Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		5.0

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Blu-ray Movie Review

An anime classic by Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) in a deluxe steelbook edition.

An anime epic in every sense of the word, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is one of the defining motion-picture events the medium has ever seen. The story focuses on the brave warrior, Nausicaä, a warrior princess who comes between warring nations with all her might. Set in a dystopian landscape, the saga explores the dangers of pollution to mother Earth as the land is ravaged by the ills of mankind: a barren landscape has been the norm on Earth for far too long and it up to heroes like Nausicaä to help save the planet. The distant future has arrived.

The valley of the wind depends on Nausicaä. Can princess Nausicaä help protect the planet from annihilation and come between her people and the raging fury of giant insects? A hero's journey, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is bravado filmmaking with sweeping animation and imaginative music from composer Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away). Director Hayao Miyazaki (My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke) crafted one of his greatest masterpieces at the start of his career: his first feature-film produced under the Studio Ghibli banner. A gem that never outstays its welcome. A one-of-a-kind classic, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is an essential anime masterwork.

A must-own masterpiece of animation.

For more information please refer to the original review by Kenneth Brown.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind has received a top-notch video-presentation with a high bit-rate encode from Gkids. The encode is of a new remaster of the film. This is a much better video-presentation than that of the original Disney Blu-ray released in North America. Colors are significantly better and more accurate to the original animation cells.

For more information on the Gkids video presentation of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind please refer to the review by my colleague Stephen Larson.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The audio is presented with a high-resolution, 24 bit lossless audio track in English or Japanese (with English subtitles). For audiences looking for the best audio presentation available, the Blu-ray release has a wonderful high-resolution audio soundstage. Both English and Japanese language options impress. Hearing the score by Joe Hisaishi with such clarity is a true joy.

For more information on the Gkids audio presentation of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind please refer to the review by my colleague Stephen Larson.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The special edition of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind contains steelbook packaging that is a must own for die-hard collectors. The release also includes the same booklet which was available with the standard Gkids edition of the film. The steelbook art work is exquisite and showcases Nausicaä in a iconic frame from the film. The green color theme is fantastic and befitting the storyline of the film. With a nice metallic sheen and finish, the steelbook looks beautiful in hand and is another excellent entry in the Studio Ghibli steelbook collectors edition series. Anyone who considers themselves a big Ghibli fan would do well to add this gorgeous edition to their collection.

For more information on the on-disc extras of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind please refer to the review by my colleague Stephen Larson.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A masterpiece: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is one of the best anime films ever made. Master filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki was already at the top of his game with this early gem. The animation is worth the price of admission. The music is outstanding. The storytelling exquisite. This is essential filmmaking. The Blu-ray release is top-notch and features a stunning steelbook design (as part of the ongoing Studio Ghibli steelbook series). A must-own edition.