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Princess Mononoke (1997), Director: Hayao Miyazaki,
rated PG-13
The Fate Of The World
Rests On The Courage Of One Warrior.
  Starring:
(English voice cast:) Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Minnie Driver, Billy Bob
Thornton, John DeMita, John DiMaggio, Jada Pinkett Smith, Gillian Anderson, Debi
Derryberry, Keith David, Tara Strong
DML Rating:
★★★★★★★★★☆
- near perfect
"Now watch closely,
everyone. I'm going to show you how to kill a god. A god of life
and death. The trick is not to fear him."
- Lady Eboshi
Why watch this? It
is yet another wonderful animated treasure from the mind of
Hayao Miyazaki.
Plot Summary:
Set in the Muromachi
period of Japanese history, young Prince Ashitaka is cursed by a
demonized boar god and must journey to the west to find a cure.
There, he becomes embroiled in a conflict between Iron Town, a
community encroaching upon the forest and its inhabitants, and
the forest spirits, led by the enigmatic Princess Mononoke.
Ashitaka attempts to mediate between the opposing forces,
seeking a path to coexistence before the escalating violence
consumes both humans and nature.
Dad's Preview:
If you enjoyed Dorothy's journey in Oz, or Charlie's adventure
in Willie's factory, then this amazing fantasy fare might be
right up your alley. Director/Writer Miyazaki creates such
incredible visuals that, at first, you might be overwhelmed.
This quest through Japanese mythology, where demons and forest
gods hold considerable power over humans, plays like a Greek
tragedy. As man moves becomes more dominant, nature and the gods
of nature, must be destroyed to enable man to essentially rape
the natural world of its resources. Standing in the way are a
brave warrior, and a wolf whisperer, both determined to stop the
human's rampant destruction. The animation is off-the-charts
amazing, and the story rich with allegory. A visit to this world
will leave you wondering about humankind, and our role in
preserving the natural world we live in. James Cameron said this
film influenced his meta-hit,
Avatar
(2009).
Studio Ghibli;
Toho |
