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Princess Mononoke

Princess Mononoke

List Price: $32.99
Your Price: $28.04
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: It filled me with emotions
Review: I have just watched this movie, and I am writing this review while I'm still full.

This movie is truly uplifting, both content and animation-wise.

It describes the struggle of the creatures of the forest, to save their home, to save the trees and the animals. This struggle is a metaphor of today's industrial age, where man tries to find a balance between continued development, and environment. In my opinion, Mononoke was characterized masterfully, and induces instant sympathy (at least, it did for me).

The animation is superb; if you don't have any anime in your DVD/VHS collection, let this be the representative of the genre. I know I am very proud to own the DVD, which I will always like to watch again.

To borrow a phrase from the movie, "watch with unclouded eyes", and it will blow you away.

One last word: this anime is NOT intended for children. It requires a grown-up person to understand it, and quite frankly, I am afraid not even all the adults will grasp the true meaning of this fable.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Probably the best dubbed video ever!
Review: I just rented this movie last night but think its totally awesome. I had read about it online and was curious, so when I saw it in the store I just had to rent it. And I was glad I did. You really get sucked into the charaters' world and feel their emotions. I wasn't sure who to hate because each character had their good and bad points. Although I would like the whole world to see this movie I do not recomend it for kids under 10 for fear that parents will go nuts of the, lets call it "choice of words" and violence. Although I see nothing wrong with letting kids of all age seeing a great movie like "Princess Mononoke" some do not agree. Oh well. Enjoy!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: StarWars, Titanic, Akira, Disney... Step Aside
Review: Unbelievable. Did I say that? Unbelievable. The music, the dialogue, the amazing artistry. I am a big animation fan, and this is now one of my top 3 movies of all time (animated or not).

Simply unbelievable. Everyone should watch and own this movie.

Though American myself, American directors should learn from this Japanese veteran...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An excellent DVD release of one of Miyazaki's finest works
Review: Princess Mononoke (known as Mononoke Hime in Japan) is the second highest grossing film ever released in Japan, toppled just barely by Titanic, which came out shortly thereafter. It is not hard to see why. It is the most mature project ever to come out of Studio Ghibli, and its world renowned animator, director, and writer, Hayao Miyazaki, views it as perhaps his most important work, a departure from all of his previous films. Mononoke is an eco-fable of sorts, as almost all of Miyazaki's feature-length films are to one extent or another (Porco Rosso would be a probable exception), but as with all of his other work he treats his subject with respect and intelligence, not once falling into trite sayings, tired cliches, or sappy dialogue, resulting in a film that never talks down to its audience. Personally I have always found rabid environmentalists to be rather annoying and I would never associate myself with their lot and the militant animal rights lobby, but Mononoke, as all of Miyazaki's films, rises above the level of crass tree-hugging to the level of a mature film that at once provides a portrait of nature's beauty and grandeur, while not forgetting the human element which in many cases takes priority over the rest of nature. Among his own films, it is comparable in theme and maturity perhaps only to Nausicaa, but there are a number of differences, and Mononoke is definitely the more mature work. Now, since, I'm limited on space, I'll just touch quickly on the various aspects of the film and the DVD release in particular.

ANIMATION: Absolutely enthralling. Probably Miyazaki's best, and it beats anything that Disney or Dreamworks have produced in the last decade, with the possible exception of Beauty and the Beast. Although it is rivaled, perhaps bettered, by some of the stuff from Disney's golden age, that still puts it among the greatest animation ever produced.

VIOLENCE AND GORE: This is an often mentioned issue with this movie, which kind of surprised me initially. Many people associate animation with kids' fare, and forget that Princess Mononoke did in fact receive a PG-13 MPAA rating for a reason. It is not a hard PG-13 by any means, and considering most kids today are watching R rated movies sometimes before they're old enough to go to a PG-13 movie unaccompanied by a parent, I don't see what the big fuss is about. In any case, just think of Mononoke as any other PG-13 movie and you shouldn't be surprised by any of the occasional and non-gratuitous gore, which alway exists only to further the plot, never as an end unto intself.

MUSIC: Long-time Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi returns to do the Mononoke soundtrack (available on CD), and the results are spectacular. He perfectly captures the feel of the movie, and the soundtrack is very good as a stand-alone album as well. It's a pity that the Mononoke Hime Symphonic Suite was not also brought to the US, but it can be found at various online importers.

PLOT: Discussed above.

