IDIOT REVIEWS

-- movie reviews from an idiot teenager --

DIRECTOR: Hayao Miyazaki

WRITER: Hayao Miyazaki

CAST: Yoji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida, Yuko Tanaka
[English dubbed version:] Gillian Anderson, Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Minnie Driver, Jada Pinkett Smith, Billy Bob Thornton

IMDB RATING: 8.3/10, #110 of all time.

BUDGET: ?2,400,000,000.  Whatever that means.

BOX OFFICE: US: Just under $2.3 million.  Miyazaki never gets any distribution in the US; this never saw 130 theaters.  Internationally, though, his films are massive hits, and this is no exception: this made over $150 million outside of the US. 

Princess Mononoke

[Mononoke-hime]

1997

* * * 1/2

            In times far past, a young man is banished from his tribe after being infected by a demon.  He seeks a cure and becomes embroiled in a war between a Samurai tribe, a iron mining town, and the great forest spirit.  The last is aided by a young woman raised by a wolf who refuses to think of herself as human. 

            Writer/director/animator Hiriyu Miyazaki, as always, shows an extraordinary imagination both visually and in creating a story.  This film is exhilerating, thrilling, awe-inspiring, and genuinely moving.  The environmentalist message is a little too obvious and over-the-top at times, but the film absolutely pulls you in with its sweep and visual beauty.  From the beginning, it is a truly wonderful movie, aided immesurably by a lovely, almost heartbreaking music score by Joe Hisaishi.  It keeps the wonder all the way until the ending...

            ... which is very unsatisfying.  If it weren't for the ending, I would absolutely love this film; with it, I just like it a whole lot.  So many emotions were built, and then are just dumped.

            [SPOILER IN NEXT PARAGRAPH] What's most disappointing in the ending is the way the romance is concluded.  The romance between the two central characters is so well done throughout.  It creates an incredible bond: you really want the two to be together.  Now, there are two satisfying ways of handling this: the Hollywood way and the tragic way.  When it's this well done, either way would work.  However, it ends something like this: Girl: "I can't be with you." Guy: "Oh.  Okay.  See ya later."  Neither show the slightest emotion.  It's as if they don't care enough to fight for it.  No tears, nothing.  It's a total letdown emotionally.

            [END SPOILERS]  Still, the final image is so beautiful that it somewhat overcomes the weakness of the few minutes preceeding it.  Miyazaki does everything so well that I highly enjoyed it in spite of the fact that I hate anime and get annoyed with environmentalist messages in movies (for whatever reason).  It is a truly wonderful film in spite of its flaws.