Fascinating Mythology

Rating: 8/10 (16 September 2016)

A visceral story from the brilliant mind of Hayao Miyazaki, Princess Mononoke is a joyous ride through the eyes of Ashitaka, a brave warrior who finds himself caught in the crossfire of relentless humans and vicious creatures of the forest.
Speaking of relentless, even at over 2 hours long, this film flies by with brisk pacing and gorgeous animation by Studio Ghibli. For an animation film, the runtime is unusually long, but the epic scope and beautiful storytelling transcend typical animations. One of my first thoughts while watching was how good this story could be in live- action form. Even if it's a television series, the lore calls for this to be adapted into live-action.
The mythology is incredibly well-realized and thought out as well. Each of the several sides to this ongoing battle against the forest have reason for fighting. Yes, Ashitaka is the protagonist, but I wasn't necessarily rooting for any particular side to win. That's when you know the characters have plenty of depth.
My only real complaint here is that sometimes the dialogue comes out a bit dull and lacks the gravitas that the very scene calls for. Of course, this may only be in the English dubbed version that I watched, or the script. Either way, the story is brilliant, but the dialogue just didn't match it.
Above everything else, Princess Mononoke is a special film. It transcends the usual tropes of animated films by being a viscerally graphic war film with plenty of heart and thought provoking ideas. It's no surprise this is praised as one of Miyazaki's very best films.
+So different than any animated film
+Meaningful violence
+Interesting mythology
+All characters have depth
87/100