Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001) - Synopsis

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001) - heading

Prepare to Embark on an Epic Adventure

In the not too distant future, the earth is invaded by aliens. Great cities are deserted, populations are decimated, alien beings have taken over the planet. Precious few humans remain. Those that do must find a way to survive the invasion and reclaim the earth.

Two of these humans, Aki Ross and her mentor, Dr. Sid, are developing an organic solution to what most believe is a problem only the military should handle.

Building on his 'wave theory,' Sid is developing a wave to counteract the alien force. They believe all life forms are characterized by signature spirit waves which can be demonstrated and contained.

Indeed, they have observed the alien invaders feeding on the spirits of the dead. Aki and Dr. Sid collect a series of organic specimens whose spirit signatures combined will form a wave of equal and opposite intensity to the spirit wave of the alien force. The waves will, in effect, cancel each other out and disarm the foreign contagion. They have collected six of the eight key spirits needed to complete their wave. They are on a desperate hunt for the remaining two spirits, before their time runs out.

Aki's time is limited. She is infected with the alien force. Normally fatal to humans, Aki manages to survive the infection through a crude encapsulation and containment procedure, an actual breastplate through which the contagion is visible. Her unique condition allows her to communicate with the aliens through a series of dreams which carry her across time to the alien's home planet. She begins to understand their nature and the crisis which brought them to earth. Yet the alien within her is fatal and, unless the wave is completed soon, her future is grave.

She is aided in her quest by the rugged and capable Captain Gray Edwards and his elite band of renegades known as The Deep Eyes. This highly trained and dedicated force is undaunted by the desperate odds against them as they venture into the restricted wasteland, overrun with alien contagion. Their journey brings them to the deepest heart of the alien invasion - the site of the meteor crash which brought the aliens to earth.

Meanwhile, a military strategist, General Hein, proposes the use of the Zeus Cannon, a massive, highly destructive space-mounted weapon. He hopes to bombard the planet with a bio-etheric energy force.

On a smaller scale, weapons of this nature were effective in containing the aliens. Dr. Sid and Aki oppose Hein's method. They argue that the ecological effect on the planet is unknown and the ultimate effectiveness of the weapon is misunderstood; Dr. Sid even suggests that the cannon might actually give birth to new aliens.

A council has been established to weigh the options and protect the interests of the surviving population. Impatient for results and hungry for revenge, Hein, whose family was lost in the initial invasion, manipulates his forces, sabotages Aki, and recklessly endangers the planet.

Aki's final confrontation with the alien comes at a great cost. She finds the last key and releases the wave, and discovers the true nature of the aliens.

Fighting both the enemy within and the scheming General Hein, who would destroy the Earth in order to save it, Aki valiantly pursues her final fantasy.