Princess Mononoke
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Movie Reviews of Princess Mononoke
Movie Review: Magical
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm glad the first real anime film I ever watched was "Princess Mononoke." I never, or almost never, watch anything animated anymore, so stumbling over this brilliant piece of art was fortuitous to say the least. I'm not usually one to buy into hype, but the blazing blurbs on the DVD cover, trumpeting this movie as the most wonderful piece of anime ever made, did convince me to rent it for an evening. So did the gazillions of praiseworthy comments I subsequently found after viewing the film. The fact that several big shot Hollywood actors-including Billy Bob Thornton, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Gillian Anderson, Minnie Driver, and Claire Danes-provided the voices of the characters almost scared me away from this picture. I figured that the only reason these actors signed on to the project revolved around the idea that the central theme of the movie concerned industrialization versus nature. Well, it probably was the driving force for these actors, but you can look beyond all that and just enjoy the film anyway. And trust me, you'll love "Princess Mononoke." Set in medieval Japan, the movie is complex, beautiful, and inspiring.
Young Prince Ashitaka runs into a big problem when he suffers a serious injury after battling a frighteningly evil creature outside his small village. The wound, a bite mark on his arm, is incurable according to the village doctor. Ashitaka will eventually morph into a demon unless he can somehow find the elusive Princess Mononoke, a human raised in the wild, who may know how to cure this dreaded disease. Leaving the village is difficult for the young prince because local tradition dictates that he may never return. On his trip into the wilds of nature, Ashitaka runs into a mysterious monk named Jigo, stumbles into a war zone, and discovers a fabulous metal works factory run by the beautiful Lady Eboshi. It turns out that this factory, staffed largely by women, produces guns and ammunition for the samurai armies. Eboshi doesn't limit herself to only dealing with one customer, however, as she is a dedicated capitalist willing to sell armaments to anyone with money. When Ashitaka finally meets Mononoke he discovers that the denizens of the forest are attempting to fight back against Eboshi's machinations. Obviously, Ashitaka must decide which side to take in the battle for the earth. He is torn between giving into his love for Mononoke or battling the humans.
"Princess Mononoke" is much more than a simple action tale, although there are plenty of intense combat sequences. Love plays a big part in the story, between Ashitaka and Mononoke as well as a love for the purity of nature. Malice rears its ugly head, too. Not only is Eboshi filled with odium, but so is Mononoke as she battles the humans destroying the wilderness. It's to the film's credit that it never takes a black or white view of either humans or animals. Each side has an ugly aspect that often emerges in startling ways. The movie eventually seems to say that humans need to forget about dominating nature and instead find their own niche within it. Still, there can be little doubt about where the filmmakers' sympathies lie. All of the greatest scenes in the movie involve Ashitaka's interactions with nature and the animals. The animators pulled out all the stops in presenting a truly magical world. Pay special attention to the wondrous nature god's awe-inspiring transformations and the little forest apparitions that appear to guide Ashitaka through the forest. These scenes constitute the finest animation I have ever seen, animation that should rightfully carry the tag "art" more often than not.
The only problem I had with the film concerned some of the voiceovers. I thought Billy Crudup did a fine job as the heroic Ashitaka. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Claire Danes's work as Mononoke. I continually felt this actress had no conception of her character or how to convincingly vocalize her attributes. I began to develop a distinct sense of dread every time Mononoke opened her mouth. As for the other American actors, they did an acceptable job. Thornton did better than I thought he would as the voice of the wily Jigo, considering this actor's southern accent, but then again the monk doesn't appear too often in the movie. Only after I watched the movie and returned it did I think about viewing it in Japanese with subtitles. I suspect that would have been a better way to see this film. These criticisms in no way require me to give "Princess Mononoke" less than five stars.
