*The first draft of the review was originally written in 2009(ish). Hence the "Avatar" joke.
Princess Mononoke: Visual Masterpiece sans Giant Blue Smurfs
Hayao Miyazaki may be the greatest animation director of all time. Coming from anime roots with limited production values, everything he produces/directs is worthwhile and he almost always tops his previous film. With this assumption, it would not be surprising if we all but overlooked the standard set for visual environments in "Princess Mononoke".
After a fallen boar god nearly destroys his village, Ashitaka is cursed for stopping its chaos. No medicine can cure his terminal ailment, so his only hope is to head west to find the Spirit of the Forrest to beg for it to lift him of the burden. On his journey, he learns of the battle between the forest gods and the human settlement of Iron Town.
Each race is fighting for a mountain, and Ashitaka must find a way to make peace between the two races before all of them are destroyed. The key to finding success might be relating to the wolf gods through their adopted human family member, San. Since she was abandoned by her parents as a child so that they could escape the wolves' wrath, she bares no love for any human, but the compassion Ashitaka exhibits may show her a path that does not lead to destruction.
Disney did their best to suppress "Princess Mononoke" from finding success in the states, but with the decline of the quality of their films (at the time), it is good to know that Miyazaki is a household name. Only problem is that his dramas are still generally over looked. (With that said, this feature did not have a talking cat or a humorous animal, so I may see why.)
Perhaps for the sake of anime, it might be better to focus on his tales about children like "Spirited Away" and "Ponyo" than to discuss his feature with intense violence and tentacles. Sad, because I have yet to see a superior artificial environment presented in a cinema. The only flaw with the animation is that the characters themselves are not as vivid, so at times, they may seem out of place.
The story is easy to follow and is wonderfully paced. An animated film having two hours of material was rare at the time (at least stateside), so this film is even grander by having amazing replay value.
To maintain the integrity of the picture, the celebrity voice cast makes it a point to go over the top with their performances leaving the culture and story intact via this translation. If it was not a violent hippie movie, it would have been accessible to nearly any audience.
"Princess Mononoke" is definitely an under appreciated film. It may not be Miyazaki's best, but how long will his latest film hold that title. Missing this film shows a lack of respect to one of animation's most beloved directors. The film shows the range of what Miyazaki can direct and the beauty his animation brings out. It is a must see.
