Production Year: 1997 - Family - Director: Hayao Miyazaki - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Gillian Anderson, Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Corey Burton, Keith David, Minnie Driver more
A beautifully realized tale of civilization versus nature, PRINCESS MONONOKE is a true epic by Japan's master animator Hayao Miyazaki. While protecting his village from a rampaging... more
released in Japan, where its combination of mythic themes, mystical forces, and ravishing visuals tapped deeply into cultural identity and contemporary, ecological anxi...
Princess Mononoke
A beautifully realized tale of civilization versus nature, PRINCESS MONONOKE is a true ... more
epic by Japan's master animator Hayao Miyazaki. While protecting his village from a rampaging boar-god, the warrior Ashitaka (Billy Crudup) is cursed with a rapidly spreading scar that threatens to end his life. Seeking a cure and a reason for the animal-god's attack, he journeys into the sacred depths of the Great Forest Spirit's realm. On the edge of this once serene forest, however, the Tatara clan have begun to destroy the surrounding land to produce iron. In retaliation, San (Claire Danes), the adopted daughter of the wolf-god Moro (Gillian Anderson), has begun raiding the Tatara fortress to stop their encroachment. Soon Ashitaka is caught in the middle and must stop the war between the humans and the forest dwellers before they destroy each other.Miyazaki, who was personally responsible for 80,000 of the film's 144,000 hand drawings, uses the story's lush feudal setting as a character unto itself, filling the screen with vast mountainous landscapes and gorgeous wooded glens that recall his early film, NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND. The film also features battle sequences that are reminiscent of the stunning live action warfare in Akira Kurosawa's RAN. The startlingly fluid movements of these mythological characters are detailed far beyond any other hand-animated production, easily making this one of the most spectacular animated films ever made.
Princess Mononoke
Young warrior Ashitaka receives a wound that refuses to heal in a battle with a cursed ... more
beast. Searching for a remedy for the supernatural injury, he leaves his remote village for the forbidding forests of the west, where he finds a human enclave under siege from divine powers: deities of times past, the wolf gods, and San, a wild girl of the forest.Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece depicts the clash between the natural world and its old gods, and the rise of humans and the beginnings of modern civilisation. It shows three elements of the Japanese psyche warring for supremacy in an epic ecological fable of stirring mythic power. The first of Miyazaki's films to gain mainstream attention in the West, Princess Mononoke features an English-language script by Neil Gaiman, author of Anansi Boys and American Gods, and vocal performances from Claire Danes, Minnie Driver, Billy Crudup and Gillian Anderson.
A review by PipJim on Princess Mononoke (Animated) (DVD) October 13th, 2005
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Loved it
Story
Outstanding
Characters / Performances
Outstanding
Special Effects
Outstanding
How does it compare to similar films?
Outstanding
Advantages:
A beautifully animated, superbly told story that will captivate all .
Disadvantages:
Rather lacking in DVD extras .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
A couple of weeks ago UK cinemas saw the latest release from Japanese anime director Hayao Miyazaki in the form of Howls Moving Castle. With that in mind I thought I'd go back and review one of Miyazaki's earlier, and greatest, films - Princess Mononoke.
Anime, for those who aren't already aware, is a form of animation native to East Asian nations and particularly Japan. Contrary to the animation of western cultures most anime is not aimed primarily at children with storylines and scripts that are often far more complex and indepth, covering subjects that mainstream western animation wouldn't dream of.
Within the genre the films Hayao Miyazaki, the writer and director of Princess Mononoke, are among those that receive the highest levels of acclaim. In his native Japan, Miyazaki is given the same sort of respect that is held here for the cream of Hollywood directors and, thankfully, he is beginning to gain an increasing number of fans here in the UK. This is due, in the main, to the Oscar winning masterpiece that is Spirited Away. Whilst Spirited Away is well worthy of receiving the mainstream popularity that it did it's also a shame that Miyazaki's other work wasn't particularly well known until Spirited Aways 2003 release as all are classic films in their own right. Princess Mononoke certainly is.
The film is set in a Japan of many centuries past. A Japan in which the great forests, that once covered all the land, are dwindling fast due to human intervention. And this destruction is having dire consequences. It's angering the Gods and spirits that for many years have safeguarded these forests. Yep that's right Gods and spirits for we are dealing with a world of fantasy here.
Our story begins when a great demon threatens the village of the last of the Emishi tribe. Thankfully the hero of the tale, a young Emishi prince by the name of Ashitaka, is able to kill the demon before it is able to reek havoc upon the his village. It turns out the demon was once a giant boar but his body was poisoned by a small iron ball that angered and corrupted the boar bringing out the demon within.
