Complex and slow-moving battle between humans and the forest gods...

Rating: 4/10 (13 September 2009)

1st watched 9/12/2009 – 4 out of 10 (Dir- Hayao Miyazaki): Complex and slow-moving battle between humans and the forest gods didn't really play that well to me. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'm not that in tune with the Japanese culture, but I just have to call things as how I see them and this animated movie by famed director Miyazaki didn't cut it for me. I think the main problem is that he didn't make us care for the characters involved and any movie that misses this part, I usually don't recommend. Miyazaki definitely winds an inventive story with unique animation and interesting demons and creatures as he usually does but the heart comes across missing. The story is about a group of humans who want to take the forest back from the animal gods who currently inhabit it and sometimes cause havoc with they turn into demons. This situation occurred early on and the prince of the story becomes infected to the point of having a curse on him that will eventually cause him to die. He's sent west to a forest area to hopefully get cured by the Deer God. He then meets up with Princess Mononoke, who is a half-human, half-wolf protector of the forest and tries to combine with her to help the cause, eventually. Battles ensue, and we do end up getting a happy ending – which we knew we'd see eventually, but two hours of the preparation for it was too much for me. I think the purpose of the story was to get us to see how we need to protect the forest, which I think we know, but the slow moving narrative ruins the purpose. So, a beautiful film again by the director but this one didn't hit home.