Last Order: Final Fantasy VII.

Sephiroth turns against his former allies.

Release Date: Sept. 14, 2005. Approx. 25 minues. Written by: Kazuhiko Inukai. Directed by: Morio Asaka. Produced by: Masao Maruyama, Jungo Murata, Akio Ōfuji.


THE PLOT:

SOLDIER First Class Zack Fair (Kenichi Suzumura) is fleeing with his friend, Cloud Strife (Takahiro Sakurai), who has been left insensible by exposure to the energy source Mako. They are pursued by operatives of Shinra, the power company that effectively acts as the government for Midgar.

Five years earlier, both Zack and Cloud were part of an expedition to the small town of Nibelheim. It was just a routine investigation into a malfunctioning Mako reactor - until their superior, the legendary SOLDIER operative Sephiroth (Toshiyuki Morikawa) made a discovery that drove him murderously insane.

It was up to Zack to stop Sephiroth. But no one could have predicted the consequences of their confrontation within the reactor...

Zack tries to save the drug-addled Cloud from Shinra.

CHARACTERS:

Last Order runs a brisk, tightly focused 25 minutes. As such, we only observe the characters in two situations: Zack and Cloud fleeing from Shinra in the present; and Zack, Cloud, Sephiroth, and local guide Tifa (Ayumi Ito) five years in the past. Characterizations are entirely consistent with Final Fantasy VII and its related media: Zack is as decent as he is skilled; Cloud (when conscious at least) is capable of remarkable determination; Tifa memorably cries out her rejection of all things related to Shinra and SOLDIER.

Given that the flashback only depicts the confrontation at the reactor, we see only the Sephiroth who has already gone insane. Zack and Cloud both talk about how they previously admired him... but we see only the monster that he has become, with no real sense of the man he was before. It works well if you've already played Final Fantasy VII and know the general backstory - but I doubt it would have much impact if viewed completely in isolation.

Tifa and other survivors in the burning wreckage of their village.

THOUGHTS:

Last Order: Final Fantasy VII was not made for people not already familiar with Final Fantasy VII. The frame story feature Zack's flight with an unresponsive Cloud, while the bulk of the action fleshes out the main backstory from the original game: the battle with Sephiroth in the Nibelheim reactor.

This OVA (original video animation) was released by Madhouse Animation Productions as part of the collector's edition of the feature-length Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Though largely well-received, it still earned some backlash from fans who were upset about slight changes to the events seen in the Final Fantasy VII flashback. When prequel game Crisis Core was released two years later, these changes were wound back... though I'd argue that in their place were more egregious retcons (*cough* Genesis *cough*) that did far more to undermine the significance of events than any of the tiny variances found here.

I far prefer this movie's version of the Nibelehim fight and Zack and Cloud's flight from Shinra to the portrayal in Crisis Core. There's a stronger sense of immediacy and impact here, from Tifa's anguished rejection of Shinra to the duel that is the film's centerpiece. In Crisis Core, events felt rushed and were thrown further off-balance by the inclusion of new villain Genesis. In this OVA, the action is more focused and its significance is felt. At least, it is if you already know who the characters are and why they're fighting; no allowances are made at all for those new to the Final Fantasy VII universe.

The hand-drawn artwork is gorgeous, while at the same time remaining mostly visually consistent with the original game. There are animation cheats - In many places, editing tricks are employed to disguise the use of still frames, and a few of the cuts are genuinely distracting. Still, the entire production is more polished than it really had to be, and it's clear that a lot of time, love, and effort went into this film.

The Nibelheim Massacre: The event that changed everything...

OVERALL:

The biggest criticism I could levy against Last Order is that it feels like half a movie. We jump into the main action with Sephiroth already on the rampage and Nibelheim already destroyed, and the narrative makes no allowances for viewers not already familiar with these events. Had it been ten minutes longer, opening with the investigation of the reactor and the discovery that drove Sephiroth mad, it would feel much more complete, and might actually be accessible to the uninitiated.

Still, the film clearly wasn't made for them. This was made squarely for fans who need no introduction to the characters or their world. For that audience, Last Order is dramatically satisfying and well worth the 25 minutes that it takes to view it.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Alternate Version: Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII
Followed by: Final Fantasy VII

Followed by: Final Fantasy VII Remake

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