Princess Mononoke (1997)
Animation | Adventure | Fantasy

Claire Danes (The Mod Squad), Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting) and Billy Bob Thornton (Armageddon, Sling Blade) head a cast of hot Hollywood stars who lend their talents to this exquisitely animated, overwhelmingly acclaimed adventure epic! Inflicted with a deadly curse, a young warrior named Ashitaka (Billy Crudup – Without Limits) sets out to the forests of the west in search of the cure that will save his life. Once there, he becomes inextricably entangled in a bitter battle that matches Lady Eboshi (Driver) and a proud clan of humans against the forest’s animal gods...who are led by the brave Princess Mononoke (Danes), a young woman raised by wolves! Also starring Gillian Anderson (The X Files) and Jada Pinkett Smith (Scream 2), this monumental struggle between man and nature will have you transfixed with amazement as stunning artistry blends with epic storytelling to create a uniquely entertaining motion picture!

Storyline: While protecting his village from rampaging boar-god/demon, a confident young warrior, Ashitaka, is stricken by a deadly curse. To save his life, he must journey to the forests of the west. Once there, he's embroiled in a fierce campaign that humans were waging on the forest. The ambitious Lady Eboshi and her loyal clan use their guns against the gods of the forest and a brave young woman, Princess Mononoke, who was raised by a wolf-god. Ashitaka sees the good in both sides and tries to stem the flood of blood. This is met be animosity by both sides as they each see him as supporting the enemy. Written by Christopher Taguchi

User Comment: Chris Ushko (datadog@hotmail.com) Alberta, Canada • Movie goers should not be fooled by the english title "Princess Mononoke," which implies it is a children's movie. This animated film from Japan is an adrenaline rush of fantastic proportions! The film begins in Medieval Japan, when the main character, Prince Ashitaka, saves his village from a rampaging demon and is mortally poisoned. Now as the poison spreads through his body, he has a short amount of time to find the origin of the demon and stop anymore from re-surfacing. His journeys take him to faraway village of Irontown, where he finds himself caught in a war between the emporer's riflemen, the samurai clan, Lady Hiboshi's brothel girls, the boar tribe, and the wolves; led by San (Princess Mononoke.) Ashitaka stands as the only person between all these factors who must bring peace before the very heart of the forest is destroyed.

I wasn't exactly a fan of Japanimation before I saw this film. I accidentally caught it on the Movie Channel one day and was hooked on it. Not since Titan A.E had I seen so much work and determination put into making action sequences look good. Some scenes are beautifully rendered to appear as if they are CGI. The kinetic energy in this film's action sequences are unbelievable. The martial arts and pyrotechnical effects are better than the stuff we see in Crouching Tiger/Hidden Dragon.

The film isn't all action. This film is capable of making a person cry, laugh, or just about anything, plus it has one of the best endings I've ever had the pleasure of watching. The comedic relief comes from a goofy character Ashitaka meets on his travels, and from the ex-brothel girls who run Lady Hiboshi's Irontown (whose man-trashing attitudes are flat-out hilarious.) The soundtrack on this film is also terrific. I surprised that the Academy didn't even give this film a look because this was worthy enough of many awards; Best Original Score; Best Song; Best Sound; Best Original Screenplay; Best Art Direction; even Best Picture. If they gave out an award to Voice Acting, this would take it as well. The mouths were re-animated for the english release and they used famous voices for the characters such as Minnie Driver and Gillian Anderson; all of whom did a great job.

If you ever see this film on a video store rack or on television and have two hours to kill, watch it. I've seen it over a dozen times now and it's just as effective as the time I've watched it. Don't ignore this gem; ever. It has everything that people want in a movie and more.

Summary: One of the best movies I've ever seen!

--- JOYA ---

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