some great concepts but dialog needs work

Rating: 7/10 (18 June 2015)

In feudal Japan, Ashitaka protects his village and kills an attacking demon boar. Part of the curse infects his arm. Village elder tells him to travel west to find a cure and encounters a monk who tells him about the great forest spirit. In Irontown, he finds leader Lady Eboshi who freed girls from the brothels and trying to perfect her guns. She is cutting down the forest and killing its animals. Her holy grail is to cut off the head of the forest spirit. She is opposed by animals of the forest and Princess Mononoke who was raised by wolves.
I really like the spirits of the forest. I wonder if the movie needs a true villain. Lady Eboshi is more of a Captain Ahab character. The conflict doesn't have the same punch. The other main problem is the clunky dubbed dialog. It really takes work to make the dialog sound natural and not just simple translations. Overall, this has some great imaginative concepts and spirits. This is a special animated movie.