The world's best filmakers at their best.

Rating: 10/10 (16 January 1999)

Miyazaki is never perfect, but man, he gets so close.
Setting the record in Japan for the highest-grossing film of all time, "Mononoke Hime" -> "Spirit Princess" beat out everything Spielberg and Cameron ever made. While the scenario somewhat resembles Miyazaki's earlier work "Nausicaä", even as a re-make this movie is a marvel. The characters (both human and not) are strong and colorful, unlike Disney's one-dimensional cash-cow arsenal of clowny sidekicks and sappy heroes. The animation quality that exceeds Disney's best is combined with artistic skill and rich music to sculpt scenes of intensity and beauty mainstream America has never seen. The end of the movie and return to reality creates such a sharp sting of nostalgia ("dump shock") that no one can see this movie only once.
Disney and its horde of 2nd-rate translators are releasing this movie in April 1999 in a meagre 4000 screens. Hardly respectable treatment for the Japanese all-time blockbuster that beat the best of the best.