The DVD edition of the film does contain a few extras, including some interviews with the American actors voicing some of the characters, a trailer, and a widescreen presentation. I didn't think animation would use widescreen, but what do I know? "Princess Mononoke" doubtless appeals to fans of the anime genre, but it should have an equal effect on non-fans. I know I couldn't believe some of the stuff I was seeing in this movie-yes, it's that powerfully beautiful. I wouldn't just watch this one again; I'm thinking about buying myself a copy. That's how much I liked the darn thing. Maybe I ought to start watching more anime in the near future.
Movie Review: A perfect blend of story-telling and animation
Summary: 5 Stars
I wouldn't go so far as the New York Post in calling this film "the 'Star Wars' of animated features," but certainly Princess Mononoke is a vibrant, magical movie that resonates with life in all its facets and the spirit that lies beneath this world we too often take for granted. It's funny how American animated films are always about - well, nothing at all, really, while Japanimation is about basically everything. To me, dubbing this film into English, no matter how talented and famous the voice actors are, just feels wrong. Certainly, it helps attract a Western audience that has still only begun to discover the wonders of anime and makes the story much easier for younger viewers to understand, but anime purists will probably want to watch the film as it was originally intended to be shown - and, fortunately, it is possible to change the setup to play the movie in Japanese with English captioning. Speaking of younger viewers, the film does deserve its PG-13 rating, as more than a few characters lose their heads - literally - and animals are slaughtered in significant numbers during several scenes of fighting and warfare.
Princess Mononoke is not so much the story of the princess herself as it is of young Ashitaki, a young warrior who journeys many miles westward in search of a cure for the demon curse transferred unto him by a giant boar demon he managed to kill when it attacked his village. The odds of him finding and being healed by the Spirit of the Forest are pretty low, making this as much of a spiritual journey as a physical one with a clear purpose. He and his noble elk steed do find the place, however, after a brief sojourn in Iron Town. The humans in this fortified village have been clearing away forest so that they can mine the iron ore that exists within the soil in great abundance. For her part, Lady Eboshi is working to perfect the guns she will use to defend Iron Town from those casting greedy eyes upon it even as she plots with hunters sent by the emperor to slay the Spirit of the Forest himself. The animal gods of the forest, seeing the human threat now close to destroying their final peaceful retreat, gird up for battle themselves, particularly the boars and the wolves. Among the wolves is Princess Mononoke, a human girl raised by wolves; she hates all humans for their greedy, destructive ways - a fact which rather complicates the personal bond she eventually comes to share with Ashitaki.
It's a rather complicated story, really, but it all culminates with the seemingly unavoidable armed clash of men, gods, and animals - a war that Ashitaki desperately tried to prevent. Already dying from the demon curse, Ashitaki, a warrior hero with sympathies for both sides of the fight, risks all in an effort to save both the princess and the Spirit of the Forest himself. You can never take anything for granted in Japanese anime, particularly in terms of who lives and who dies, and this makes the final moments of the film all the more captivating - not to mention poignant. In a war that can have no true winners, what of the world will be left for those who manage to survive?
The animation (which is from 1997) is not all that breath-taking on the face of things; at first, I really couldn't see why it is praised so highly. As you get into the story, however, and see the absolute importance of nature, as represented in the animation, you quietly become more and more impressed. The scenes with the little forest sprites are especially magical - they are most unusual creatures, really quite simple in terms of their animated form, but they prove magical indeed as representatives of the forest and the beauty of nature. The Spirit of the Forest is equally engaging, and much more impressive and majestic in each of his forms. All of the characters are quite expressive, in fact, revealing as much through the animation as they do with their voices. That is one reason the movie works so well even with English dubbing.
If you've yet to experience anime, I can't think of a better introduction than Princess Mononoke. With the English dubbing, the viewer is free to take in the whole animated experience (something that would take a second viewing for a movie with subtitles) and see just what makes Japanese animation superior to anything you'll ever see come out of Hollywood. Hayao Miyazaki didn't make a film, he created a vibrant new universe that will transport viewers back to a medieval age when iron was new and animals still ruled the forests. Not content to merely entertain, the film addresses a number of questions that get right to the heart of human life itself, touching on themes of love, hate, honesty, community, heroism, selflessness, life, death, stewardship of the Earth, etc. With only a short featurette and a theatrical trailer, the DVD doesn't have much in the way of special features, but the movie alone more than makes Princess Mononoke worth the price of admission, rental, or purchase. Don't forget: until Titanic squeaked by it, this was the top-grossing film (and still remains the top-grossing domestic film) in Japanese history.
