User reviews

A few years ago I would have tossed this film into a collection of movies I like to call the rubbish pile. Recently, however, I have forced myself, with great difficulty, to open my mind and look at the entire picture. Instead of focusing on one or two aspects of the movie I do not like and formulating a biased opinion based on my hasty and clouded notions, I can now decipher both the good and bad points of a given flick. Upon watching Princess Mononoke, I must say I first thought it would be very difficult to look past the animation style and see it for what it was- a dynamic film directed be the highly acclaimed Hayao Miyazaki. After about ten minutes of dwelling on the follies (and there are, in my opinion, many) of the "anime" style of art, I became enthralled with the quickly unfolding plot and the subsequently dire fate bestowed upon Ashitaka, the protagonist of the film. After Ashitaka leaves his village to search for a treatment to remedy his affliction, I no longer cared that this was an animated feature; I was on the edge of my seat, wondering what would happen next. I no longer disliked that every character had abnormally large eyes (though not over-sized to the point of utter absurdity) or that the English overdubbing was a little choppy. In fact, I even began to enjoy the accomplished yet subtle computer generated effects interspersed throughout. By the last half hour I was hooked to the screen, eagerly awaiting the conclusion I wanted so badly to end the bitter conflict of the plot. By the end, I realized that this movie carried a powerful moral with it: man's continuous tampering with nature brings about as much savagery as it does progress, as much suffering as it does good, and that a sound compromise must be struck between nature and civilization. I do not harbor any negative feelings towards those who rated this movie poorly, as I used to be one of those people. All I have to say to them is this: look at a both the visual and symbolic attributes of a movie before rating it harshly. If, after observing all these features and idiosyncrasies, you still wholeheartedly hate the film, then by all means give it a one. After all, what would the world be like if we were all did not criticize or question our surroundings?

... and arable desert dust bowl aliens. It seems our intent to unbalance, upset, bias, distort and thoroughly irritate Mother Nature knows no bounds. I'm curious of the curses and phantasms this great animator would conjure against Homo Ignorantia in todays world, spectral beasts perhaps, to unite alongside the current pandemic sent to warn us off the path we're so resolutely set on taking.

As engaging a narrative and animation as any you'll come across, with enough to keep you pessimistically in despair of the curse the people of the world are to the lifeforms we share resources with on this planet we call home.

I'm so thrilled that I decided to watch Princess Mononoke for the first time ever on the big screen. Studio Ghibli is just nonstop in terms of their animated quality (leaving most animated studios in the dust) even in times like the 90s when this film was released. The action sequences are crafted with such care and such brutality that it's hard not to be remarkably energized by them. The characters surrounding the movie are so engaging and iconic which immensely supports a deeply fleshed-out and powerfully thought-provoking story. Princess Mononoke is a breathtakingly painted tale of a man on a quest to balance two opposite ends of a war filled with hatred, greed, and violence. The conflict of siding between two teams is quite apparent in the film, and it's resolutions are as beautiful as they are significantly important in the real world throughout human history and especially today. (Verdict: A)

This seems to be Miyazake's most personal work, clearly a serious design. It is set in an imaginary time which blends the time of the ancient gods (Shinto style, gods of place and nature) with the settlement of humans and the coming of metalworking and war. The world is not in balance, and a distant conflict between industry and nature has wounded one of the gods of the forest, which is then killed by a sentry boy as it rampages into farmland he guards. The evil controlling it transfers to him, beginning a slow takeover, and he must journey to the origin of the conflict to find a way to cure himself and incidentally, as he will learn, to try to restore balance. But this is not a simplistic tale, he finds there are other characters in play, and there is good and evil in everyone, and no easy balance. The Princess (Hime) of the story is a mysterious human who has been raised by wolves (which are themselves powerful forest gods, a little reminiscent of the Amerindian Coyote myth), who becomes both his ally and his enemy. The story is not easy to understand. It has many Japanese mythic elements but even then, it is a work of Miyazake's unique imagination, and is not intended to be simple or to have a clean resolution.

The animation is spectacular, and unusual, with new elements even for Miyazake and marks a new departure for style which you can see continued in his next film, Sen to Chihiro - more nature, more wild, more jamming on elements from Japanese myth and folklore. And, continuing the trend to be more personal, concerned with ethics and character, and less sci-fi. There are at least half a dozen well developed characters threaded through the story, and their animation is wonderful in displaying subtle character.

