A Masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (27 July 2014)

Princess Mononoke is one of Studio Ghibli's most acclaimed films, only behind Spirited Away. And few films deserve so much praise. Princess Mononoke is beautiful, emotional, and surprisingly violent. When I first watched it at 13/14, it was like nothing I'd ever seen, and it holds up.
Miyazaki's films, especially Castle in the Sky and Nausicaa, focus on man's relationship with nature. But in these films, its clear that the environmentally-unfriendly military men are the bad guys. There is little characterization to them. Princess Mononoke is the ultimate evolution of these ideas, where neither side is portrayed as good or evil. Lady Eboshi, the leader of the mining town, is callous towards nature, but kind to her people, taking in those society has thrown away. The gods and beasts of the forest exhibit similar love and hate. This balance makes the world more realistic, and the danger more terrifying. And while some sort of peace is made between the sides, Miyazaki doesn't force a perfect answer.
But its more than environmental commentary. The animation is among the best. Combined with majestic backgrounds of nature and a dramatic orchestra score, only other Ghibli films come close to matching Princess Mononoke's beauty. The action is thrilling, with perfect dramatic tension and intimidating creatures to face against the humans. Its one of the hardest PG-13 films I've seen, so don't show it to underage kids.
Princess Mononoke is an anime classic. Everyone whose a fan of animation has seen this film. I'm just another voice gushing over it. If you're not a fan of anime, I promise you it doesn't fall for its immature tropes. If a 9-star film had to be a 10, I'd choose this one.