Title: Princess Mononke
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Voice Talent: Billy Crudup, Gillian Anderson, Claire Danes, Minnie Driver, Billy Bob Thornton, Jada Pinkett Smith
Score: 10/10 A small note before we start. This is my all-time favorite movie, and a perfect example of what anime should be. Even people who have proclaimed to hate anime have loved this movie. Up Front: Quick warning, a few minor spoilers ahead. Nothing serious though. Anyway, the flick starts off with our heroic young protagonist Ashitaka defending his village from the attacks of a rampaging demon god. Cursed by the dying monster, Ashitaka leaves his home behind and embarks on a journey that introduces us to a large cast of colorful characters, ancient gods, the eternal conflict between man and nature, and a cute wolf-chick. A fairy tale of epic proportions, the kind of movie that leaves you a different person (at least, it did me). Animation: In a word, stunning. In two words, extraordinarily stunning. In three words, well, you get the idea. Japanese animation has a reputation for shoddy artwork, but Mononoke doesn't cut any corners. Lush, beautiful forest imagery, along with harsh, brutal battle sequences and fearsome mythical creatures will stay forever etched in your brain. Score: Like the rest of the movie, huge and sweeping. Not the sort of thing you can whistle to yourself on the way to work, but definatly nothing you'll forget anytime soon. Voice-Overs: Billy Crudup weighs in as the voice of our lead Ashitaka, and handles it admirably. He is subdued, but intense. Claire Danes takes the title role, and manages to convey a lot of emotion. Minnie Driver is priveleged to take on the part of the ambitious Lady Eboshi, and does an excellent job exploring every facet of her fascinating and complex character. Jada Pinkett Smith seems oddly out-of-place as Toki, as her voice is just a little too distinctive to be convincing in the part. Gillian Anderson is very impressive with Moro, the wolf god. I wouldn't have thought she could handle such a strage part, but I guess that shows what I know. Billy Bob Thorton rounds out the unique cast as the devious Jigo, and is probably the funnest performance in the movie. Criticism: Despite my unending love of this movie, I do have a few gripes about it. Some of the dialouge is odd and nonsensical, and a couple lines still leave me scratching my head after the dozenth viewing. Mononoke is quite tame in anime terms, but part of the finale is obscenely gruesome, and turns more than a few stomachs. Also, the finale seems just a bit too long. It reaches an apex too early and has nowhere to go. Still, these are pretty small issues in the grand scheme of things. The Bottom Line: What are you all doing still reading this, you should be out renting the movie! |