Apr 15, 2017
This is a spoiler-free review of Miyazaki Hayao's animated movie Mononoke Hime. I'll try to review this movie as professionally as I can with as much objectivity as possible.
First of all, I'd like to say that this is my first review on Myanimelist so bear with me when it comes to the overall length and lack of depth as I have decided to leave out a summary and as many spoilers as possible.
Princess Mononoke, or Mononoke Hime as it is known in Japanese, is the sixth of famous Hayao-Miyazaki-directed Studio Ghibli movies and also the first that is animated using CGI.
Story:
In terms of plot,
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Princess Mononoke is one of Miyazaki's strongest hits. The movie changes locations a lot and builds up a lot of tension and excitement for the viewer as the movie is gearing up for the big confrontation at the end of the movie. As this is also the first Miyazaki movie that's longer than 90 minutes, it gets enough time to build up and have a very satisfying finale without suffering from pacing issues.
Art:
Like any other Studio Ghibli movie, the art and animation is absolutely astonishing. It is highly recommended that if you decide to watch this movie that you get to watch it in 1080p or on blu-ray because every frame in this movie is so full of details that it would be very unfortunate to miss out on that, like when Ashitaka is trying to traverse a river, he ties his clothes to his bow and between Yakul's horns to prevent them from getting wet. In addition to that, this movie uses CGI to enhance some of its scenes and it works wonderfully. Instead of using CGI lazily to finish up the work quickly in a more cost-efficient manner, it's quite evident that the animators cared about every single frame they animated because this movie has some of the best CGI-animated scenes you can find. The CG simply blends into the handdrawn backgrounds so well without looking jarring at all. At last, it should be noted that this, unlike the other Studio Ghibli movies, is not a family friendly movie. Some scenes get very gritty and the movie does not hold back when it comes to showing blood or gore when it's appropriate.
Sound:
The voice acting is pretty solid and the voice actors were well-casted so no complaints here. And like every other Miyazaki directed movie, the score is incredible. Composed by Hisaishi Joe, some of the tracks are downright exhilarating, fitting into their respective scenes pretty well.
Characters:
Despite being the protagonist, Ashitaka is a relatively boring character who does not receive much development. He simply plays the role of the hero character and has by default always set his mind to be the hero. This means that he always makes the right decisions without thinking, as if he's just fulfilling his role as that type of character. Other than him, San, the wolf-princess and the mascot of this movie, has surprisingly little screentime and seems a bit downplayed in a way. She is without a doubt a very interesting character but the movie seems to lack some quiet moments where the viewer gets to learn more about how she is as a character. With that said, the characters in this movie do serve their purpose in this kind the story quite well. Despite the lack of development, these characters are still very likeable and interesting to watch. At last, I'd like to note that their character designs are really good and stand out in a positive way, especially San, for having this wild but still graceful look to her.
Enjoyment:
Ah, how Miyazaki never seizes to impress me. Princess Mononoke is an absolute gem and despite the hype that has been around this movie for the last decade, it's not difficult to understand why it's appreciated by so many people. Although the characters may come of a little bit disappointing due to their lack of development and San's lack of screen-time, they are still quite likeable and the story itself is more than enough to compensate for the few flaws the characters have. Furthermore, the animation is absolutely gorgeous and could even be considered a milestone for many aspiring animators and studios when it comes to making believable and convincing movement and blending 2D and 3D animation together.
Overall rating: 09/10 and highly recommended.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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