Movie Review: Truly captivating
Summary: 5 Stars
Hayao MIYAZAKI's "Princess Mononoke" is the third anime film I've seen, the second I've liked, and the first that really blew me away. The grand story, lush visuals, attention to detail, enchanting soundtrack and sophisticated characterizations all combine to make "Princess Mononoke" a truly captivating film. Miyazaki's (largely hand-drawn) artwork is famous, and far superior to any other animation I've ever seen. Joe Hisaishi's soundtrack perfectly complements the epic artwork, pacing and tension of the film. It is composed largely within the western symphonic tradition; its majestic yet melancholy tone strongly reminds me of the slow theme of Holst's "Jupiter". The characters, wonderfully, are all human (even the nonhumans) in the sense that their motivations are rational and logical. There are no true villains, only characters driven into conflict by their opposing goals, ideals and loyalties.
Despite American prejudices about cartoons as kid stuff, "Princess Mononoke" is targeted toward older audiences: it is long, its plot is complex, and there is a good deal of "blood and gore and guts", though the film does not revel in the violence. I'm not terribly fond of the English-language dub of the film, but it is decent by the standards of the genre. Fortunately this DVD includes both language tracks so you can compare them and choose your favorite.
"Princess Mononoke" is set in Japan's medieval period, after the country's feudal system has broken down and the power of the Emperor and the Shogun is all but nonexistent. The film follows Ashitaka ("tomorrow?" in Japanese), the last prince of a group of 'barbarians' hidden in northern Japan (a draft title of the film was actually "The Tale of Ashitaka"). He is cast out by his people after being cursed by a demon, and travels to the demon's home at the other end of the land in search of a way to remove the curse. There he finds himself in the middle of a war for control of an ancient forest, fought between the people of Iron Town, led by the able, determined, humane and iconoclastic Lady Eboshi, and the gods of the forest (mononoke), in whose ranks fights San, the Princess Mononoke of the title, a human girl raised by the wolf god Moro. Falling in love with San and learning that it was the hatred of this war that took shape as his curse, Ashitaka desperately but unsuccessfully tries to make peace between the humans and the raging gods, before they destroy each other and him with them.
There are two main themes Miyazaki addresses in "Princess Mononoke". The first has to do with Japanese history. Miyazaki is an admirer of popular Japanese historian Yosihiko AMINO, and several of Amino's arguments are reflected in "Princess Mononoke". For example, Miyazaki attempts to avoid the focus on rice-farming peasants and Samurai warriors typical of Japanese films set in the medieval period (such as Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai"). Instead, he concentrates on manufacturers and traders, hunters, monks and other non-agriculturalists, whom Amino argues are often overlooked in traditional histories of Japan. In addition, Miyazaki tries to illustrate the chaos, confusion and rapid social and cultural change that Amino sees at the heart of the medieval period, and that Miyazaki views as similar in many ways to the present, with its rapid changes in technologies, cultures and ideas.
Second and more visible is the issue of humanity's relationship with nature. Although many western viewers have been quick to categorize "Princess Mononoke" as a simple eco-fable or environmentalist screed, it should really go without saying that Miyazaki's environmental message is far more subtle.
In a sense, "Princess Mononoke" can be considered the spiritual sequel to Miyazaki's 1984 film "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind", which also focused heavily (and more ideologically) on ecological issues. "Princess Mononoke" was, in fact, the first film Miyazaki made after finishing his nearly 1100 page "Nausicaa" novel in 1994, after a dozen years of work. ("Nausicaa" the film roughly covers around the first quarter of "Nausicaa" the novel, with certain changes to give it an ending.) However, those years saw the slow but irreversible death of Miyazaki's early socialist idealism, which informed the simpler message of the film version of "Nausicaa". While that film was dedicated to the hope that with proper determination and enlightenment humankind could learn to live in peace with itself and with nature, Miyazaki's message in Princess Mononoke is (in his own words) that "There can not be a happy ending to the fight between the raging gods and humans." This is a fight that has already begun, that is in fact inevitable.
