Slow in the middle, but overall great

Rating: 8/10 (17 August 2010)

I do love this movie. It is just a little slow in the middle. The soundtrack is amazing and the visuals are top notch. There is a reason that Miyazaki is a god among animators, but I honestly think this is one of his weaker films. The characters are one of the most important thing for a movie for me and this movie did not have the strongest characters. I enjoyed them and I enjoyed the fact that Ashitaka was consistent when it came to his moral compass, but the arcs of any of the characters are almost non-existent. There are both scare and suspenseful moments followed by sweet moments that are really enjoyable. I guess the visuals and the universe Miyazaki created is what makes this movie so special. Unfortunately I did not every connect with any of the characters. I think he does a better job with delivering his message with other movies without it being so in your face. It is a great movie, but I do not think it deserves classic status. The middle of the movie was slow because of the characters, but it was really book ended with some truly great and memorable moments. The last big action set piece is one of a kind and I would have thought he would have never topped it if I had not seen Ponyo.