Princess Mononoke...dubbed version

Rating: Null/10 (27 September 1999)

I was fortunate enough to see this masterpiece at its New York Film Festival premiere. I was accompanied by my two children, budding anime afficianados. I won't repeat the comments of others who praise this film for its technical wizardry, morality, soundtrack and sophistication. You can read their comments above (and below). What I will comment on is this film's suitability for children. My prior encounters with anime left me somewhat disturbed; while aware of its technical merit, I also found its reliance on violence and brutal treatment of women to be unpalatable. We adopted a rule in our house: no animes with sexual themes or excess violence. We felt this to be an appropriate rule for a nine and eleven year old. You will not have to have any such concerns with Princess Mononoke. I would rather my children see it than almost any Disney (or for that matter other big-studio American) animation. Children will be fascinated by the stunning visual images, the action and the adventure. But they will also be stimulated to think about hatred, destruction of nature and bravery. My children applauded briskly at the conclusion of the film, declaring it the best film they had ever seen.