Unfortunately for young Ashitaka his battle with the demon has left inflicted with a terrible infection in his arm which the village wise women believes will spread throughout his body causing terrible pain and ultimately death. He now has but one option. He must travel to the west from where the iron ball came and attempt to find a way of lifting the terrible curse.
And so Ashitaka performs the ritual of cutting his hair and rides from the Emishi, on his loyal Red Elk Yakul, never to return again.
Via rather violent, though not overly graphic, battles with Samurai (that might make you question the PG rating given to this film) Ashitaka comes upon two injured men. Leading them through the realm of the forest spirit Ashitaka brings the two men back to their home settlement of Iron Town. In this Iron producing town (original name there then) he meets the Lady Eboshi whom, he discovers, is engaged in a battle with the wolf God Moro, her two offspring and San, a human child adopted by the Wolves over the forest mountain in which the forest spirit roams and the great riches it conceals beneath in iron form. What ensues is a race for Ashitaka to attempt to save all, man, beast and spirit, which occurs in the form of some of the most enthralling and dramatic scenes ever seen in animation.
In all aspects this film has been very well directed and produced. The storyline and script are both highly intelligent and remarkably engaging from first to last. Princess Mononokes subject matter of the battle between man and the natural world could, in the wrong hands, have lead to a film that is a little heavy going and possibly not entirely enjoyable. However Miyazaki broaches this serious matter skilfully with gripping character interaction and touches of humour from the likes of lesser characters Jigo and ex-working girl Toki. Add to this the thrill of the Gods, Demons and Spirits and you have a film that will captivate all from the word go.
As for the animation of Princess Mononoke well, there simply aren't enough superlatives in the world to do it justice. Step aside Nemo and Mr Incredible you can keep your computer generated wizardry if this is what can be done with the human hand. From the very first cell Princess Mononoke is nothing short of a work of art....and a very fine one at that. The backdrops are vast and beautiful while the characters are always perfectly detailed and their movements precise and life-like. I could happily watch this film on mute without subtitles and simply admire the view - all 2 hours and 8 minutes of it!
The characterisation within Princess Mononoke is also quite superb and the casting for the English version has pulled in some very talented and well known hollywood names. Ashitaka (voiced excellently by Billy Crudup) is highly believable as a young man who truly desires to achieve his direction. Lady Eboshi (Minnie Driver) is similarly brilliant exuding power whenever she graces the screen. The other major characters all play their part well too with Clair Danes as San being particularly well played and Gillian Anderson as Moro also deserving credit. However in truth it's some of the smaller performances that really make this film. Billy Bob Thornton is astounding and amusing as Jigo and some real laughs can be found in the forms of John Demitas Kohroku and his screen wife Toki, played by Jada Prinkett Smith. It's these characters and their performances that turn what would be a great film anyway into something that's really rather special.
If I do have one criticism of the casting it's that all the parts are played by Caucasian actors/actresses. Now whilst their performances are all of an extremely high standard I also feel the need to question why they can't get Japanese actors to play Japanese characters as it just seems to improve the authenticity. Now this is a minor quibble and if it really bugs you can always watch the Japanese spoken original with subtitles as provided on the DVD version of the film.
The Soundtrack of Princess Mononoke is near perfect for the film. It rises dramatically in moments of high drama without ever becoming over bearing. Elsewhere the classical score helps greatly in the setting of scenes and in creating all important atmosphere.
As for the extras included on this DVD well to be honest they're a little lack lustre. In addition to the normal inclusions of subtitles and scene selection there's a behind the scenes feature, original theatrical trailer and the aforementioned original Japanese version. The behind the scenes feature is worth watching once with contributions coming from, among others, some of the English language actors. But it's fairly short and nothing out of the ordinary. As for the trailer well it does exactly what is says on the tin. Pretty unnecessary really. However let these not put you off as it's obviously for the main feature which you'll buy this.
And what a main feature it is. It encompasses many emotions from anger and hatred through to minglings of both despair and hope. It's a wonderful story that's been animated to near perfection. I simply can't recommend this film enough. It's certainly one of my favourites and a must for anyone who's seen and enjoyed Miyazakis Spirited away. One word of warning though. Whilst this is a PG rated film there is a fair bit of cartoon violence that may make it unsuitable for the particularly young.
