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Overall rating: 5/5
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
English voice cast: Claire Daines, Billy Crudup, Billy Bob Thornton, Gillian Anderson, Minnie Driver and Jada Pinkett Smith
Tagline:Mythic, visionary brilliance a classic in handy animated format
The Film: This is a work of epic myth unlike any other. Hayao Miyazaki is the recognized god of anime, and here he takes his imagination on a full romp that touches on familiar themes - loving nature, the heroic quest - in unfamiliar ways. The story is unpredictable, the characters are well-rounded, and there are no bad guys - everyone has their motivations and nobility, with no pat answers. Perhaps too intense for young children (not all cartoons are for kids, kids), this film is more intelligent and compelling than 95 percent of
the live-action stuff out there.
Rating: 5/5
The DVD: In widescreen (1:85:1) and Dolby 5.1 Surround, the film is beautifully presented. Bonus features include a featurette done in America, talking to some of the voice actors about why they love the film. Not as interesting as an interview with Miyazaki would’ve been. Best, though, is the choices of English dub or original Japanese soundtrack. Subtitle choices include a direct translation of Japanese or the text of Neil Gaiman’s faithful,
crafted adaptation.
Rating: 4/5
Easter Eggs: None.
Five Degrees of Seperation
Spirited Away — Miyazaki’s latest is the only thing that tops Mononoke.
My Neighbor Totoro — Miyazaki’s sweet, fun fable
Ladyhawke — It’s cute, It’s heartwarming, It’s for the 13-year-old
girl in all of us.
The Princess Bride — It will smite you with heavenly force.
Labrynth — Dark mythic fun, with a teenaged Jennifer Connelly and a pointy-eared David Bowie.
March 26th, 2004 at 5:17 pm
I give Princess Mononoke -5 out of 5 stars. I thought it was just a pointless spiritual guilt-trip for humans. This movie acts like humans destroying the forest and killing animals is a crime against humanity. No it isn’t, its called survival!! In no way does this surpass Akira in animation quality and story!! Although it did surpass Akira in box office gross, there are many shitty movies that make more money than legendary ones. I guess I’m looking at this at an athiest’s point of view. I don’t believe in that supersticious bullshit of wolf gods, ape zombies, tree spirits, and forest gods. But still, I’m putting my foot down on this one!! I think Akira is the Star Wars of anime because it incorporated science, man-made psychic powers, a constant blood bath, and a great story. No other anime will surpass this, not even an anime from 100 years from now!! Hayao Miyazaki isn’t the god of anime, he’s the worthless peasant of anime!! Katsuhiro Otomo, who created Akira, is the god of anime, although Akira was his only widely known anime, it surpassed all other anime combined, so this gives Otomo the right to be called the god of anime. If you object, go to hell!!
March 28th, 2004 at 4:36 am
I still hate Princess Mononoke, but after seeing Spirited Away, my extreme hostility against Hayao Miyazaki has been lifted. Now I think Hayao Miyazaki is now the Dalai Lama of anime. Forgive me of my past comments!!
March 30th, 2005 at 7:21 pm
i think david kozak is a moron. he wouldn’t know a good anime if it slaped him in the face!
January 30th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
[...] it’s Oz or Tattooine, Spider-Man’s New York, Buffy’s Sunnydale, or the unique world of every Miyazaki anime, a key measure of success is that it leaves me wanting more. To create a magical world that I [...]