Princess Mononoke Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Princess Mononoke Blu-ray Movie Review

"You cannot change fate. However, you can rise to meet it, if you so choose."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown November 27, 2014

Princess Mononoke, Hayao Miyazaki's haunting, beautifully animated, critically acclaimed fantasy epic, has only become more poignant and timely in the seventeen years since its original release. It doesn't offer a clear-cut tale of good vs. evil, but a deceptively complex and sophisticated story of clashing cultures in an era of environmental recession and industrial expansion. There's no villain or malicious entity to overcome; no warlord to defeat or evil king to dethrone. Just conflicting interests, stubbornness, misunderstanding, pride, insatiable appetites, and consequences born from difficult decisions. The gods, though nobly fighting to preserve balance and the natural order, have become desperate, blinded by hate and bigotry. Mononoke, though in a unique position to forge lasting peace between the gods and mankind, is too entrenched in war to see beyond the spear in her hand and the enemy in her path. And the humans, though commendably driven and ambitious, believe themselves to be saviors even when advancing as conquerors. Yet man is merely another piece on the game board; a piece prone to self-interest and shortsightedness like all the rest. All but Ashitaka, that is. Miyazaki's principled protagonist refuses to choose a side, no matter how much his allies and enemies demand he declare his loyalties. It's a choice the film presents to you as well, and one you too will find impossible to make.

Inflicted with a deadly curse, a banished young warrior named Ashitaka (Yōji Matsuda, Billy Crudup) sets out into the forests of the west in search of a cure that will save his life. Once there, he becomes inextricably entangled in a bitter battle that matches Irontown leader Lady Eboshi (Yūko Tanaka, Minnie Driver) and a proud clan of hard-working humans against two of the forest's animal gods -- wolf Moro (Akihiro Miwa, Gillian Anderson) and boar Okkoto-nushi (Hisaya Morishige, Keith David) -- who count among their ranks the brave Princess Mononoke (Yuriko Ishida, Claire Danes), a young woman adopted and raised by wolves.

Even Disney's at-times questionably cast and controversially translated English dub (courtesy of author Neil Gaiman) can't spoil the majesty and artistic mastery of Princess Mononoke. Ghibli's gorgeous hand-drawn animation and Joe Hisaishi's heart-stirring score are only the beginning of what quickly becomes a stunning, altogether absorbing cinematic experience. Worm-ridden demons. Giant wolf gods. Inhuman abilities granted to ordinary men. Invading samurai armies. Endless forests, deep ravines, and hidden sanctuaries. An otherworldly nightwalker turned sovereign forest spirit, with power over life and death. The sprawling ironworks of Irontown. The undesirables and outcasts who call it home. The tragic duality of Lady Eboshi, Mononoke, Moro and Okkoto-nushi. Climactic battles of steel and bone. Hordes of warrior boars charging headlong into the fray. Assassins, cloaked in boar skins. Enlightenment that nearly arrives too late. A race to right a horrific wrong. The twilight of one era and the dawn of another. All seasoned with Japanese history and mythology, a sharply penned script brimming with memorable characters and even more memorable encounters, and Miyazaki's transparent but soft-spoken caution against abandoning what's come before to chase what lies ahead.

Miyazaki takes his time too. There's no hurrying or scurrying about in Princess Mononoke, brisk as it is. The world inhales and exhales slowly and smoothly, lives and breathes, and invites exploration. Emotion oozes out of every interaction and encounter, the stakes are legitimate, and the fallout carries real weight. And there's little in the way of tiresome exposition, and what is delivered is crucial to character and, more importantly, an organic part of the dialogue. More than a testament to Miyazaki's grasp on storytelling, the film unfolds carefully and patiently, unwilling to push or pull the plot until it's ready to move. Rather than an avalanche of crises, we're given time to examine the very fabric of the conflict, so that when it begins to unravel it does so to disquieting, even distressing ends. Without a villain to blame or an antagonist to ally against, we're left with the alarming relevance of Miyazaki's chosen themes and the heaviness of the questions he poses. Some will accuse the filmmaker of preaching -- of weaving a long-winded environmental sermon -- but Princess Mononoke is about much more than hugging a few trees or sparing a few endangered species. Miyazaki takes a hard look at humanity's desire to consume, its history of destroying to create, and asks if there isn't a balance between the natural and the technological worth striking.

Princess Mononoke Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Disney continues to honor the integrity of Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's animated films with the Blu-ray release of Princess Mononoke. Not only is its 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation utterly faithful to the original animation, colors haven't been artificially heightened, contrast hasn't been boosted, and grain hasn't been wiped away. Primaries remain strong and vibrant, of course. Every last frame, scene and dazzling sequence has been treated with the utmost care. But comparing the latest Ghibli BDs -- and really any Ghibli release -- to Disney's own Diamond Edition classics reveal two entirely different approaches to remastering. Purists and videophiles will certainly favor the approach taken here. Detail is excellent, even though several shots in the original source elements remain quite soft. Black levels are deep and satisfying, saturation is dialed in beautifully, and darkness doesn't blot away background detail any more than it's meant to. There also isn't anything in the way of macroblocking, banding, aliasing, ringing or errant noise to report. Disney is to be commended for their efforts. Now if only the studio would use such noninvasive remastering techniques to rejuvenate their non-Ghibli animated films...

Princess Mononoke Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Disney's Engish dubtitles may have survived the trip to Blu-ray, but there's no other complaints to be had with Princess Mononoke's English and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 presentations. (Other than perhaps the flat delivery of some of the U.S. actors, Billy Bob Thorton in particular.) Dialogue is clear, intelligible and nicely prioritized, and what little difference there is between the English and Japanese tracks is inherent to each mix's source. LFE output is fierce and feral, with rumbling, rolling roars and snarls, devastating explosions, thunderous boar-charges, and ground-shaking demon attacks. Rear speaker activity isn't quite so aggressive, yet still manages to create immersive forests, inviting villages and busy ironworks through precise directionality, transparent pans and a subtly enveloping soundfield. Silence and serenity is just as essential to Mononoke's sound design as its more deafening battles and visceral fights, but Disney's lossless tracks, like its video presentation, preserves and presents the film as it was meant to be heard. Fans will be most pleased.

Princess Mononoke Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Original Japanese Storyboards (HD, 133 minutes): Watch the entire film, comprised entirely of original Japanese storyboards. (In HD no less!) The audio presentation is Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English, English SDH and French subtitles.
• Princess Mononoke in the USA (HD, 20 minutes): This lengthy documentary follows Miyazaki and producer Toshio Suzuki as they attend two film festivals and answer a variety of questions.
• Featurette (SD, 5 minutes): An English voice cast EPK, with translator Neil Gaiman, voice director Jack Fletcher and actors Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Billy Bob Thorton.
• Trailers & TV Spots (HD, 28 minutes): Also available are a collection of original Japanese and English trailers (14:20), original TV spots (11:33) and a US release theatrical trailer (2:03).

Princess Mononoke Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Princess Mononoke will always be remembered as one of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's finest films, and Disney's Blu-ray release doesn't treat the film as anything less. With a perfectly faithful video presentation, two strong DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround tracks, and a solid selection of extras, there isn't much disappointment to be had. An HD production documentary/retrospective would have been a godsend, but I'd much rather have a meticulously preserved and presented film than a pile of spiffy new special features. Add this one to your collection post-haste.