But Miyazaki has more to say: "We are not trying to solve the global problems. There can not be a happy ending to the fight between the raging gods and humans. However, even in the middle of hatred and killings, there are things worth living for. A wonderful meeting, or a beautiful thing can exist." "Princess Mononoke" is a beautiful thing, a credit to Miyazaki's vision, skill and dedication.
Movie Review: An excellent DVD release of one of Miyazaki's finest works
Summary: 5 Stars
Princess Mononoke (known as Mononoke Hime in Japan) is the second highest grossing film ever released in Japan, toppled just barely by Titanic, which came out shortly thereafter. It is not hard to see why. It is the most mature project ever to come out of Studio Ghibli, and its world renowned animator, director, and writer, Hayao Miyazaki, views it as perhaps his most important work, a departure from all of his previous films. Mononoke is an eco-fable of sorts, as almost all of Miyazaki's feature-length films are to one extent or another (Porco Rosso would be a probable exception), but as with all of his other work he treats his subject with respect and intelligence, not once falling into trite sayings, tired cliches, or sappy dialogue, resulting in a film that never talks down to its audience. Personally I have always found rabid environmentalists to be rather annoying and I would never associate myself with their lot, but Mononoke, as all of Miyazaki's films, rises above the level of crass tree-hugging as it at once provides a portrait of nature's beauty and grandeur, while not forgetting the human element which in many cases must take priority over the rest of nature. Among his own films it is comparable in theme and maturity perhaps only to Nausicaa, but there are a number of differences, and Mononoke is definitely the more mature work. Now, since, I'm limited on space, I'll just touch quickly on the various aspects of the film and the DVD release in particular.ANIMATION: Absolutely enthralling. Probably Miyazaki's best, except for perhaps Spirited Away. This was also the first of Studio Ghibli's films to employ some modest computer effects, and for the most part they've done an excellent job in making sure it doesn't stand out. The overall quality outshines anything to come from Disney in recent decades.
VIOLENCE AND GORE: This is an often mentioned issue with this movie, which kind of surprised me initially. Many people associate animation with kids' fare, and forget that Princess Mononoke did in fact receive a PG-13 MPAA rating for a reason. It is not a hard PG-13 by any means, and considering most kids today are watching R rated movies sometimes before they're old enough to go to a PG-13 movie unaccompanied, I don't see what the big fuss is about. In any case, just think of Mononoke as any other PG-13 movie and you shouldn't be surprised by any of the occasional and non-gratuitous gore, which alway exists only to further the plot, never as an end unto itself.
MUSIC: Long-time Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi returns to do the Mononoke soundtrack (also available on CD), and the results are spectacular. He perfectly captures the feel of the movie, and the soundtrack is very good as a stand-alone album as well. It's a pity that the Mononoke Hime Symphonic Suite was not also brought to the US, but it can be found at various online importers.
DVD FEATURES: Although Miramax at first tried to shortchange American audiences by not including the Japanese language track on the DVD release, a massive online petition managed to convince them that it would be profitable to leave it on. To their credit, the final (albeit much-delayed) result is outstanding. The menu is easy to navigate, and includes the usual features, including one of the theatrical trailers (the other US trailer and the French and Japanese trailers would have been a welcome touch), as well as a short featurette with most of the US voice actors talking about the film, as well as Neil Gaiman and Jack Fletcher, the man in charge of the script localization and famous comic author and the US voice acting director, respectively. It was previously available on the film's official US website. Finally, both sub and dub fans should be satisfied as it includes both the US and Japanese language tracks in full Dolby 5.1, as well as the French language track in Dolby 2.0. Also, both Neil Gaiman's somewhat more creative translation and a more literal translation are included as subtitles, and in a clever trick, both the Japanese and US title screens are included on the DVD, with the appropriate one shown using the angle feature depending on the language track that was selected.