The original Japanese soundtrack has some amazing singing and draws upon some of the best talent available for voices - in Japan, Miyazake is universally known and this was a masterpiece carefully crafted. Japanese television documented a lot of the production. The English translation drew on some good talent but they seem not to have "gotten it" quite so intensely as the Japanese crew.

If you haven't seen Miyazake, give it a try (but maybe look at Sen to Chihiro first, or even Laputa or Kiki's Delivery Service, for easier and lighter introduction to his work). Some say he is the Japanese Disney, but I don't like that. His work has a depth and sophistication that goes beyond Disney cute. There is no other animation like it. This is truly an adult work: children might like some of the visuals, but I doubt that many kids below teen age will have any idea what it is all about, and even adults will get more out of this each time you see it again.

I saw Mononoke Hime on its USA release back in late December 1999 under its U.S. title Princess Mononoke. I had read quite a bit about this film and its director but was still totally overwhelmed by the beauty and brutality of this movie. The complexity of this movie is something never seen in the United States in an animated movie and even exceeds that of most live action movies as well. It combines love and hate, war and romance, nobility and deception in ways rarely seen in movies today. Lines of good and evil are anything but clear cut and in the end is hope but no guarantees, no promises. This is truly an adult movie but my children, ages 12 to 15 all loved it and talked about it for days later. Even my wife who holds a strong prejudice against Japanese animation enjoyed this movie.

Go and see this movie. You won't be disappointed.

The first time I saw Princess Mononoke I was completely moved and surprised. Since it was a Studio Ghibli film dubbed by Disney I liked the fact that it wasn't a "they all lived naively ever after" film. There were no complete "good" or "bad" guys. Even Lady Eboshi the most antagonist character in the movie had a reasonable motive for trying to get rid of the animal gods and cutting down the forest. Although it her actions were environmentally damaging and wrong in general, she did it to help her people survive which is what all the species on Earth strive for. Another wonderful aspect of the plot is that it sends a message - Protect the Earth and all will survive in peace - a message either discreetly or strongly portrayed in many of Miyazaki's films. Perhaps the portrayal of this message (and the tiny hint of San and Ashitaka's romance and Moro's views on nature) was what made the film so touching to me.

Like many Miyazaki movies, the animation (as always) is wonderful and nicely detailed which is also another quality that genuine Disney films lack (thank goodness for Studio Ghibli). The music was beautiful and well suited to the movie.

The only predicament to the movie is that it is a bit downbeat and does not contain much happy laughter (oh well, I can watch My Neighbor Totoro - also a good movie - for happy laughter.).

10/10 - And my favourite movie of all time.

Princess Mononoke is, without a doubt, one of the best films I have ever witnessed. There has never been an animated film even close to this -- I kept thinking after I left the theater, how can Disney even have the guts to make another film after seeing this? Even live action movies pale in comparison to Princess Mononoke. There has never been a film to pay such close attention to details. Watch for the magnificent and subtle flying insects throughout the film, especially in the ancient forest, where bioluminescent dragonflies glide gently around the screen. There are thousands of subtleties such as this. You'd have to see it a dozen times to appreciate this film fully. Aside from it being the most beautiful film I've ever seen, it also has an enormously powerful script. The characters are some of the the most well rounded in all film. Ashitaka especially, the main character of the film, is so nuanced that he has become in my mind one of the great characters in film, up there with Charles Foster Kane and Jake LaMotta. I would compare him to Freder, the main character of Fritz Lang's Metropolis. His role in the film is a mediator between the forces of humans and the gods of nature. Both sides comment several times that Ashitaka must be on the other side, when he is trying desperately to convince everyone that there are no sides. Peace is the way. There is a little to be desired in the American voice talent. Claire Daines was certainly a wrong choice for San (Princess Mononoke), and Billy Bob Thornton just could not hide his southern accent, which made the character of Jigo seem more comical than he was probably supposed to be. Gillian Anderson's voice clashed with her character, the wolf god Moro, a bit. It hardly affected my passion. The film was so spectacular and beautiful that James Earl Jones could have voiced San and it would have detracted little. Definitely, though, I'm praying that they release the DVD with subtitle options. Anyway, Princess Mononoke is the best film of 1999, the best film of the 1990's, and, in my personal top ten list, no lower than #5, but closer to #2. 12 hours later and my heart is still beating with the power of Princess Mononoke! America: SEE IT!

