Miramax's release of Princess Mononoke (Mononoke Hime) is the first attempt of a Hollywood studio to give a Japanese anime film wide theatrical promotion to an American audience, and if there is any justice in this world, they will succeed. Princess Mononoke is the ideal introduction to anime for any filmgoer whose knowledge of Japanese media is largely limited to an unhealthy obsession with Pokemon; it's also the ideal film for anyone who appreciates great storytelling, fascinating characters and an unrestrained imaginative power rarely seen in American moviemaking.
In spite of its title, Princess Mononoke is actually more the story of Ashitaka, a (male) warrior who inadvertently kills the protector-god of the forest. Being that said deity was a hideous boar-like creature full of purple parasitic worms, Ashitaka (voiced in this dubbed version by Billy Crudup) can be forgiven for this error in judgment; however, the battle leaves him with a wound that represents a fatal curse. Determined to find a cure, he journeys into the fantastic forests of northern Japan only to find himself in the midst of a greater struggle -- that between the gods of nature and a group of humans, led by Lady Eboshi (the great Minnie Driver) who seek to destroy the forest spirit. And along the way, he also meets San -- otherwise known as Princess Mononoke -- a young woman raised by wolves who finds herself torn between the human and animal world. She is actually hardly in the film, and it's just as well, because, as voiced by the inept Claire Danes, San's vocal intonations resemble not so much a wild child of the forest as they do a disgruntled yuppie trying to find the keys to her SUV. Thankfully, Danes' snooty and incongruous performance is the only drawback to this richly drawn and well-acted tale.
|
Princess Mononoke has a wild, surrealist vision that is firmly backed up by thoughtful, often philosophical, storytelling.
|
With Danes as the only exception, the dubbed Mononoke contains an exceptional cast doing terrific vocal work from an excellent script adaptation by Sandman comic writer Neil Gaiman; alongside from Crudup and Driver are Jada Pinkett, Billy Bob Thornton, and Gillian Anderson. The real star, however, is the animation itself, which attains levels of sheer creativity so beautiful and bizarre it's impossible not to be absolutely mesmerized. From bloody battle scenes to strange creatures that resemble Pikachu by way of Edvard Munch, Princess Mononoke has a wild, surrealist vision that is firmly backed up by thoughtful, often philosophical, storytelling. Like Dark City or The Matrix, Princess Mononoke serves as completely refreshing entertainment if only for its refusal to underestimate its audience and its willingness to tell an unconventional and truly fantastic story.
DROOL FACTOR: Hey -- it's a cartoon.
GROSS-OUT FACTOR: Ever wonder what your arm would look like after fighting a giant boar-like creature full of squirming parasitic worms? Here's your answer.
STRONG CHICK FACTOR: Despite the fact that she is voiced by the aforementioned talent-deprived Danes, San's wild girl of the forest persona is pretty damn cool. Actually, all of the female characters in Mononoke are terrific, my favorite being Minnie Driver's Lady Eboshi and the ever-cool Gillian Anderson in a cameo role as Moro the Wolf.
-- Sarah Kendzior
Princess Mononoke opens in theaters October 29.
