AS A digital epic, Final Fantasy comes pretty close to engaging both mind and eyes and succeeding in its mission to blow our socks off. Close, but no cigar.

A cyber-adventure based on the best-selling computer game, there are no human actors, only CGI characters who move, speak and almost look like flesh and blood. But they're not.

And there's the central problem. The film is cold and unengaging. Emotions are hinted at but never explored and some movements jar. What it lacks is a soul.

Ironic then, that film-maker Hironobu Sakaguchi should use the film to make a grand - and compelling - point about the nature of life on earth. Every living thing has a spirit which is taken when its physical being dies and passed on to the next generation to improve and extend its understanding.

The means to this end is a convoluted, confusing story involving earth being invaded by aliens we cannot see who may or may not be aliens in the first place.

Doctor-scientist Aki Ross (Ming Na) is infested by a phantom alien. Her mentor, Dr Sid (Donald Sutherland) constructs a temporary membrane that prevents the unwelcome visitor from taking over its host body. She must scour what's left of the earth in order to find the eight spirits that can save her life, and Earth itself.

Protecting her on the journey is Captain Gray Edwards (Alec Baldwin) and his military team (voices include Steve Buscemi and Ving Rhames) who must also fend off the unwelcome attentions of the scheming General Hein (James Woods).

Notwithstanding its admittedly impressive technical achievements, Final Fantasy never hurdles its lack of humanity to really involve the audience in its emotional highs and lows. Watching it is a sterile, non-participatory experience, a bit like eating crispbread - not exactly unpleasant, but nothing to get really excited about.