I saw this film in Japan, in Japanese with no sub-titles, I don't speak a word of the language and I was still enthralled! It is Miyazaki most visually intense (surpassing, at long last, Nausicaa) and is alive with color and movement the like not yet seen in anime.

The story is complex, and after talking with Japanese friends, it is clear that much of it went over my head (particularly that relating to specific Japanese myths), but the important elements came through. Miyazaki's long infatuation with technology verses nature and man's relation to God (or gods) weave throughout the film as does his trend for strong women characters.

Even with the language barrier, the film is of such intense emotion that it caries you through to the end. The change in dynamic between the crashing fight scenes and the quiet scenes of healing by the lake is so broad and so well paced that I can't remember a film where my emotional state was so expertly varied.

If you have a chance to see this film, in any language, I recommend you do.

Fantastic film! It makes me speechlessly. Good dialogs, beautiful soundtrack,incredible animation effects (take a look at the rain, at the movement of the grass, hear the sounds of the steps) and interesting characters,who are everything but ordinary. Ashitaka is captivating (what a strength, what a heart, what a soul!); San (the Princess Mononoke herself) is intriguing; and Lady Eboshi is ambiguous -is she the villain? I don't think so. After all, who can blame her? Don't let the over exploration of themes related to ecology discourage you. Go ahead and watch Mononoke. It's a totally new way of treating the conflict between men and nature, which is far from its ending. Definitely, a jewel among the predictable animations of Disney and Pixar's also predictable jokes. There are no jokes here. TAKE A LOOK AT IT!

No matter what the New York Post said about it (as is recorded on many of the DVD editions of the film), this is definitely not the pinnacle of animated films, nor even of Miyazaki's own work. I really, really wanted to like this film more than I did. I am a big fan of Miyazaki and this is supposed to be his masterpiece, but I'm just not able to go that far in my own assessment of it. It was complex, and beautifully animated (as you expect from Miyazaki), but it left me a bit hollow. Part of it was the incredible violence in the film (NOT for children under 13, IMO), and part of it was hearing Billy Bob Thornton's drawl as the voice of Jigo, but a big part of my reluctance to rate this film more highly is that it felt a bit like Miyazaki was reaching for something that he had already grasped. I think he addressed almost identical themes in a much better way in Nausicaa. Princess Mononoke seemed uncharacteristically "preachy" and heavy-handed, in contrast with Miyazaki's generally subtle style. I know it's super popular and has a stellar reputation, but I just can't recommend it when there are so many other great works available from this true Artist of Anime.

I have seen many many animated features, but none compare to the talent that is shown in this anime. After seeing this for the first time, I could see why so many animators (especially disney animators) consider Mr. Miazaki a GOD! His animation style has the best "flowing motion" I have ever seen.

The American dubbing team, whoever they are did an excellent job picking voices, they got top notch actors to do the job right (unlike most animes today). They even took on the hair-pulling task of RE-ANIMATING the mouth movements to match!

This is by far one of the best films I have ever seen.

If, like me, your heart sinks at the prospect of another pious, sanctimonious, tub-thumping eco-fable, give "Mononoke Hime" a chance all the same. It does have a distinct, and far from subtle, ecological message, of the "can't we just live together?" variety, but on the other hand it's far from clear that the answer the film suggests is "yes", and there are plenty of nuances and subtleties along the way. More to the point, there's a proper story, well-conceived and well told, there's a memorable, beautiful and violent world, credible characters and a good deal of charm.

The animation is mostly very fluent and careful, though not flashy in the way we're getting used to in this CG age. ("Mononoke" uses cgi, but subtly and with restraint, so that the feel remains that of a group of traditional craftsmen under one guiding hand). Quite often one finds that there are more static elements in a tableaux than you'd expect in a Disney animated feature, but I think this is an aesthetic choice rather than a mere economy: it stylizes and formalizes, while focussing attention on the important elements in the frame. But there is occasional jerkiness, though not enough to detract seriously, and perhaps it wouldn't trouble audiences whose frame of reference isn't so western as mine - I'm not sure.

