Another Good Miyazaki Entry

Rating: 7/10 (30 March 2009)

Although not among my favorite Miyazaki films, Princess Mononoke must be given high praise for what is the standard for classical animation - Miyazaki. It's story is intriguing, but perhaps the most violent of any Miyazaki film - maybe too much. Despite that, it conjures up an interesting more historically leaning movie pitting man against nature. My favorite ideas in the movie were the kodama or forest sprites living in abundance to mark the health of the natural growth of plants, flowers, and animals as well as the kami-shika (deer god). Both were fantastically creative. The characters in the movie were fairly well done and the lack of romance was appealing. Perhaps more than other Miyazaki movies the hues of green in this movie jump out of the screen in colors as striking as any Miyazaki film. What I found a bit lacking (only in comparison) was some of the wonder and fantasy in other Miyazaki films which carry them to truly magical heights. Nonetheless, Mononoke-hime is a violent cautionary tale maybe meant to be so to jolt his usual audiences.