Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Mary and the Witch's Flower Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 29, 2018

Mary and the Witch's Flower is the debut film from Studio Ponoc, which hopes to fill the void left behind by Studio Ghibli, the acclaimed animation house that has produced some of the finest genre films of all time. The studio was founded by Ghibli Producer Yoshiaki Nishimura and this first film is directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, whose Ghibli credits include When Marnie Was There and The Secret World of Arrietty. Mary is an auspicious beginning for the studio. It doesn't match the thematic resonance or character of the best Ghibli films -- or even Yonebayashi's own Marnie -- but it's a handsomely constructed film and a quality tale of self discovery, purpose, and adventure, complimented by beautiful animation and a soaring soundtrack.

A magical discovery.

Mary Smith (voiced by Ruby Barnhill) is a loner. She has no friends, she doesn’t like her bouncy red hair, and she believes she is “rubbish” at everything. Nothing good ever happens in her life, or so she believes. One day, she meets a pair of cats, Tib and Gib, that lead her to beautiful, exotic flowers that she learns are called “Fly by Night” or “Witch’s” flowers that only bloom once every seven years and are exclusive to the forest in which she finds them. When Tib also leads her to a broom and tosses one of the flower petals onto Mary and the broom, magic happens and she begins to fly atop it. She is whisked away to Endor College, a school for witches, where she is wined, dined, and told that even her raw skills as a witch portend great things for her. But when she reveals to the School’s headmistress, Madame Mumblechook (voiced by Kate Winslet), that her power comes from the Fly By Night rather than from inside herself, things turn topsy-turvy, truths are revealed, and Mary is forced to dig deep inside herself -- and use a little magic -- to set things right in her life and in the world around her.

In one day, mere hours, really, Mary transitions from a frustrated, bored, and directionless girl to a rock star, believing in her abilities as a witch as she quickly grows accustomed to the endless praise she receives at Endor. But then reality sets in and she realizes she’s only riding high, literally on her broomstick and figuratively in her head, on a lie. That’s where the movie’s turning point comes. Mary must make herself a hero and not take someone else’s word for it that she can be special. Her world turns upside down in more ways than one when those cats lead her to the flower and unite her with the broomstick. Not everything is as it seems, and the only truth, the only magic, Mary can truly depend on is that which resides within herself. She’ll just have to put aside the self doubt and negativity and discover the real hero inside, but certainly with a dash or two of magic to help her out along the way.

Thematically, the film encourages viewers to embrace their personal characteristics, not dismiss them. Mary hates her red hair, but it turns out that it’s a distinguishing sign of her prowess as a witch. Mary learns that she’s better than the sum of her parts, greater than the heaps of self-doubt and pitty in which she has wallowed. It’s a decent, honest character study. It lacks the magic (metaphorically) and depth of the best of the Ghibli films, but as a debut from a new studio and from the mind of a veteran filmmaker, it’s not bad. The animation is certainly the high point for the movie. It looks gorgeous, the world is unique and alive and convincing, character design is thorough, and colors are abundant.

Mary and the Witch's Flower Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Mary and the Witch's Flower makes for a gorgeous Blu-ray. The image is crisp, clear, and clean. Lines are very well defined. Overall definition is wonderful, whether character lines or the fine details the artists have created for furniture, carpets, woods, walls, and numerous exterior elements, like grasses, brick walls, and trees. That's not even to mention interesting and complex character designs, chemistry lab sets, and other wonderful, unique bits. Colors are vibrant, easily the highlight with impressive dazzle and pop, generally considering Mary's red hair and natural greens and particularly when considering some of the more flamboyant lighting effects that electrify the screen. Colors leap off the screen with tremendous authority and vitality. The image never struggles with banding or other eyesores; even dense fog is no problem for a five-star transfer from Universal.

Mary and the Witch's Flower Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Mary and the Witch's Flower features a pair of wonderful DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtracks, one each in English and Japanese. The movie opens with very good sonic spacing and depth. Instrumental clarity is excellent, wide open, complimented by a very satisfying and powerful low end supporting instrumentals and effects alike. Surrounds are fully engaged, carrying intense and discrete sonic activity, including musical support. It's a huge, enjoyable sequence that sets the tone for the rest of the film, which also sounds fantastic. Mary swooping about on the broom, pounding thunder effects, and large magical elements in a dungeon in chapter seven just explode out of the speakers with remarkable power and precision. Minor natural ambience -- a mooing cow, for example, or chirping birds in the background -- and some wonderfully light and complimentary underlying chilling atmospheric fills when Mary discovers the broom are all perfectly integrated into the track. The track produces seamless sound traversal and dialogue reverberation around a cavernous lecture hall at the 39-minute mark. Basic dialogue presents with polished clarity, natural positioning, and seamless prioritization.

Mary and the Witch's Flower Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Mary and the Witch's Flower contains several extras. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase.

• NTV Special: Creating Mary and the Witch's Flower -- 500 Days Up Close (1080i, 38:50): A quick-paced all-encompassing feature that explores the film's plot, its Ghibli roots, and its artistic construction in some detail with plenty of behind-the-scenes interviews and video footage. In Japanese with English subtitles.
• A Special Conversation: Sekai No Owari, Hiromasa Yonebayashi, and Yoshiaki Nishimura (1080i, 31:34): The band and the filmmakers discuss their collaboration on the film. In Japanese with English subtitles.
• Film Completion Press Conference (1080i, 14:18): Several members of the creative team and voice cast discuss the film, characters, and some fun little bits about their thoughts on using magic. In Japanese with English subtitles.
• Theatrical Promotional Movie (1080p, 10:46): The film's lead voice actors introduce a behind-the-scenes piece. In Japanese with English subtitles.
• Interview with the Filmmakers (1080p, 13:49): The filmmakers discuss creating Studio Ponoc, character design, world building, the magic and science depicted in the film, themes, and more.
• Trailers (1080p, 10:43 total runtime): Includes a collection of trailers and teasers in both English and Japanese.
• TV Spots (1080p, 4:44 total runtime): Several TV spots, all in Japanese.

Mary and the Witch's Flower Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mary and the Witch's Flower can't match the best of Studio Ghibli in terms of emotional draw, but Ponoc's's debut feature is just as visually striking as anything Ghibli ever released. The film soars as an adventure populated with wonderful characters who are built on sturdy, though not necessarily resonating, arcs and surrounding themes. It's a good all-around movie and an auspicious beginning for Ponoc. Universal's Blu-ray is tremendous, boasting top-end video and audio as well as a quality assortment of extra content. Highly recommended.