Talking of the western and eastern sensibilities, the Region 2 DVD which I'm reviewing gives you a choice of English and Japanese dialogue, and though I watched the American dub first, I'd generally prefer the Japanese version, for the key roles of Ashitaka and San. Billy Crudup is appealing but too low-key, and Clare Danes strikes me as badly miscast: she sounds a bit too old, and altogether too urban to bring out the core of wildness or the steely sense of loyalty to her world. Like other reviewers, I have trouble with the Texas drawl of Billy Bob Thornton, which is just too regionally specific to match the look of the character (please understand that I'm not suggesting the cast should all have done fake Japanese accents!). On the other hand, it's pretty much a toss-up between Yuko Tanaka and Minnie Driver (who's very closely attuned to the aesthetic of the original) as Eboshi, and Gillian Anderson and Jada Pinkett Smith are just right. Still, overall you get more vividness and conviction from the original voice cast. Oddly, the lip-sync seems more approximate in the Japanese version, perhaps a fault in the synchronization on the R2 DVD. The subtitles unfortunately but understandably come from Neil Gaiman's adaptation of the screenplay rather than re-translating the Japanese - one's aware, for example, that Gaiman has added bits of extra, explanatory dialogue.

With all that out of the way, let's concentrate on what makes the film work: it delineates a world that's at once mythological and believable, and refuses to sentimentalize or simplify (even if it occasionally allows itself to preach). There are feuds and failures of trust not just between the humans and the animals, but within each world - and the animals seem as ready as the humans to exclude the other from their world. Indeed the conceit of the film seems to be that language, rather than being a product of distinctly human evolution, was originally shared among mammals at least, and it's as the war with the humans goes on that the animal kingdom becomes more brutish and less coherent. For all the prince's idealism and the delicate rapprochement some of the characters inch towards, one gets the impression that the logic of conflict will be hard to resist.

Perhaps the most appealing and intriguing element in this world is the kodoma: the little, voiceless tree-spirits seem to be a cross-between a mushroom, a toddler and a rattle, and I defy anyone not to be captivated by them.

I have to admit one of the big holes in my cinematic appreciation is for the films of Studio Ghibli. Admittedly I haven't seen a lot of them, largely because the ones I have seen I haven't enjoyed that much. I watched "Princess Mononoke" as it's a DVD that ended up in my collection, and I'm watching them out the door in the direction of the charity shop. It wasn't the one to finally win me over.

Infected by a demon, Ashitaka (Billy Crudup) travels to the West to see if he can find a cure. He becomes embroiled in a battle between in the residents of Iron Town, led by Lady Eboshi (Minnie Driver) and San (Clare Danes) a human girl who rides with the pack of the Wolf Goddess Moro (Gillian Anderson). Ashitaka comes to learn that Iron Town has opponents on all side, primarily as they're clearing the forest in order to create iron ore.

It's not like I can't appreciate the effort that goes into making a feature length (mostly) hand drawn animated film, I can. I just can't get on board with this aesthetic, I appreciate that, like all animation, it takes a lot of skill and time - I just don't .... like it. I can't explain it any clearer than that.

Given that I'm sure I've already earned your downvote, I might as well double down on it and say that I also found the film dull, and too long. I understood and appreciated the environmental themes but as the story widened out, I found myself less and less interested in what was taking place. I broke my usual rule and watched the dubbed version too, rather than a subtitled one. The performances from the English dub cast are generally quite flat and lifeless too - perhaps by virtue of picking Hollywood stars for the roles, rather than specific vocal performers - which is why someone like John DiMaggio stands out.

I'm going to have to keep going with them, as it must be me that's the problem - but I've never warmed to Miyazaki's work, and this hasn't changed my mind.

Princess Mononoke is one of the best animated movies I have seen in a long time, and is up there with Studio Ghibli's best along with Spirited Away. I will say I am probably biased, as I am a huge Studio Ghibli fan, and love all of their films, I even like Cat Returns, which along with PomPoko is considered as one of the weaker Ghibli efforts. The animation in Princess Mononoke is absolutely stunning, with rich detailed backgrounds and brilliant character animation. The image of the Stag actually made my jaw drop. The music is fantastic as well, and although environmentalism is a subject matter very difficult to get right, what the filmmakers succeeded in doing was making a highly intriguing story that was not only original but succeeded in not being preachy at all. The film is also helped by the high calibre vocal talents of Minnie Driver, Claire Danes, Billy Bob Thornton et al (voicing quite remarkable characters) and a strong script. True, some of the images like the Demon Worm, may frighten younger viewers, but it is fair to say they were very powerful. All in all, Princess Mononoke is breathtaking and I recommend it highly. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Im a Big fan of Miyazaki... This movie is Definitely in his top 3...

