The movie took me to another world in a way that few other films have ever done, and wields many powerful messages. What the film has to say is worth hearing, and there are moments that are very moving. The story is a good one, with many different settings, ideas, and some wonderful moments of pure beauty. But it sometimes takes itself a little too seriously, with excessive violence and preachy speeches. However, because of the wonderful presentation, it almost earns these elements.
At this point in my life, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do when I grew up. I had though about being an animst (my word for animators who only do anime), but after seeing this movie, and the video on youtube about how it was made, it started to seem like a whole lot of work lol. So anyway, here's my review.
Story: 8
The story itself is a bit on the cliche side: the protagonist, Prince Ashitaka is trying to protect his village from a demon, and, as he fights it off, it touches him and leaves a cursed mark. So Ashitaka, the last Prince, is banished from his village and sets out "to see with eyes unclouded by hate." A metal ball was found inside the demon's body and Ashitaka believes this is what turned the boar into a demon in the first place. His journey is about finding where the ball came from. Along the way, he meets Princess Mononoke, a girl who was raised by wolves and hates humans. His journey leads him to Irontown, where a monk with a name of which I've forgotten demands that Lady Eboshi (the queen figure or whatever) get him the head of the Forest Spirit. So, although Ashitaka and San try to protect it, Eboshi ends up shooting off his head. As a result, the spirit's body ends up turning into a deadly black goo and searching for its head. Ashitaka and San then try to return his head.
I hope that wasn't too confusing. I'm giving the story an 8 because its not unique and its not really the story that draws us into this anime. The story's good - just not the main draw.
Art: 10
The art of Princess Mononoke is AMAZING. The animation is practically flawless. The detail and movement is better than in any other animation I’ve seen. Princess Mononoke is easily Miyazaki's best artwork.
Sound: 10
The OST of Mononoke-Hime is just outstanding and is some of the most beautiful I’ve ever heard. I LOOOVE the sound.
Also, the voices (even in the dub) I believe are outstanding. Joe Hisaishi does the music for most Miyazaki films and his score for Princess Mononoke is easily one of his best.
Character: 7
Whenever I watch a Miyazaki film I always get those 3D characters. However, in Princess Mononoke, Miyazaki's focus is too wholly on the themes of his story rather than the characters, which ultimately weakens the entire movie until it requires a certain suspension of belief. It usually obtains this from its audience though, simply because of its high quality in every other way. But it is my belief that if you want to tell a story about humanity or the world as a whole, you must make it about individuals.
Ashitaka himself is a very admirable character, who wishes to bring peace between the forest and the town, but there is very little opportunity to really understand his character and motivations.
In fact, the secondary characters are much more complex than the main ones.
San, the titular character, a girl who was raised by a wolf, is only ever actually shown as an extremely angry and bitter individual who sides with the forest rather than her own kind. Any depth and complexity of her character is spoken of by other characters but never actually shown in her own actions or words. The attention of the audience is always being drawn to the supposed tragedy of her situation, but this is never fully explained. I do not see any true confliction within her. She seems entirely convinced that she is doing the right thing. This wouldn’t be a problem at all except for the movie’s incessant focus on it.
Enjoyment: 9
This is one of my favorite Ghibli movies and I highly reccomend it. I'm not rating it a 10 because of its flaws, but it is a must-watch for any anime fan. It is well-worth watching, perhaps even more than once. But the atmosphere, presentation, and fascinating plot can’t quite make up for the distant characters.
Overall: 9
If you haven't seen it. See it. I've seen it at least 10 times to date. Possibly more. I enjoy it every single time. And by the way, Ashitaka was one of my first anime crushes :)
