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| 13. Chris
 
This one holds a special place in my heart, as it was the very
first anime I had ever seen (about 1 and half years ago). To this day, I still
hold this movie in very high regard. While not as good as, say Spirited Away
(my favorite Miyazaki film), this is a great film that I recommend to everybody. Basically,
it's the story of a young prince who, when he comes into contact with an evil
demon, gets a curse that will kill him. Before he dies, he decides to try to learn
what he can about the demon that cursed him. What follows is a retelling of nature
vs. man. While this will not appeal to everybody, those who are fine with those
kind of themes will most likely enjoy this movie. The animation is spectacular,
and the English Dubbing is wonderfully done. Another great movie to introduce
new anime fans to. |
| 12. Marshal
of Manga 
In the past, as with now, there existed antagonisms between
mankind and nature. In the world of Princess Mononoke, nature has a way
of striking back in the form of her guardians, the forest gods. One
such god pays a visit to Ashitaka's village one day, and brings a curse with it
that latches on to Ashitaka as he kills the god. He sets off from the village
he was designated to be leader of, in pursuit of the cause of the god's curse,
and perhaps ridding himself of it. On the journey, he finds nature ravaged by
wars, and human greed for progress and power. He also meets a Wolf-raised girl
who can never forgive mankind for inflicting nature with such suffering…
But is man himself not an element of nature? Is
it 'wrong' to milk the Earth of its resources in order to sustain another part
of nature? Just as boars and birds feed off nature at their will, should not man
build factories for advancement, cultivate farms for food, and cut wood for homes?
Moreover, when one does not understand or fears something, is it not the instinctive
impulse to destroy it? And when members of your own species desire to take over
your freedom, what choice is there but to utilize nature to protect oneself, even
if at nature's detriment? The issue is one of harmony between man the taker and
nature the giver - only when man has subsidized his insatiability for power and
materialism, or gets destroyed in the process, can this come about. Many
Ghibli films rely on atmosphere rather than substance to create meaning,
and while you could detect traces of beauty in all of them, some tended to be
so boring at times that you feel guilty for wanting to sleep, and watching them
with your eyes half-open teaches you to bear grudges against them. Princess
Mononoke is one Ghibli film where the substance is just as strong as
the atmosphere, and you could watch this even after only two hours' sleep. Verdict:
If I give this 0 stars and add half a star for every thing done well, it'll end
up with 6 stars. If I give this 5 stars and deduct half a star for every thing
done badly… I'm still looking. And I say this without any ulterior encouragement
(* Returns the cheque to Studio Ghibli - you earned this one gentlemen
*). |
| 9.
Yogi
There are three things that are absolutely necessary for a
good show. Good plot, good characters, purpose and direction. It also helps to
have good music, good animation, and cool scenes. When a movie has all six of
the above, it is pretty much a classic. Mononoke Hime has all of it, in
spades. The story is overtly about man vs. nature, but the real undertone is man
vs. himself (the talking animals are also representations of man). In essence,
man vs. his own greed, hatred, distrust, and fear. If you haven’t watched
it already, you are wasting your time reading this review. Watch it now! |
| 8.
Polaris 
I have a feeling I am alone when I say this, but I absolutely
hated Princess Mononoke. It may have been because the movie was over-hyped
before I watched it but I was severely disappointed. The story of man vs. nature
and the symbolism of good vs. evil seemed like a recycled version of Nausicaa,
which I also hated. I know Miyazaki is supposed to be a genius and all
of his works are deemed "classics" but I have never liked any of them.
The animation during most of Princess Mononoke did not seem very fluid
or impressive, with a few exceptions of the forest scenery which I did find amazing.
The musical score was good but would probably seem better if the movie would have
had the desired impact. Even though I am giving this a low rating I would still
recommend this movie to everyone for the fact that it probably is a much better
movie than I found it to be. I would like to give it a second chance but that
probably won't happen anytime soon. |
| 7. Dreamer
More than 12 years after Nausicaa and $24 million, the
result is one beautiful gem with unparalleled atmosphere. This is, what I call,
the perfection and mainstreaming of the former. This come with a story a few would
handle right or even can introduce probably. The visuals, also, speak for themselves,
from vibrant and vivid to darkened and murky. I don't know what I can add to what
have been said before, but one thing for sure; get the Japanese R2 DVD! It has
everything you wished for, 8 languages tracks, some lovely extras and a nice packaging.
And don't worry about the price either. For less than $50, you'd get a 3 DVD set,
which is quite cheap for an R2 DVD, or any DVD release for the matter. |
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