planet and start anew however, the Storrians took control of the Ark and cast out the Ceaveans to the wastelands and Amiel mysteriously disappeared. Though the Storrians have claim the Ark of La'Dark they're unable to power and pilot it off the planet, so a century later they been in search for the missing Amiel and the Ark remains still. We cut to present day at the Ceavean wastelands where three Storrian soldiers investigate a cave which stores Ceavean children in hibernation pods. One of the soldiers Jallak (voiced by James Woods) recommends to call for support to transport the children back to La'Dark but the other two considered that it's a waste of resource. One of the two soldiers open fire on the Ceavean pods but Jallak intervenes and stops the soldier. The two of them fight as the soldier draws his gun but Jallak grabs hold and makes the soldier to shoot at the ceiling. Causing a Ceavean pod to fall on the soldier killing him instantly. The other soldier draws his gun on Jallak but he kicks the gun out of soldier's hand and draws his gun shooting the other soldier dead. A little later Jallak comes across a glowing Ceavean pod containing a little girl inside. Cut to 16 years later as we see the little girl grown up as Jallak's daughter Amarinth (voiced by Chiara Zanni). We see her displaying some bio electrical field which seems to affect machines and devices. This will be explained and come into play later trust me. We cut to a Storrian council as they discuss to the Storrian empress Cathebel (voiced of Tabitha St. Germain) of the dangers of the planet about to split in two. The empress is skeptical but will do anything to protect her people. Outside of La'Dark a battle is taking place, Ceavean rebels try to make their escape with a data disc. One of the rebels was carrying this disc but was shoot and killed by Storrian soldiers. They've obtain the disc and ordered by Jallak to take it to La'Dark. One of the surviving rebels Rogan (voiced by Kirby Morrow) tries to stop them but is immediately captured. Back at La'Dark Storrian scientists attempt make the Ark move but were unsuccessful, apparently the Storrians are trying to make the Ark leave the planet on its own power. But without Amiel to pilot the Ark they fail time and time again. On the streets of La'Dark, soldiers from the battle bring in Rogan but one of soldiers starts to torture him with gasoline. This gives Rogan the opportunity to set the gasoline ablaze, escaping from the soldiers and escape into the lower levels of the city. While that was going on, Amarinth is walking about as Rogan runs past her afterwards Jallak spots her on the street despite telling her not to be. Jallak and Amarinth have an argument until they're approached by Baramanda (voiced by Trevor Devall)....VILLAIN! I'm sorry had spoil that no offense to this film but this guy has the subtlety of David Patrick Kelly. It can't be helped when the guy looks a hell of a bit like Sephiroth if Sephiroth wore really silly robes and has long dark purplish hair. He is such an obvious villain he might as well have a sign over his head that says "Oh yeah I'm so gonna screw everyone over". Hell the guy has his own cyborg death bodyguards.
Anyway Baramanda shows Jallak that the data on the disc shows a general location of Amiel's remains and orders him to go investigate. At an interrogation chamber Baramanda tries to get info on where precisely Amiel's remains is located but the Ceavean prisoner refuses to answer. So Baramanda resorts to his cenobarbs (small creatures that can drain the life force from living beings). He throws a cenobarb at the prisoner and starts to feed; the prisoner tells him that Amiel's remains are at sanctum ruins. But the cenobarb continues to feed on him until he dies and apparently it's connected to Baramanda who in a way is draining the life force taking deep pleasure in doing so. Still not convinced he's the bad guy yet? At the sanctum ruins Jallak and his men discovered a Ceavean pod with Amiel inside who doesn't appear to be alive. Back at La'Dark Amarinth comes across Rogan who apparently was injured doing the escape. Amarinth offers Rogan to rest up at her place and he takes the offer. At her place they share their thoughts about the Ark and to Rogan's surprise that for a Storrian she cares for the Ceaveans. She's about patch up Rogan but he sees a photo and recognizes Jallak and immediately leaves her place. At the Ark core the scientists prep Amiel's body for initial testing but nothing happened. Empress Cathebel is angered by this and is tempted to have her council to execute an evacuation plan for the upper classes and the nobilities. But one of Storrian scientists Higgins (voiced by Jason Simpson) tells that there's another who's capable of piloting the Ark, Amiel's daughter. Baramanda speaks of Ceaveans hide their young in hibernation pods outside of La'Dark. Other scientists Anders (voiced by Fiona Hogan) suggest taking Amiel’s DNA and scanning the registered Ceavean slave girls for a match. Baramanda suggest scanning the Ceavean house maids and adoptive daughters as well. Jallak sensing that Amarinth could be the one and is in danger, he attempts to persuade Cathebel that it's all a waste of time. But unfortunately to no prevail, Cathebel orders the DNA scan search. The jig is up for Jallak when it's revealed that Amarinth is Amiel's daughter and is place under arrest. Baramanda arrives at Amarinth's place to collect her but is confronted by a dual gun wielding Rogan. Baramanda sends his two cyborg death bodyguards to attack Rogan but he eventually defeats them. Really Baramanda you couldn't brought along ten more of these guys, just