A True Masterpiece of Animation.

Rating: 10/10 (17 November 1999)

I simply wasn't prepared for this film. I honestly can't remember seeing a recent animated film that has swept me away like this movie did. Actually, disregarding the fact that this is an animated film, this is one of the best movies that I've seen in quite a while.
For some reason, I kept looking for a reason to be disappointed, but I couldn't. Some flaw. Some story element that just didn't click. But it never happened. The animation is incredibly fluid and conveys with an incredible amount of detail the personalities of the main characters. The musical score is gorgeous, ranking up there with some of John Williams and James Horner's best works. Neil Gaiman's translation is intelligent and natural sounding, and the voice acting is excellent. It's not as quite as bloody as some people would have you believe, but it does have its fair share of violence.
Actually, the only thing I found strange was Billy Bob Thornton's voice and the look of Jigo. The voice just didn't match the face. But that's not to say Thornton gave a bad performance.
If this film is overlooked as just an "animated film", then it's a true loss on the critics' parts. It deserves a chance at "Best Foreign Film" or even "Best Picture". This is a beautiful fantasy epic, and it's understandable why this was Japan's big money-maker. I'm really pleased that Miramax/Disney brought this movie to America with the care that they did. I hope to see more, and I can't wait until the DVD comes out. Recommended to fans of fantasy, animation, or people who just enjoy a quality movie.