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| Year:
1997 |
Runtime:
133 min. |
| Directed
by: Hayao Miyazaki |
| Written
by: Hayao Miyazaki |
| English
Screenplay by: Neil Gaiman |
| Music
by: Jô Hisaishi |
| Production
Co.: Miramax Films |
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| Parental
Warning: PG-13 |
| Rating: Super |
Review by: Michael Flanagan |
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Princess
Mononoke, American Pop Icon?
Princess Mononoke has been hailed by
fans (and the back of the DVD and video case) as the Star
Wars of Anime. The cover art shows two glowing clashing swords and a
fighter, clenching his teeth in battle.
Even the title, with emphasis on the word
“princess,” brings Star Wars to mind.
But Star Wars this is not!
In a completely unconventional way, set
apart from adventure movies both animated and otherwise, and
in a way completely like yet unlike Star Wars, Princess
Mononoke is thoroughly enjoyable.
The film contains beautiful animation, a wonderful
story, and compelling action sequences that balance
perfectly with the somber philosophical moments.
The film’s theme, not uncommon to anime, is a
hero’s rise, fall, and redemption in the eyes of not just
one person, but also an entire world.
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And the fantastical world of Mononoke
is a thrill ride in itself, with giant talking dogs, glowing
spinning gnomes, and frightening, blood-dripping creatures
of the night. The stunning creativity inherent in this story is matched
equally by the art, providing a well-crafted tale that seems
to come from a fable of our past, even though we have never
before heard it.
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| Why, though, is Princess Mononoke
going mainstream, unlike the hundreds of anime features that
are released every year?
Anime films are occasionally noticed, like Akira,
or, more recently, Ghost in the
Shell.
But Mononoke provides more.
Its story reminds us of ourselves, for ambiguous
reasons. It
contains a universal symbolism to which all cultures
connect, and that bridge draws this film to the center of
American attention. Furthermore,
Hollywood stars like Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Gillian
Anderson, and Billy Bob Thornton provide the overdubbed
voices.
Princess Mononoke is a great
film. The
contemplative, philosophical moments tend to slow the movie
a bit, and the ending may seem drawn out and confusing to
some. But when
taken in as a whole, the film is easily one of the best
mainstream anime films to come out in years.
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