Princess Mononoke's story is very in depth and it grabs your attention. Time after time. You may have to watch it a couple times to catch everything but you will fall in love with the characters and story every time you sit down to watch it

As for the art... Its Visually stunning yet again. Everything is depicted so well in Miyazaki's artwork from the humans to the Forest gods and everything in between

this definitely worth watching.

And if you like it you should definitely check out some of his others like Castle In The Sky, Howls Moving Castle and Spirited Away

Studio Ghibli has been Japan's leading anime Production Company since the 1980's, when legendary anime director Hayao Miyazaki released his first feature film "Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind" (1984). From the very beginning, it was clear that the Japanese director had a fantastic flair for animated film, and the uncanny ability to engross his audiences beyond the normal movie-experience that makes him the King of Escapism. Over ten years later, it seems that Miyazaki is still just as good, if not better, as he invites the world into his latest visionary fantasy, the cult classic "Princess Mononoke".

The film is set in Japan, during the Muromachi Era, and begins in the quiet peaceful township of the Emishi tribe, when young Prince Ashitaka (Yôji Matsuda), the last of the Emishi royalty, is wounded slaying a demon in an unexpected attack. When the tribe's wise-woman tells Ashitaka that the wound is a curse of hatred that will eventually kill him, he sets out on a journey to the west to discover the origins of the demon. What he finds is a war being waged between the villagers of Iron town, an industrious Iron-works fort led by the ruthless Lady Eboshi (Yûko Tanaka), and the beasts of the forest, represented by the beautiful Princess Mononoke (Yuriko Ishida), a human girl raised by wolves, with whom the cursed prince falls in love. Soon Ashitaka's efforts to make peace are put to the test by each side's bid for allegiance.

"Princess Mononoke" is a fantastic work of art on many fronts, and arguably Miyazaki's best film to date. While some of his other projects have had the same enchantment and excitement, "Mononoke" has an intriguingly dark and infinitely more mature feel, established by the bloody battle-scenes and sensitive color treatment, and solidified by a complex plot and rich, interesting characters. The most obvious illustrative trait of the film is the ambiguity of the characters' nature; the lack of distinction between good and bad. The ruthless lady Eboshi, while caring nothing for the forest or its inhabitants, is very compassionate towards the underdogs of her own community, such as the brothel girls and the lepers. And the wild wolf-princess, while desperate to defend her fellow forest-dwellers and protect the forest spirit, has a deep-seated mistrust of humans that even steeps into self-loathing at times. These interesting character traits make the film a lot more rewarding than many of Ghibli's other works, which were aimed mostly at children.

Of course, all these intriguing themes and characters are only a part of the film's wonder, because Miyazaki's true gift lies in imagery. The detailed animation of "Princess Mononoke" is astounding, drawing its audience into its environments, from lush forest to open fields to crowded marketplace and more; the team of animators that poured their hearts and souls into this film should take utmost pride in their accomplishments. Using minimal and tasteful CGI, the movie stays very warm and inviting even when the subject matter and mood is less-than-friendly. This is also owed to the audio aspects of the picture; the voice talents involved are highly engaging and enjoyable, even in the English dubbed version, which features such big western names as Billy Bob Thornton, Minnie Driver, Billy Crudup, Clare Danes and Gillian Anderson. Joe Hisaishi's music is also a rather splendid complement to the film.

Overwhelming success of the anime production in Japan alone stands as a testament to its fine quality. Breaking a 15 year record held by Spielberg's "E.T.", "Princess Mononoke" became Japan's No. 1 movie of all time in the year of its release, as well as taking the title of best-selling video/DVD of all time. It is also the most expensive animated Japanese feature in history, reaching a budget of 2.4 billion. Outside of its home-country, however, the film continues to inspire and engage audiences from all corners of the globe, taking a well-deserved place in the list of cult-favorites for film-lovers everywhere.

This is one the best movies Hayao Miyazaki has ever made. Absolutely wonderful job. The plot was at first a bit confusing, this is a movie that you have to watch more than twice: Its hard to get at first.

With beautiful backgrounds, carefully chosen seiyuus, Mononkoe Hime entertains both adults and kids.

The first time I watched Princess Mononoke, I was a bit confused about the characters. I wasn't sure what was going on, and who was this movie about again, who is this "Mononoke Hime". But as I watched this movie over and over again, the plot started opening, and I began to understand and realize things I didn't notice before.

