Princess Mononoke

[thejboy88]

Studio Ghibli films have been a standard of mine in judging good Japanese animated films. The last of their films I reviewed was Tales from Earthsea and if I?m honest, I was fairly underwhelmed by it. I remember giving it a fairly harsh review at the time.

So to balance things out I thought I?d do a review of a Ghibli film I like.

Princess Mononoke begins in what I think is supposed to be a mythological era of ancient Japan, but we?re never told. A prince named Ashitaka defends his people from a demon which attacks them. He wins but is infected by the fallen beast. This infection will soon kill him so he must travel west to find where the creature came from and why it was on a rampage. Along the way he comes across a girl named San, who was raised by wolves. The two join forces and involve themselves in an escalating war between humankind and the forces of nature.

And that?s all you?ll get of the plot from me. Any more would be spoiling things.

Ok, first things first. The story is fairly standard but unlike Tales from Earthsea, there are no gaping plot holes, dues ex machinas or confusing elements to drag it down. The story at it?s heart is one many will have heard before. This movie is basically what Avatar would be if it was a Japanese animated film, only better.

The characters are all good but like with Earthsea the biggest drawback to the cast was the villain. This film?s villain, Lady Eboshi, has little to no motivation for doing what she does. Seems to be a recurring theme with Ghibli villains. But I do give the studio credit on at least making her a credible presence as an antagonist.

Animation now and this film comes up trumps. There was not a single shot in this film which didn?t make me think to myself ?wow, that?s beautiful?. Every detail is well-crafted and beautifully designed. The forest scenes in particular are a sight to behold.

The music is good as far as Ghibli films are concerned, However like with many of their music the only track which stayed in my mind were the opening and closing themes of the film.

Overall I heartily recommend this film to anyone who is a fan of animation. This movie is so gorgeous it would be a crime to miss out on it.

Check it out. You won?t be disappointed.

 

[Anarchemitis]

'Twas a phenominal movie through and through.
I mayhaps must make a review of it myself.

 

[demoman_chaos]

If I remember right, Billy Bob Thorton does the voice of an old monk in the movie.
Twas not a bad movie. The fight scenes were pretty good, there were samurai and guns.

 

[Gxas]

If I remember right, Billy Bob Thorton does the voice of an old monk in the movie.
Twas not a bad movie. The fight scenes were pretty good, there were samurai and guns.

Truth, and he did a damn fine job.

One of my all-time favorite movies. I love it to pieces and it never fails to bring a tear to my eye.

 

[Mister Benoit]

The scene in the beginning when he takes off the Samurai's arms using the bow and arrow is my favorite bit of animation in the movie. Not saying the rest was bad I just absolutely loved that bit, it was so quick.

 

[Jimber_Jam]

Easily the best Miyazaki film ever, and one of my favorite films of all-time. Simply exemplary.

 

[PureChaos]

loved this one, i always watch them subbed and it was great. not quite as good as Grave of the Fireflies but will definitely watch it again.

 

[Macgyvercas]

Seen it seven times (two of which were in Japanese). I love that film.

 

[TheXRatedDodo]

One of my favourite studio Ghibli movies, if not my favourite.
Why is the American dub even being discussed here though? American dubs of ghibli movies are like vomit sandwiches that have been covered in shit, wrapped in stomach lining, pissed on and then baked in an oven.

But yeah, amazing movie!
Just saw My Neighbour Totoro for the first time a couple of days ago, also a very beautiful film.

 

[newwiseman]

Great film, good story. Not so subtle message about the impact of man on nature, but at least not crammed down your throat.

10/10 been a fav of mine for nearly a decade.

 

[Valiard]

hey the american dub was great, that movie is pretty much the reason i watch anime today...so yeah

 

[fix-the-spade]

This film?s villain, Lady Eboshi, has little to no motivation for doing what she does. Seems to be a recurring theme with Ghibli villains.

The reason she is mining the ore under Iron Town is to provide food (by selling said ore) and material to make weapons to defend Iron Town.
She started Iron Town partly because it's isolated but also as it's a defensable position from the Samurai Warlord Asano who's men pop up from time to time. She has become a target not only because she is a rival noble but also because she takes in lepers and controls the nearest iron resources. She also refuses to force women into their traditional roles and gives responsibility based on merit rather than inheritance.

Basically, she's in the position she's in through acts of kindness. I don't class her as a villain.

The whole conflict with nature arises because neither she nor the Forest Gods will accomodate each other. They feel she is desecrating 'their' land (Note, the Forest Spirit never takes a side) whilst Eboshi is backed into a corner. She and her people have nowhere else to go, so they draw their line in the sand. She see's killing the Gods as a way to break the forest's morale and buy her people some breathing space.

I would say the true villains are Warlord Asano and Jiko. Eboshi and the Gods are motivated by survival, whilst Asano is motivated purely by personal gain. Jiko is even worse, not only is he out for personal glory, he also manipulates the other groups into escalating their conflict. It's also his increasingly inhumane tactics that lead to the Forest Spirit getting 'killed', Eboshi losing an arm and Moro, what-is-face the Boar and countless others getting killed.

