Princess Mononoke

When I heard that this film was finally coming out over here I was very excited. I'd never seen it before, but had seen other works of Hayao Miyazaki such as Totoro and Cagliostro. I was worried when I heard it had been bought and dubbed by Disney, fearing another mangled and edited poor translation as happened with Nausicaa /warriors of the wind. However, the translation is superb - done by no less than Neil Gaimen of Sandman fame - and the voice acting actually very good, with little of the poor acting and odd characterisation we've come to be used to. Perhaps the translation looses us some of the finer points, but none the less, it's superb. The film - What can I say? This is an epic tale that will draw anyone in who starts watching it, no matter how old they are. I watched this with my father, who's not a fan of animation (especially not Japanese animation), and he was enthralled, loving the beauty and the characters. It's certainly not a children's film, as it becomes quite dark towards the end. Dealing with themes such as mankind's effect on the environment and the destructive power of anger, this film tells the tale of the conflicts between a group of humans and a group of nature gods. Some scenes have echoes of Nausicaa, especially in character designs, and fans of Robert Holdstock's Mythago Wood books will find much they like here. Scenes of the Forest Spirit changing from the Night Walker to a multi horned, human faced deer that can walk on water have a strange magical pagan feel to them, and an eerie beauty. I'm trying not to say too much about the story as to give things away would be a crime if you've not seen the film before. I will say this : the ending is spectacular and satisfying - in some ways it reminds me of the finale of Akira - yet it still manages to remain open ended. The viewer and the characters are treated with respect and we're not given a cut and dried "punish the bad / reward the good" ending. Indeed, there are few characters in the film who can be viewed as purely bad. This is a good thing. This package doesn't have too many extras. You can see a nice trailer, a short making of film, and have the option to watch in the original language, which is always nice. You do get Helen McCarthy's excellent book on Hayao Miyazaki, and that is a superb bonus. Let's hope that we start to see more films given this treatment soon!

Possibly the best Ghibli film, for me. It's a choice between this and the excellent Spirited away although this film is more adult and universal, I feel, in content. One could argue that Spirited away is also similar but I think it's more of a childrens film albeit with semi-buried environmental themes (literally) bubbling to the surface from time to time. Everything about this film is fantastical in the true sense of the word. The art is exquisite and the story is both at times exciting and heart rending. There are dark moments so possibly not suitable for young children but I would say it's no more extreme than something like Watership down which also has its dark points but ultimately has the same value for young minds when it comes to illustrating that nature is red in tooth and claw and not everything is "like pokemon". A beautiful and beguiling film that basically has zero wrong with it. Put aside preconceptions about "Japanese cartoons" as this is an extremely strong piece of cinema with an interesting and unifying environmental angle that should appeal to anyone if they can see it without prejudice clouding their thoughts. I have been trying to get my wife to watch this for a long time and she refuses because "it's a cartoon". She genuinely has no idea what she is missing out on and, sadly, almost certainly never will. See this film, you will not regret it !

Great film to watch and enjoy.

As a 17 year old i can't say that i am the fountain of all knowledge on film but within the first few minutes of Princess mononoke, i knew i was watching something special by its outstanding score, sublime animation/ design and adult nature. Arguably one of the best studio ghibli movies releases to date, Mononoke encapsulates everything i've come to adore from the studio. It is a sweeping epic filled with beauty, action, complex characters and enough thought provoking themes to completely justify its long run time. Without spoiling anything, Princess Mononoke is primarily about Humanity's relationship with nature (and vice versa), and the animosity between them. I had assumed that being a ghibli film, it was going to stand heavily in favour of nature, however Myazaki instead showed the audience the best and worst of both sides and let us decide who to support. Some of my friends including me supported the side of nature but a few other friends firmly believed the humans deserved their chance to progress, such a divide is a testemanf to handling of such prudent issues presented in this film. All in all, this has become my favourite animated film of all time and i strongly urge you to give it a chance because it may just blow you away.

If you're a collector or a fan of Studio Ghibli, this Princess Mononoke Limited Edition Steelbook is an absolute must-have. Miyazaki's epic tale of the clash between industrial civilization and the Gods of the forest has never looked or felt better on a shelf. The steelbook itself is gorgeous. It features a matte finish with striking minimalist artwork that captures the film's tone perfectly. It's truly a standout piece in any media collection. Unlike standard plastic cases, this feels sturdy and durable. It's a slight investment compared to the standard edition, but for a film like this, it's worth every penny.

I watched this movie as part of a Fantasy class I took in high school and I absolutely loved it, and told my girlfriend about it. I'm getting it for her birthday and can't wait to see what she thinks. She loves Miyazaki movies and this is probably his best.

ジブリシリーズは、時が経っても古さを感じない名作ばかりだと思います。

Un clasico de la animacion del estudio Ghibli. Multiples lecturas acerca del orden natural, la industrializacion y sus perjuicios y beneficios; desearia que este bluray hubiera traido la version en ingles, ya que fue adaptada por Neil Gaiman y los actores de voz hicieron un gran trabajo.

Bottom Line First: To get the less than good news out of the way, Miyazaki’s Princes Mononoke is not for the very young. The violence can be graphic and bloody. The themes are not as clear cut as might be found in bed time stories. There is no sex or bad language making this movies acceptable to those who screen for such. And that brings me to the good news. Princes Mononoke combines complex storytelling, adult level plotting, the fine art work of Studio Ghibli and the casting power of the Disney Studios to produce a wonderful movie. Highly recommended and a star even among my other Miyazaki movies. Princes Mononoke could have been another man versus nature and the world out of balance movie we have seen too many times. Instead we have man and nature in conflict but with a near absence of obviously evil industrialists and purely motivated united forest spirits. Gods can become demons, and seen as evil by humans and nature. The tribes within the world of nature are not natural allies and can have their own selfish motives. The human who is supposed to embody evil, Lady Eboshi (Voice acted by Minnie Driver) is a fierce warrior and hard nosed business woman but she is also good to her people and makes a point of finding better lives for people who would be cast offs and shunned in the larger world. On the subject of voice overs, Disney deserves credit having assembled a cast that included Billy Bob Thornton, Gillian Anderson, Claire Danes and Billy Crudup. Made too clear to us in the included specials is the extra effort made by the voice actors and Disney to insure that the American dialogue fits with the animated Japanese speaking characters. As for the work of the director and his studio. What struck me most about Princes Mononoke was the balance between artistic detail and the flow of the story. Hayao Muyazaki has a tendency for story lines that can drag. I prefer to say they speed of motion can be stately. The Wind Rises remains among my favorite HM movies, but like The Wife says it is slow. Even the action movie Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro (Collector's Edition) can drag, usually when the Studio is highlighting it's artwork. In Princess there was no lag in the story line. Scene action and plot development move logically forward even in the moments when the viewer is invited to enjoy the scenery. But what artwork it is! Studio Ghibli is always at its best drawing the sky and aerial views. Ghibli is also the master of fields and forests. Sometimes at the cost of foregrounds, manmade and human details. In Princess all of the elements view together in harmony. It may be that some level of detail has been lost, but if so, only to produce a more balanced picture. Studio Ghibli movies can be fine visual art at the expense of movement, I never felt that watching Princess Mononoke.