The most beautiful movie I have ever seen

Rating: 10/10 (2 March 2008)

I haven't seen this movie in a long time, but I still stand by my choice as this being the best film of the 1990s (that I saw anyway). This was simply the most stunning and beautiful animation I have ever seen. Disney wishes they can make a movie that looks this good. From the opening scene in Ashitaka's village to the forest of the gods, and even the factories of Iron Town, Miyazaki never lets up on creating a wonderful piece of cinematic beauty (He drew over half the frames himself). Also his attention to detail with how the rain falls and hits the ground, how characters move and talk, and flies buzzing in the background. Hell, live action movies wish they could do something this good.
All that is worth two hours of your time, but now we add a complex story where there are no good guys and bad guys just people. There is a lot of action in this film which is unusual for a Miyazaki film, but the plot calls for it, and it doesn't detract from the character development. Each character is well defined and has real depth. The screenplay is powerful and emotional. Most live action films can't achieve the complexity of Princess Mononoke, and it would have to be even harder for animation to convey real life feelings, but as I watched it, the script and beauty kept drawing me in further and further.
The voice acting was OK for the US version, and outstanding for the Japanese version. Billy Bob Thorton was completely wrong for any part of this movie (a southern accent in Japan?). The other American voices were all adequate. Interesting note, the voice for the wolf god that Gillian Anderson does was done by a male for the Japanese version. The music was as breathtaking as the animation, and was a perfect match, especially at the end during the restoration scene. This is one of the best musical scores I ever heard, and I'm surprised it didn't get the recognition it deserved. Anyways, the song (Japanese, not American) was also beautiful. 10/10 for both US and Japanese versions, but watch the Japanese version if you can.