I have always loved the way Miyazaki draws his characters expressions. Unlike some other anime movies I've seen, Miyazakis characters are more easier to read. And this is where the difference of reality and cartoons steps in. Its easy to overdo your characters expressions, and so spoil the movie, and make it look stupid, even childish. This isn't a mistake that Miyazaki would do. A big bonus for that!

Mononkoe Hime surpasses even the famous "Nausicaa, the valley of the wind". Im totally impressed!

Not the best studio Ghibli films, but it is a wonderful film. I enjoyed watching the film very much, but the duration of the film was a great negative. The film was sometimes very fast in showing some events and very slow in showing other events. This matter made me feel a little bored, the story of the film was talking about the relationship of man to nature This is an excellent thing, especially since the film is directed to children. This was shown to them. It was an excellent choice by the Ghibli studio. I could not love any character in the film despite my understanding of their goals until I could not get attached to them, the drawing of natural scenes in this film was impressive, I enjoyed very much Watching the movie and I recommend watching it

When I first saw 'Princess Mononoke' on Christmas eve back in 2006 I was 10 years old and couldn't really follow the story since I was quite disturbed from the explicit graphic content. Especially the giant pig suffering of a demonic disease scared the hell out of me back than. But never less is knew that this movie is something special, something I have never seen before. Since then I became a huge fan of Studio Ghibli and watched nearly everything they have produced. But still 'Princess Mononoke' stands out to me as their best work and to me is Hayao Miyazakis masterpiece. The topic of this movie is just as simple as complex. It's the fight between human culture coming with the technologic industry versus the nature and its variety of animals living in it and to this day it's a pretty relevant topic. The way both sides are portraied in this movie is just beautiful. Miyazaki manages to show both sides with all their strength and weaknesses. There's no good side or bad side. Instead every side can be understood by the viewer and even if you don't agree with their opinions you still are able to see why each side acts like they do. The visual work is top notch like always with Studio Ghibli. I love how they create a feeling for nature as one whole organism. I really recommend everyone to go watch this movie. To me this is one of the best movies ever created.

When he is touching by a demon while defending his village, Ashitaka is sent out to the West, from where the crazed demon originated, seeking a cure for the demon infection that will otherwise kill him. However, in seeking the domain of the gods he walks into the middle of a three-way battle between the samurai, who want Iron Town's iron deposits; Lady Eboshi who rules Iron Town and is stripping the forest of it's trees to mine it out; and finally the animals and spirits of the forest who must defend their homes, fighting for them is the human Mononoke, a young woman raised by the wolves.

It is hard to top Spirited Away, and it is maybe unfair of me to come to this film after I had seen that. This film cannot match the sheer wonder that I felt when I saw that film but this is still an accomplished film who's story is it's strength and weakness. The story is a pretty good tale that paints a reasonably good picture of this far off land, although some elements of the plot are a little thinner than I would have liked (namely the samurai). However it still manages to be engaging despite this - although of course it was never going to be as personal a story as Spirited Away. The obvious message of peace between man/industry and nature is more than just the usual one; where Lord Of The Rings was very much nature good, iron bad; this film is a lot more balanced and doesn't look at either badly.

While this runs in the background everything is fine but, when the film has to tie everything up it doesn't quite manage it. The ending is strangely very fast in happening and it ends on a morally good solution but one that I found to be emotionally quite unsatisfying. I must admit that the final 5 minutes left me feeling a little abandoned by the characters. However other than this the story is pretty exciting and the two hours go by pretty quickly.

The characters are interesting but I never managed to really get behind anyone other than Ashitaka. Eboshi was too unpleasant to relate to while Mononoke herself was too distant despite the occasional times where I felt for her. Part of this may be down to the voice cast in the US version. In Spirited Away the US cast fitted the film really well, here it is less the cast. Crudup is, ironically, one of the best voices in the cast. I say ironically because I couldn't place him in comparison to the more famous cast. Driver is OK but her character wasn't. Danes is pretty good and I felt that her character improved due to her good voice work. Anderson was miscast and her voice simply didn't fit her character at all (even with the echo added). Thornton was good for the more comedic role but slightly took away from the dramatic impact of the samurai. Pinkett-Smith brings her attitude to the role well and both she and Keith David are funny.

Visually it is as impressive as you would expect from Miyazaki. It all looks great, the whole land is filled with detail and it flows so freely. The spirits and gods are imaginative and very well drawn and the people show up just how basic stuff like Pokemon really is! It is a little too gory to be for kids (even though it is rated pg in the UK) but the vast majority of it is as detailed as you wished more kids' animation was.