 

[kickyourass]

I loved this movie, but I sorta have to agree with you about Lady Eboshi, maybe I just missed something, lord knows I'm not the fastest reader of subtitles, but I have absolutly no idea what her motives were for wanting to kill the forest gods.

 

[kickyourass]

One of my favourite studio Ghibli movies, if not my favourite.
Why is the American dub even being discussed here though? American dubs of ghibli movies are like vomit sandwiches that have been covered in shit, wrapped in stomach lining, pissed on and then baked in an oven.

I just love posts like this, I mean is there any more obvious way of showing that you've probably never actually listened to any of the dubs?

 

[TheXRatedDodo]

I have heard my fair share of dubs of Ghibli films and they've mostly made me feel totally ill.
But then I seem to be the only one who think it's inherently screwed up to even consider it an option to record new dialogue over a foreign film.
Deal with the subtitles or go away.

Unless, of course, the film was made with the idea being to dub it from the very beginning of production, such as Sergio Leone westerns.

Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke were by far the worst for me though. My Neighbour Totoro's I didn't find too obnoxious. The way the American Dubs dealed with the main themes of those two films felt incredibly heavy handed in the same way that Matt Stone and Trey Parker are, except those guys satirise and the Ghibli dubs were deadly serious.
And hearing Americans waxing poetic about forest spirits doesn't sit right with me. Respect for these spirits as metaphors seems (i'm just making assumptions from here on, but hey) far more imbedded into Japanese culture than it is in Western culture. Over here if you catch some crazy hippy (usually myself) talking about forest spirits, as a metaphor or otherwise they get leapt upon by a thousand crazed atheists all claiming there is no such thing and that you are insane for even thinking about it.

 

[Casual Shinji]

This film?s villain, Lady Eboshi, has little to no motivation for doing what she does. Seems to be a recurring theme with Ghibli villains.

The reason she is mining the ore under Iron Town is to provide food (by selling said ore) and material to make weapons to defend Iron Town.
She started Iron Town partly because it's isolated but also as it's a defensable position from the Samurai Warlord Asano who's men pop up from time to time. She has become a target not only because she is a rival noble but also because she takes in lepers and controls the nearest iron resources. She also refuses to force women into their traditional roles and gives responsibility based on merit rather than inheritance.

Basically, she's in the position she's in through acts of kindness. I don't class her as a villain.

The whole conflict with nature arises because neither she nor the Forest Gods will accomodate each other. They feel she is desecrating 'their' land (Note, the Forest Spirit never takes a side) whilst Eboshi is backed into a corner. She and her people have nowhere else to go, so they draw their line in the sand. She see's killing the Gods as a way to break the forest's morale and buy her people some breathing space.

I would say the true villains are Warlord Asano and Jiko. Eboshi and the Gods are motivated by survival, whilst Asano is motivated purely by personal gain. Jiko is even worse, not only is he out for personal glory, he also manipulates the other groups into escalating their conflict. It's also his increasingly inhumane tactics that lead to the Forest Spirit getting 'killed', Eboshi losing an arm and Moro, what-is-face the Boar and countless others getting killed.

Well said!

This is why Princess Mononoke is as good as it is. It's not the usual "man vs. nature, but mankind is clearly the true evil" type of movie (like Avatar). The forrest gods are just as stubborn and pig-headed as Eboshi; It's either their way or the highway.

 

[thejboy88]

This film?s villain, Lady Eboshi, has little to no motivation for doing what she does. Seems to be a recurring theme with Ghibli villains.

The reason she is mining the ore under Iron Town is to provide food (by selling said ore) and material to make weapons to defend Iron Town.
She started Iron Town partly because it's isolated but also as it's a defensable position from the Samurai Warlord Asano who's men pop up from time to time. She has become a target not only because she is a rival noble but also because she takes in lepers and controls the nearest iron resources. She also refuses to force women into their traditional roles and gives responsibility based on merit rather than inheritance.

Basically, she's in the position she's in through acts of kindness. I don't class her as a villain.

The whole conflict with nature arises because neither she nor the Forest Gods will accomodate each other. They feel she is desecrating 'their' land (Note, the Forest Spirit never takes a side) whilst Eboshi is backed into a corner. She and her people have nowhere else to go, so they draw their line in the sand. She see's killing the Gods as a way to break the forest's morale and buy her people some breathing space.

I would say the true villains are Warlord Asano and Jiko. Eboshi and the Gods are motivated by survival, whilst Asano is motivated purely by personal gain. Jiko is even worse, not only is he out for personal glory, he also manipulates the other groups into escalating their conflict. It's also his increasingly inhumane tactics that lead to the Forest Spirit getting 'killed', Eboshi losing an arm and Moro, what-is-face the Boar and countless others getting killed.

Well said!

This is why Princess Mononoke is as good as it is. It's not the usual "man vs. nature, but mankind is clearly the true evil" type of movie (like Avatar). The forrest gods are just as stubborn and pig-headed as Eboshi; It's either their way or the highway.

"Pig-headed?". That wasn't supposed to be a pun was it?

 

[El Poncho]

It is one of my favourite Studio Ghibli films :3