Very Slick Anime Epic

Rating: Null/10 (23 August 2002)

I have always been interested in the field of animation, but one major chunk of the industry has alluded me for quite some time. That would be anime, a genre of animation that continues to be insanely popular in the East but widely regarded as geek-fare over here in the States. My interest rose upon hearing about Hayao Miyazaki and his wonderful films that have broken box office records in Japan. The first film I saw that was directed by him was Kiki's Delivery Service, a charming movie with a leisurely pace and appealing characters. Princess Mononoke is a very different beast, however, and is not a kid friendly fable by any means. It's a very complicated war epic that combines mythology and politics to make one amazing adult film. Sure, there is some great comic relief, but there are also decapitated soldiers, demon boars who puke buckets of blood, and characters who get shot point blank. In short, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING YOU SHOW TO THE KIDS YOU'RE BABYSITTING WHILE YOU GO AND PIG OUT ON PIZZA HOT POCKETS. The only people I see watching Princess Mononoke are mature fans of animation who can handle some gore and a deep, convoluted plot. Your basic summary of the movie's story might go something like this: A prince kills a rampaging demon that tries to attack his village, and in the process receives a deadly cures that will slowly poison his mind and body. He must now journey deep into the forest and try to find a cure, but along the way he meets a large cast of characters who are at war with one another. There's the samurai, who want the ore of Iron Town, a soft spoken warrior who guards that town, and the creatures of the forest, who are led by Princess Mononoke. At over 2 hours long, you can trust that this is just a small piece of the complete tale. The ending is a classic moment involving destruction and rebirth, and is one that cannot be missed. My favorite character had to be the Forest Spirit, a creature with bird-like legs, elk antlers, and the face of a human. I won't say anymore. Just see it, and then check out other Miyazaki flicks like Spirited Away, My Neighbor Tortoro, and Castle in the Sky. ****/****