Touching

Rating: 10/10 (17 February 2003)

(May contain spoilers) This is not one of your typical cartoons. This is a movie about a young man named Ashitaka. In the early parts of the movie a demon boar attacks his village. He fights off the demon but is touched by it causing him to have a curse. He finds that the curse will spread like a disease and kill him. At the same time the curse gives him superhuman strength and agility. (Shown by him pushing open a huge door, that would take ten men to open normally, Inspite of a bullet wound) He tries to find a way to cure himself or at least do some good before he dies. Now that is one of the plots. The others include a man looking for a God's head in order to gain eternal life, a woman running an iron making town who is constantly being opposed by other men and the very forces of nature, and a girl raised by a wolf god who tries to protect the forest from the miners. Put Ashitaka in the middle to try and make peace and you've got one of the most excellent animated films ever made. Although the fantasy and bloody violence the movie has a background message that everyone deserves to live no matter how intent they are on destroying their antagonists. The film has an excellent score, incredible animation (especially considering the scenery), very rounded characters, and a wonderful theme to top it off. The only part that is disappointing is the dialogue in the last few minutes of the film is cheesy. Inspite of the small flaw near the end i give this movie an 8.5 /10.