A Hayao Miyazaki Film

Starring: (the voice (English) talent of:) Luca Padovan, Robert Pattinson, Karen Fukuhara, Gemma Chan, Christian Bale, Mark Hamill, Florence Pugh, Willem Dafoe, Dave Bautista

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"A gray heron once told me that all gray herons are liars. Is that a lie, or is it the truth?" - Kiriko

Why watch this? A masterfully animated offering full of fantasy and discovery.

Plot Summary: After losing his mother during World War II, a young boy named Mahito moves to the countryside, where he struggles to adjust to a new life with his father and stepmother. He is soon haunted by a mischievous talking heron who lures him into an abandoned, ancient tower, leading him into a fantastical, surreal world shared by the living and the dead. While navigating this dangerous new realm to find his missing stepmother, Mahito embarks on a journey of self-discovery.

Dad's Preview:  Directory Miyazaki announced that this is his last animated film. This marks the end of an era for animated films, heck to films in general. The creator of Spirited Away (2001) and Howl's Moving Castle (2004), always populates his colorful, symbolic tales with fantasy realms, incredible creatures, and lessons for us all. This story seems semi-autobiographical, with a few of the plot points mirroring the creator's life events. However, it is more than that. There is a buried message that he is inviting someone to take over the void that will be left when he has gone... or not. There's no guarantee that your legacy will be continued. And that, as it is for the story's protagonist, Mahito, is what growing up is all about: The fact that each generation faces a new world. It takes a mature person, one who has endured pain and confusion, to make or find their way in that new world.

Studio Ghibli; Toho