A major achievement, unfortunately marginalized in the States

Rating: 8/10 (7 April 2008)

Disney has always dominated the animation market here in the States with their popular, streamlined, well-crafted series of films aimed at children with a little extra thrown in to keep the parents interested. But it's a different story in Japan, and one look at "Princess Mononoke" will show you the exact reasons why. Whatever you may think about Japanese animation (or "anime", as it's popularly known), one thing you have to understand is that it's definitely NOT aimed at children, and that the level of animation is far superior to anything the House of Mouse has ever produced. This film, which I consider one of the greatest ever made, is the story of young Prince Ashitaka. While defending his tribe from a rampaging demon, he is infected with its' venomous hate. The infection is lethal, and the only hope for Ashitaka is to leave his ancestral lands, venture into the west, see what caused the entity that attacked his people to turn into a demon, and "to see with eyes unclouded by hate". His journey takes him to Irontown, a village of miners and metalworkers, and their struggle with the Great Forest Spirit. At that point, it becomes a moral fable about how humans coexist (or more often, fail to) with the natural environment and the price that they pay for trying to control the elements of nature. It's a tremendously fast-paced and exciting story, full of strong and well-rounded characters voiced convincingly by the likes of Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Gillian Anderson, Minnie Driver, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Billy Bob Thornton. The animation can only be described as jaw-droppingly beautiful. If you've never heard of director Miyazaki or have never seen anime, this is the place to start.