You should find Princess Mononoke readily available in most large high street DVD sellers. Currently no online retailers are selling it particularly cheap (I got it for onlt £5.99 a few months ago from MVC.co.uk I think) so I suggest you shop around or of course Ebay is likely to regularly have bargain copies (or go the whole hog and buy the Ghibli boxset from there which includes all of Studio Ghiblis great animated features and will prevent you owning this film twice as I now do!)
For fans of: Miyazaki, Anime in general, fantasy films and just plain well made cinema.
Thanks. Phil :)
More Reviews
Lord of the What? Review ofPrincess Mononoke (Animated) (DVD)by
tom1clare
Advantages: Stunning special effects/visuals, great characters, excellent soundtrack... Disadvantages: Too complex for some?
...what possessed me to buy Princess Mononoke, as I had never even seen a Japanese anime before let alone bought one. But, boasting some big name contributions and a very respectable price tag (£6.99 - better than half the price internet companies wanted for it), I decided to make a purchase. Even if I was enthusiastic about this films prospects, nothing had prepared me for how good it would eventually turn out to be.
The highest-grossing anime film ... ...Lord of the Rings - Princess Mononoke is every bit as good in terms of the stunning backdrops that are featured throughout, and though it is in animated form, the depth, detail and sheer originality of many landscapes is magnificent.
The characters are similarly brilliant. Ashitaka's quest is a painful and difficult one but adding to his problems is that as the mark of his curse grows bigger, he seems to react more and more to the anger and hatred ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Good story, Interesting creatures, It's a Miyazaki movie, Passable English dub Disadvantages: Seems a bit violent for a PG at times
...his quest and we meet Princess Mononoke (princess of spirits) whom turns out to be San, a girl raised by the wolf Gods. There we also discover the cause of the boar God's hatred as well as an ongoing dispute between humans and the animal Gods of the forest spirit. Will they settle their dispute and will Ashitaka lift the curse on his right arm? Princess Mononoke is a Japanese animation (or 'anime' to myself and many others) from Studio Ghibli and ... ...few. The animation style of Princess Mononoke is very similar to the other Miyazaki movies and doesn't have the classic anime character design whereby the girls have gigantic eyes. It's a more 'serious' animation style although still recognisable as something that originated from Japan by those familiar with the anime genre. It was originally released in Japan in 1997 but released in the UK in 1991. The Japanese name should be Mononoke Hime (Hime ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Imaginative | Story | Hayao Miyazaki | Epic Disadvantages: If you can think of anything wrong with this film, then please let me know
This is a review of Princess Mononoke movie done by Hayao Miyazaki (whom also did Kiki's Delivery Service and the Oscar winning film Spirited Away). I had no idea of this film till about 5 days ago, when a friend recommended it to me, and I was thinking, hmm why not? So I bought it off Play.com for really cheap at the price of £5.99. Then a few days past and it finally came, thinking to myself that I could not wait to watch it. Later that day, I ... ...the moments a lot.
Princess Mononoke is really worth purchasing is you are a lover of anime, or like the workings of Hayao Miyazaki. I got this from Play.com for £5.99 which is a barging for this type of movie, as it is what I would call an epic anime. I give this film 5 star * * * * *, as I found it very enjoyable, the characters were very good and the style is good, and also it is very imaginative.
LENGTH: 128 minutes
RATED: PG (The Most Violent ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Truly Beautiful Animation, Deep Plot Disadvantages: None
...this film is known as Princess Mononoke on this side of the world. Even though this doesn't sound like much, I mean you could ask the same amount of people if they have heard of something horrible like say, Charlies Angels and most people will recognize that one without even having to think about it. When it comes to anime though quite a few people don't even know what it is, and so this is why the amount of recognition the movie has recieved here ... ...nowadays, I would say that Princess Mononoke is one of the few that deserves the status that it achieves, in fact, it deserves much more. Title: Princess Mononoke Year: 1997 Director: Hayao Miyazaki Genre: Action / Animated I first heard of Princess Mononoke when I stumbled across it on television once. It was playing on Starz or HBO, but it really didn't look too interesting considering that I had started watching near the end. What's even more ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Marvellous animation, technically superior Disadvantages:
Princess Mononoke is a sweeping fantasy in 14th centuary Japan. Ashitaki, a young warrior, kills a monstrous beast that swarms out of the forest and threatens to destroy his village. In killing the beast, he is scarred. The wound threatens to kill him eventually unless he goes west to where the beast came from to find a cure. This heralds the begining of a sweepng eco-drama, in which we learn that the gods that inhabit the ancient forests of Japan ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Great film for all Disadvantages: none
...Well firstly this film is the work of studio Ghibli who happen to be one of Japans largest anime houses, and secondly this film has grossed something near to $150 million at the box office putting this film as one the highest revenue creating Japanesse films ever.