OVERALL: A truly top-notch movie. Although not my favorite of Miyazaki's stuff (that honor goes to My Neighbor Totoro or Castle of Cagliostro), that is a purely personal consideration. It is both an excellent introduction to the genre of anime, and a great film for the more experienced viewer. Its only fault is that someone whose interest in the genre is piqued by Mononoke will find that the only way to go from the cream of the crop is down (although the rest of Miyazaki's films will still be sure to enthrall). This is a must-buy.
Movie Review: bwa ha ha ha ha ha hah!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
first of all, it's really 4 1/2 stars because perfection is an impossibility. second, to all of you who think this movie is violent and gory: HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.... oh, whew. ahem... ah HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!! you people don't watch very much anime do you? or you're not watching the right anime. this movie is *tame*. i repeat *TAME!* in regards to gore and violence. it's only rated PG-13 for cryin' out loud! if you want to see violence and gore watch: Akira, Ninja Scroll, Spriggan (piss-poor story, excellent animation and action), Berserk, X, hell even Cowboy Bebop is more violent and it's a freakin' TV series. go watch these shows then come back and tell me if you still think this movie is violent. 'cause if you think Mononoke-hime is violent and bloody you'll have to be committed after pissing in your pants and balling your eyes out till there's not a drop of water left in your body when you watch the other classic anime i've listed. all in all, wonderful movie: animation, character development and depth, plot (if you can't understand it you're probably too young to watch it or have come in with an already biased opinion), music, Japanese language track. the only place this DVD is lacking is the English language track, as others have stated. frankly, Claire Danes was absolutely awful as San. it brings sorrowful tears to my eyes, and gut-wrenching sickness to my stomach whenever i watch it in English (which, now, is absolutely never). the American actors completely butchered their rolls. with Claire Danes' odd, can't-put-your-finger-on-it, not-quite-right, horrid performance; Billy Bob Thornton and Billy Crudup's flat and wooden voice "acting"; and Gillian Anderson sounding like she's got cotton stuffed in her cheeks. which, i'm guessing, she does. oh and Minnie Driver who is apparently quite forgettable as Eboshi-sama. i love this movie. it was one of *THE* movies that helped propel my interest in anime in leaps and bounds. just watch it in English once so you can take in the full beauty of it and then forget the English language track exists and stick to the flowing beauty that is the Japanese language.
PS of course it's not for kids you freakin' morons! did you even pay attention to the rating before you showed it to your young children!? you're the reason that movies and video games get so much crap. because you take your young children to see movies and let them play video games that are clearly not meant for young children! and then you try to hide your own stupidity by blaming it on the movie and video game industry and complaining to the FCC. when there is plenty of warning and advisement against your own moronic actions and poor parenting. sorry to be so harsh, but you all know it's true. though i watched violent, R rated movies when i was a young child and i turned out TV.... um, OK. i may be a little desensitized to *FAKE* movie-magic manufactured violence and gore, you can be sure i wouldn't feel so fine if i saw the same things in real life that i've seen in movies. i'd probably puke my guts out. but other than that i'm a more or less well-rounded citizen. movies that seemed to scare many other children, i quite enjoyed and movies that i shouldn't even have been watching and probably should've sent my little mind into a torrent of insanity i sat and merely enjoyed at face-value until i was old enough to fully understand it. you're probably the ones who think The Nightmare Before Christmas is a sick and twisted, demonic, and satanic movie that no sane parent should ever show their child. well guess what! that's one of my all time favorite movies. and i probably first saw it when i was around the age of 7! i absolutely loved it! didn't have one dream *OR* nightmare about it. the two *children's* movies i remember having nightmares about are The Wizard of Oz and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. though i did (and still do) like Willy Wonka. not the new one though. anywho, i'll step off my soapbox rant now. thank you. love the movie!