Overall I really enjoyed this film but occasionally found it difficult to get past some of it's weaknesses. The characters are not all as strong as I would have liked and some of their voices aren't that good. The ending is a bit of a letdown as I was hoping for a more emotionally satisfying conclusion to the story. Despite this, it is still a wonderful film and easily one of the best animations I have seen.

On a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.

While Americans rarely see much for cartoons beyond the world of Walt Disney (or perhaps Don Bluth), we can thank fantasy author Neil Gaiman for getting this Japanese film properly released in the states. Between "Princess Mononoke" and "Spirited Away", there is much to be seen in the way of Japanese animation beyond the omnipresent anime.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times called Princess Mononoke "a great achievement and a wonderful experience, and one of the best films of the year." He is not alone in that sentiment. Almost twenty years later, the film has not decreased in its critical praise.

Some might watch Princess Mononoke and find ambiguity at times. It's goes beyond formula into something that challenged me, the interplay between the forces of nature where sometimes the seemingly 'good' side is not what it seems, until the bigger, darker picture comes into view. It's a purely imaginative effort, with a level of dramatic- more over cinematic- power that I'd compare with Kurosawa on a level. Princess Mononoke, in its uncompromising way, details the violence without pulling away while also being rather anti-violent in the process. It is also hard to pinpoint on any one level.

Visually it's got so much going on to practically experience the abstractions that Hayao Miyazaki folds up into the rest of the story. The story itself trails along with the best of epic fantasy, with this crucial, earth-shattering quest that works on that level of action-adventure (possibly more for adults despite the PG-13 rating here in the States) as well as the mythological side of things. Some have written that it is a bit of a complex film in structure and storytelling, bordering on confusing. I would disagree, though I can see what they mean- you have to pay closer attention than usual of more American films. But on a more profound level, if one could call it such, it's really not hard to follow.

The hero of the film, interesting enough, is the type of tragic hero, though with one clear sight amid the chaos on the two sides he encounters- peace. He is cursed by a sort of wormy-jelly demon that runs unyielding in the darker recesses of the world. He searches for something to rid him of his scars while on the human side at some points (mostly dominated by the women impressed- or against- his skills), and with those of the wolves on the other side. The title character is part of the latter, though also human, bringing a little more of the underlying symbolism with a character. Then there are also the boars ready to destroy the humans, even to their demise. Amid the battles that rage on, leading to the significance of a certain 'Deer God' as the centerpiece of the balance of the forests and civilizations, not too much is made explicit. At the same time, the side taken by the cursed hero is even questioned by one character, and with that part connected with the others the story trumps what could have been a kind of smothering over-symbolic representation into what is necessary and spectacular about the film.

In fact, I would estimate on just the near bravery of what Miyazaki is achieving in the film, it's one of the best films of its kind. And 'of its kind' in this case is the animated film that breaks conventions and the typical 'good vs. evil' logic. Many times the suddenness of things had me wide-eyed, and each creature or little variance on the creations- both good and evil- are elaborated with out compromise. The digitally-animated worm-Jelly type monsters are some of the more memorable ones, to be sure, as they book-end the picture in different extraordinary ways (the climax in particular probably ranks with the best of the last decade or so). The tiny bobble-headed alien creatures are also a delight as they rattle and gather and multiply and flee all around; this is the kind of scene that is dream-like to a truly weird and bright sensibility. And many scenes that have more of that samurai-movie quality to them (again, Kurosawa) are extremely well-done on their own as then they become mixed around again with the fantasy elements.

To say that the film is really a 'family' film might be not entirely accurate, as some of the battle and attack footage is pretty graphic in its own ways, if not as much as other more adult anime like Fist of the North Star or Ninja Scroll. There are even moments I would say that, had I been little and watching some of the more twisted and macabre scenes, I might have cried from it. But this is a credit to Miyazaki and his Studio Ghibli; for older kids this could mark as something that is, indeed, foreign to their expectations, at least American ones. It is a work of art, not just animation, that takes chances and isn't afraid to go for the right twists and leaps of creation and at the same time keeping its message noticeable but not overbearing. It's a film I can't wait to see again, and likely my favorite of the filmmaker's too, with the same cinematic drive as in the other works I've seen but reaching the ambitious heights it intends.