Yet another Miyazaki triumph

Rating: 10/10 (8 November 2005)

This is the 4th Miyazaki film I have seen so far (the others were "Kiki's Delivery Service", "Spirited Away", and "Princess Mononoke"). All I can say is that the man is a genius. This one is slightly different from his other films in that it leans more towards sci-fi than fantasy ... also, for the most part the focus of the animation is on architecture and structures, whereas most of his films are more about nature (though there are some beautiful natural scenes, especially later in the film). The animation is superb as usual, and the soundtrack is arguably the best of any of the aforementioned films. But the best thing about this movie is the strength of the character relationships; the true love and friendship between Pazu and Sheeta is one the most beautiful and heart-warming things I have EVER seen on film ... (also, the character 'Uncle' provides a rough prelude to one of the best characters in "Spirited Away", Kamagi the boiler-man); the character depth in this film also provides stark contrast to the dark, story-and-message focus of "Princess Mononoke" (probably my favourite Miyazaki film). Overall, this is another simply superb Miyazaki film - another true animated classic.