Princess Mononoke

Princess Mononoke (H. Miyasaki, 1997)

The world of Myasaki has always fascinated me and it always stuns me. I’ve seen this movie many many times over and I enjoy it more everytime. I don’t know if it’s the enchanting, intelligent storyline or just the wonderful imagery that goes with it. I think this movie achieve a whole that is really perfect and magical and this is so rare in movies. Thank god for animation. Eventhough it is traditional 2D animation, there is some great innovative stuff that comes out of Japanese anime and have an edge over American and European production : the characters are more dynamic and more visually interesting. I’m thinking a lot about the monsters in the movie when I say that. They are animated in a very 3D and flashing way that I think is impressive. This movie, along with ghost in the shell and akira, really opened the way for modern Japanese anime into the American market which isn’t an easy market. This movie was rated PG13 for good reason and I think it shouldn’t be looked upon as a children’s movie. This is very much an adult movie that is touching, intelligent and brave.