Review;- The story follows a young man who has been injured by a demon boar when protecting his home from an attack. He then has to leave severing his ties with his home, to find a cure for his sickness. This story follows his travels finding the cure and why the demon attacked in this first place.
Soon he realises that it's man causing the problems with their thirst for iron and lack of care for the environment and that the great wolf demon (lord) and his human cub (PrincessMononoke) are only trying to prevent the destruction created by man.
As an impartial veiwer our...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: Mostly super-presentation, interesting concept, plenty of extras Disadvantages: Under-developed plot, film only 42 minutes long, characters aren't memorable
...Having recently sampled in the delights of undiscovered anime classic 'PrincessMononoke', I decided it was time to investigate the genre a little closer. Blood - The Last Vampire was the next DVD I bought.
A manga animation, Blood is a curious film set in 1966, just before the Vietnam war started. Events focus around the young, mysterious girl Saya, who we first see travelling on an underground train, staring peacefully into space. Things begin to get a little more interesting however when she slaughters the other passenger in her carridge with her not particularly well-hidden sword.
It emerges that Saya is working with a team of undercover agents (think Men In Black-types and you've got it), whereby she seems to be some kind of demon-slayer, sent to kill beasties who can morph in and out of human form. The undercover agents track...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Plot: Ashitaka, a young prince becomes infected with a fatal disease and sets out to find a cure before it is too late. During his quest he becomes caught up in a battle between a mining town that is stripping the forest and the animals that live there. Leading the animals into battle is Princess Mononoke...
Release details
DVD Region: DVD
Studio(s): Buena Vista Home Entertainment; Technicolor Distribution Services
Release date: 22/10/2001
No of Discs: 1
Catalogue No: BED 888383
Barcode: 5017188883832
Screenwriter: Billy Bob Thornton, Hayao Miyazaki, Neil Gaiman
Voice: Minnie Driver, Keith David, Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Billy Bob Thornton, John DeMita, Jada Pinkett, Gillian Anderson
Languages
Main Language: English
Dubbed Language: Japanese
Subtitle Language: English
Hearing Impaired Language: English
DVD Description
A beautifully realized tale of civilization versus nature, PRINCESS MONONOKE is a true epic by Japan's master animator Hayao Miyazaki. While protecting his village from a rampaging boar-god, the warrior Ashitaka (Billy Crudup) is cursed with a rapidly spreading scar that threatens to end his life. Seeking a cure and a reason for the animal-god's attack, he journeys into the sacred depths of the Great Forest Spirit's realm. On the edge of this once serene forest, however, the Tatara clan have begun to destroy the surrounding land to produce iron. In retaliation, San (Claire Danes), the adopted daughter of the wolf-god Moro (Gillian Anderson), has begun raiding the Tatara fortress to stop their encroachment. Soon Ashitaka is caught in the middle and must stop the war between the humans and the forest dwellers before they destroy each other. Miyazaki, who was personally responsible for 80,000 of the film's 144,000 hand drawings, uses the story's lush feudal setting as a character unto itself, filling the screen with vast mountainous landscapes and gorgeous wooded glens that recall his early film, NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND. The film also features battle sequences that are reminiscent of the stunning live action warfare in Akira Kurosawa's RAN. The startlingly fluid movements of these mythological characters are detailed far beyond any other hand-animated production, easily making this one of the most spectacular animated films ever made.
Technical information
Special Features: Original Japanese Language, Original Theatrical Trailer, Behind The Scenes Featurette
Aspect Ratio: 1.85 Wide Screen
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 English Japanese
Animated: Animated
Professional reviews
Review: "...Elegant and visually sophisticated..." (Box Office, p.77, 01/07/1999)
"...A windswept pinnacle of its art....Anyone with a taste for sheer wonder will be in heaven..." -- Rating: A (Entertainment Weekly, p.71, 26/11/1999)
Ranked #6 in Entertainment Weekly's "BEST VIDEOS OF 2000" (Entertainment Weekly, pp.120-3, 22/12/2000)
"...A landmark feat of Japanese animation from the acknowledged master of the genre....This intricate, epic fable is amazing to behold..." (New York Times, p.E1, 27/09/1999)
"...It's hard to deny the ambition of the storytelling, the ferocity of the action, or the sheer weirdness..." -- 4 out of 5 stars - Watch More Than Once (Premiere, p.90, 01/10/2000)
"...[A] work of extravagant beauty and savage grace..." (Rolling Stone, p.145, 11/11/1999)
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