A game long synonymous with quality story telling, unparalleled effects, intriguing characters, and cinemas galore. The Spirits Within. Director Hironobu Sakaguchi, long heralded as the director of the Final Fantasy series of games, breaks into film in a loud, astounding way. Computer generated animation has come leaps and bounds since Toy Story. The effects rival effects done on live-action movies.
Fire looks like fire.
Hair moves strand by strand. Close-ups reveal facial blemishes like pores and freckles. Lighting adds to the realism. Gone are the 'cartoon shaders,' replaced with real radiosity lighting. The animation, while no lifelike, is heading that way.