Princess Mononoke (Special Edition) > Reviews > Another brilliant Miyazaki production

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Story	Outstanding
Characters / Performances	Outstanding
Special Effects	Good
How does it compare to similar films?	Outstanding

Advantages:	Brilliant plot, art, animation, character development and just about anything you can think of .
Disadvantages:	Little extras on the DVD

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

After being introduced to Miyazaki's work through the impressive Spirited Away, I decided to look at some of his older films. I purchased this DVD in a bundle with some other Studio Ghibli, but I enjoyed this one the most. If you enjoyed Spirited Away you are going to love this film.

The Film:

Storyline - The film's protagonist, Ashitaka, receives a fatal wound while battling a deranged demi-god. He is banished from his village and leaves on a quest to understand his wound before it finally kills him. The story spirals from there, with Ashitaka meeting wolf-girl San and her wolf-clan, along with a large host of interesting and developed characters. The characters really are powerful in this film, ranging from once powerful gods, to a fantastical spirit of the forest and a host of women saved from the harshness of city life only to work in a gun production factory.
Without giving anything away what starts as one final adventure for Ashitaka becomes a historic battle between man and nature, forcing Ashitaka to choose sides. Miyazaki yet again makes a powerful statement about the destruction of todays wildlife.

Art and Animation - The character designs are beautiful. The animation is fantastic for its time, and still holds strong after being more than a decade out of date. Being the first anime film to successfully mix 3D animation on top of 2D, this film really was groundbreaking. I watched this film on a big screen, nearing 50'' and the visuals could easily handle the size.
On the other hand don't watch this film expecting visuals on par with a film such as Ghost in the Shell, but do expect something very close.

Sound and Music - With a powerful music score that enhances the plot and really gives the film a more powerful edge, the music in this film does not disappoint. The English voice over track is sound, featuring some familiar voices. The Japanese track has to be the way to watch the film for true anime buffs.

The DVD:

The DVD delivers the visuals and sounds perfectly. The extras are thin but considering the bargain price tag with this edition I wasn't too bothered.

A must see film for anime fans, and a brilliant film for the whole family to watch. A brilliant breath of fresh air if you are a parent used to watching countless Disney films with your kids.