6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
A young boy encounters a magical garden which enables him to travel through time and meet his relatives from different eras, with guidance by his younger sister from the future.
Starring: Haru Kuroki, Moka Kamishiraishi, Gen Hoshino, Kumiko Asô, Koji YakushoForeign | 100% |
Anime | 87% |
Fantasy | 22% |
Family | 10% |
Adventure | 3% |
Comedy | 3% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH, Spanish SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
The family unit is the most fundamental social component of human life on Earth, but it's also, sometimes (very often...always) one of the most difficult to understand. Director Mamoru Hosoda's (The Boy and the Beast, Summer Wars) Studio Chizu film Mirai looks at one growing family and the struggles the eldest, yet still very small, child experiences when a new baby is introduced into the family. The film builds a heartfelt and all-too-familiar story with some fantastical elements that ultimately open the young boy's eyes to the realities of family and of the world and the responsibilities he must accept and embrace rather than simply continue to insist that the world revolve around his wants and needs (mostly wants). It's a terrific little film, very much in the Ghibli tradition, that takes a chance on building a movie through the eyes of a developing adolescent who ultimately gains great insight into who he is, where he comes from, and how his life choices will impact the futures of everyone who loves him, even if he doesn't quite yet know that he in turn truly loves them, too.
There's not a flaw to be found with Mirai's 1080p Blu-ray presentation. The film's crisp and clean animation is a natural fit on the high definition format. Lines are sharp and clean, static environmental details are precise, and character models are revealed with precision. Image clarity and stability are terrific, and there are no source or encode issues to report. The presentation shines in its reveal of the abundant color palette. Contrast is perfectly attuned to the material, and there's no shortage of springy, joyful colors to see in abundance. Bold primaries pop, more earthy and warm and reserved shades inside the house and in a few other locations are stable, and the film's fairly dark finale dials down brightness and adds black depth to compliment that increasingly terrifying sense of isolation that is critical to Kun's growth. Universal couldn't have done better.
Mirai's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack compliments the film's audio needs remarkably well. Much of the picture is of a sonically reserved nature, with dialogue taking command and presenting with flawless clarity, firm front-center positioning, and consistently strong prioritization. Light musical supports and ambient effects chime in from time to time, the former largely remaining in the front left and right channels while the latter drizzles into the rears. No complaints in terms of detail for either. The track does offer several prodigious moments later in the film. A scene halfway through sees Kun underwater in one of his real or imagined fantastical encounters. Rushing water fills the stage and offers substantial power and fully realized surround integration. Rainfall in chapter nine, a few minutes later, also creates a powerfully realized feel for the rain that is coming down in sharp, driving sheets, with gusty winds in accompaniment, both powering through the entire listening area. A whirring engine powers on with great might in chapter 11 when Kun meets one of his ancestors. Strong environmental din at a train station in chapter 13 produces one of the busier, but not fundamentally dynamic, examples of the track's ability to create high yield environmental sounds.
Mirai contains a number of featurettes and a couple of other goodies. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are
included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.
Mirai is unsurprisingly deep. But it's also unsurprisingly accessible. It's only as complex as the viewer makes it out be. The film's structure is such that Kun's development is steady but it's not until the end that he is able to piece together all of the lessons he's learned from past and future versions of various family members. The film leaves room for interpretation as to how and why Kun is able to visit with these individuals: are they real or are they a part of his own expanding imagination, a coping mechanism, essentially? Whatever answer the audience draws, the film is a fun and emotionally rewarding experience. Universal's Blu-ray is terrific. Great video and audio presentations are supported by a nicely complimentary array of bonus features. Very highly recommended.
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