Animated Brilliance...

Rating: 10/10 (22 March 2013)

To a lot of people here in America, who have been raised with Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Shrek, Woody, Spongebob, Batman, Spiderman, and so forth, tend to toss aside any remote idea of watching anything that is "anime." Why? Because it's very different then what we're used to, and anything we see related to anime is usually kid oriented or just flat out weird that we turn a blind eye to this form of animation.
But we should not, anime is a fantastic genre in both animation and its own form of comics called "manga". We should not ignore this, and open our eyes to some of these wonderfully animated films and shows from Japanese animation. And I think a good start is with the Studio Ghibli films, who have been partnered with Disney for quite some time now actually, and almost all of the films to come out of this studio are wonders.
Like "Princess Mononoke."
Here's an animated movie that is definitely geared towards a more older teen/adult audience, but not only because of the bloody violent or scary moments, but because of the surprisingly compelling message that it tries to get across. That not only should nature be cherished and preserved, but also that whenever there is good and evil conflicting, there is no "fairy tale" guarantee that good will conquer, or even if both sides would be spared by destroying something far greater than either could have ever imagined.
The film does so incredibly well with pulling you right into it, with it's compelling storyline about a young man Ashitaka (Billy Crudup) who is poisoned by a demon and will inevitably die, and makes a journey to find out how this demon originated, eventually having to make the more then tough decision of what side he should be assisting: nature, or man. And after coming across an ever determined princess of the wolves, Mononoke/San (Claire Danes), he is confronted with obligations greater than he could have comprehended, whether or not he should help man conquer the pest of nature and the Forest Gods that fight for it, or protect an essence of life itself, the Forest Spirit.
"Even if all the trees grow back, it won't be his forest anymore. The Forest Spirit is dead." -San/Mononoke "Never. He is life itself. He isn't dead, San. He is here with us now, telling us, it's time for both of us to live." -Ashitaka
Along with some of the most gorgeous animation you've ever seen in any animated feature, this film is brimming with luscious scenery, creative creature/characters constructs, and both luminous and dreary settings to go through. Action scenes can be quite engaging, and even the most calm of scenes where characters are just talking, the animation just never ceases to amaze.
The English-dubbing for the animation is just fantastic, each voice actor putting forth some of their best performances in their career, including voices like Billy Bob Thorton, Corey Burton, and even Jada Pinkett Smith.
Simply every aspect of this film is fantastic, and it shines tall as one of the best animated features to date. Everything from its great animation, stellar voice cast, a moral/meaning that even adults can learn from, and all from the, again, brilliant Hayao Miyazaki.
Even if you're used to the traditional Disney or Warner Bros. animation and don't really plan on venturing too much into the world of anime, it would be unwise not to give this a watch. It will be well worth your time, and you'd never regret it.
10/10 By: sonicfan5715/Jeffrey