thought that two would've been just fine? Ah oh well, Rogan grabs Amarinth and the two run away. Baramanda calls for some soldiers and war mechs to capture them but the two escape in a construction mech. Eventually they got away from the soldiers and made it to a forbidden area of the city. Amarinth is confused of what Baramanda said about being the daughter of Amiel but Rogan believes that she is the one. Rogan explains that she's meant to pilot the Ark and bring forth both the Ceaveans and the Storrians to a better world. But Amarinth is not so sure about this destiny of piloting La'Dark when Rogan corrects her with "it's not this Ark you have to pilot". More on that later. Amarinth and Rogan reached the city's underbelly to a Ceavean refuge; there it's revealed from an elder Ceavean about Amarinth's bloodline of ancient Ceavean priestesses. Amiel build the Arks from a science and technology passed to these priestesses by the gods. Building both Arks took all of Amiel's strength and went to sleep but never woke up again. But before then hid away Amarinth safely among the other Ceavean children and that she build the second Ark York in secret from the Storrians. Amarinth is the one in the bloodline destined to pilot York to a new world. Amarinth and Rogan received word from other refugees that Jallak is being publicly trial and soon after executed. The two arrived at the city square where the trial/execution is taking place; Amarinth decides to surrender herself Baramanda in order to save Jallak. Baramanda releases Jallak and takes Amarinth to the Ark core; however Baramanda gives the order to kill the slaves and Jallak. Outside Jallak and Rogan cause a distraction as they tell the Storrian people that Amiel has being found and is at the Ark core. Furthermore, one of the Storrian civilian tells that the council is planning to evacuate the upper classes and the nobilities and leave the underclass behind. This immediately causes the Storrian civilians to riot in the city square. Empress Cathebel tries to calm down the masses but is shot and killed from afar by a Storrian civilian.
As the riot continues, Jallak and Rogan attempt to sneak into the Ark core to rescue Amarinth. Back at the Ark core Baramanda set up Amarinth for Ark activation however, it appears that he has other plans. It turns out Baramanda wants Amarinth's power to pilot the Ark and bring the Storrians out the darkness instead of her. Anders protest this notation but is shot down by order of Barbamanda; wow you stay a douchebag long enough to level up from Sephiroth to Kefka that’s impressive. Baramanda reveals his cenobarb covered chest and begins draining Amarinth's life force; oh man I can just smell the Resident Evil jokes. Jallax and Rogan arrived at the Ark core and most of Baramanda's men and two of his cyborg death bodyguards. Now I say there's two of them because somehow there's a bit of continuity hiccup where after Baramanda finishes draining Amarinth a third cyborg death bodyguard appears out of nowhere. And then after Amarinth's blood starts a reaction that causes Amiel's body to disappear into a stream of energy, the third CDB is gone. OOPS! Amarinth soon recovers when La'Dark begins to become unstable. Amarinth and Rogan escape via escape pods while Jallak and his subordinate Piriel (voiced by Kathleen Barr) stay behind to stop the Ark before the city is destroy. A little bit later Baramanda reappears looking like he's been infected with T-Virus enters the sarcophagus and takes control of the Ark. Jallak contacts Higgins asking how to stop the Ark, Higgins infos him about a self-destruct mechanism at the cranial control. Amarinth and Rogan arrived at the Ark of York, they enter the core and Amarinth is about to take control. However, it's revealed that once merging with the core of the Ark comes at price of one's own life. Rogan protest at first but with La'Dark coming towards York and about to destroy the Ceaveans and the Storrians, Amarinth decides to go through with it. As La'Dark closing in on York, Amarinth enters the sarcophagus and takes control of York. Baramanda is about to crush York but Amarinth counters and pushes La'Dark, and the climax of the film breaks into a giant robot fight. And if I dare say....AWESOME. The fight continues until Amarinth breaks the city pod off of La'Dark. This gives Jallak and Piriel the chance to activate the self-destruct destroying La'Dark for good. The Ark of York along with La'Dark's city pod leaves Alcyone as it begins to break apart. The film ends with the Ceaveans and the Storrians living on a new world as Rogan narrates of what has been happening.
My Final Verdict: Though the animation is not exactly on the same level with Final Fantasy The Spirits Within in quality it’s not entirely terrible. Story-wise it’s OK it seems to established the setting and characters throughout the film. The main characters seem to be well structured at least their interaction with each other feels like they have a bit of depth. Whereas Spirits Within the characters felt like there were just there, I mean they appear to have a propose but their interaction and characterization barely have any weight to them. At least in this film there’s actual antagonists that have a propose whereas Spirits Within the Phantoms were just thrown in as a pilot device. They weren’t necessarily antagonists but more or less misunderstood victims of circumstances. Overall the animation is above average but the story seems to hold on its own merit in my opinion.
But wait we’ll not done yet there’s one more film to go. Next time its Kaena The Prophecy stay tuned.
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