DVD FEATURES: Although Miramax at first tried to shortchange American audiences by not including the Japanese language track on the DVD release, a massive online petition managed to convince them that it would be profitable to leave it on. To their credit, the final (albeit much-delayed) result is outstanding. The menu is easy to navigate, and includes the usual features, including one of the theatrical trailers (the other US trailer and the French and Japanese trailers would have been a welcome touch), as well as a short feautrette with most of the US voice actors talking about the film, as well as Neil Gaiman, the man in charge of the script localization and author of the famous Sandman comic book/graphic novel series, and Jack Fletcher the US voice acting director. It was previously available on the film's official US website. Finally, it puts the inevitable arguments about sub vs. dub to rest, as it includes both the US and Japanese language tracks in full Dolby 5.1, as well as the French language track in Dolby 2.0. Also, both Neil Gaiman's somewhat more interpretative translation and a more literal translation are included as subtitles, and in a clever trick, both the Japanese and US title screens are included on the DVD, and the appropriate one is selected using the angle feature depending on the language track that was picked.

OVERALL: A truly top-notch movie. Although not my favorite of Miyazaki's stuff (that honor goes to My Neighbor Totoro or Castle of Cagliostro), that is a purely personal consideration. It is both an excellent introduction to the genre of anime, and a great film for the more experienced viewer. Its only fault is that someone whose interest in the genre is piqued by Mononoke will find that the only way to go from the cream of the crop is down (although the rest of Miyazaki's films will still be sure to enthrall). This is a must-buy.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fantastic DVD Transfer
Review: If you thought Tarzan and The Iron Giant were wonderful DVD transfers, you will not go wrong with Princess Mononoke. This DVD is BY FAR the best transfer I've seen for an animated feature. The anamorphic widescreen transfer is about as flawless as you'll see - no artifacts, no edge enhancement...absolutely squeaky clean. The colors are striking; I found myself noticing this many times during the movie.

The audio in both the original Japanese and the English dub are both 5.1 with a full field of sound for the entire feature. I switched back and for the between the two audio formats and found little, if any, compromise (not an easy task since you can't simply toggle the audio button - you must go back to the menu).

The extras are minimal, containing a brief featurette with the various voice actors praising the movie (although I don't think Claire Danes clearly understands that this wasn't a little kiddy cartoon), but I didn't purchase this disc for the extras.

As a review said earlier, thus is truly a DVD to show off the home theater system. Not only is it a great animated feature; it's also a great movie. If you've feared anime in the past, this is one to take the plunge with - you won't be disappointed.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A visual feast with a facinating story.
Review: I remember first seeing this movie in the 1999 Hawaii International Film Festival. I felt that this was the most interesting bit of animation since Fantasia. Miyazaki has really created magic in this movie. I felt like I was transported to a very special place and that I was privileged to see a very important story unfold. This movie is animation for adults. Not so much for the violent contant, but more for the nuanced manner that the main characters display their beliefs, strengths and foibles. I found that the viewing was rewarding and that this DVD will be repeatedly viewed.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A great DVD to a great movie
Review: When I first got this DVD, I though that there wasn't going to be much given to such a small movie in theaters. I was wrong. The DVD offers both English, Japanese and French in Dolby 5.1 surround sound. As if that wasnt enough, you can view the Japanese version entirely in it's originality. Even the ending credits are in full Japanese. There are also subtitles for deaf people and subtitles for the Japanese version. Very nice. Other extras include theatrical trailer and a small little production feature which feature interviews with the English cast. The only little down fall I disliked on this DVD was the no-interactive menus. Other than that, this DVD is great. There was no decompresion noises or bleeding colors. Plus, it's in widescreen! If you like Mononoke and have a DVD player, what are you waiting for? Buy it now. You won't regret it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great, but listen to the Japanese audio
Review: Not much to add beyond what's already been said, other than recommending the Japanese audio to the English. Even with subtitles, it's much better than most of the English dub. While Minnie Driver is excellent, Claire Danes as Mononoke is just limp.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Wonderful Movie
Review: This was the best Japanese movie I have ever seen. There are some violent parts but they are well done and don't last that long. The animation was great and the translation was better than any of the others I've seen. The movie's plot stays focused and all of the characters add to it. Everyone that I have talked to has liked just as much as me. I hope that this was helpful to you and enjoy the movie!=)

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Very good.
Review: This has to be one of the better anime movies I've seen. Even though the PG-13 rating is a tad of a understatement, (There's quite a bit of gore in this movie, but very little cursing) so pay attention to the rating, it speaks the truth. Also I did see a lot of comparisions to one of the creators (I can't recall his name at the moment...) other animes, "Valley Of The Wind" based of the "Nausicaa" mangas if I'm not mistaken (It's been a long time since I've seen that movie) but still this is a great movie. I'm not saying you'll like it, but give it a chance, you might be surprised.

P.S.I liked "Valley Of The Wind" better.


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