The Wind Rises Film Review

by The Wanderer

Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Cast: Hideaki Anno, Miori Takimoto
Series: Studio Ghibli
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Length: 126 Minutes

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In Search Of Cursed Dreams

Jiro Horikoshi has been fascinated with airplanes since his youth. His dreams of flying are crushed by his poor eyesight, and instead he decides to become the next best thing: an airplane designer.

Ponyo Film Review

by The Wanderer

Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Cast: Tomoko Yamaguchi, Kazushige Nagashima, Yuki Amami
Series: Studio Ghibli
MPAA Rating: G
Length: 103 Minutes

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Under the Sea

A young goldfish named Brunhilde lives with her father Fujimoto, a wizard/mad scientist that now lives underwater, and is jaded by his years of interacting with humans. After sneaking off from her father one day, and series of chance adventures, Brunhilde ends up in the possession of a young boy Sosuke. After healing a small wound Sosuke receives in picking up Brunhilde he renames her Ponyo, and the two begin a friendship.

Princess Mononoke Film Review

by The Wanderer

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Cast: Yōji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida, Yūko Tanaka, Kaoru Kobayashi, Masahiko Nishimura, Tsunehiko Kamijō, Akihiro Miwa, Mitsuko Mori, Hisaya Morishige

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Length: 133 minutes

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To See With Eyes Unclouded By Hate

Princess Mononoke is the result of many years of hard work by Studio Ghibli founder and director Hayao Miyazaki – and that hard work shows itself, especially with its animation.  Studio Ghibli has always set the bar high in terms of animation with their 2D films, but Princess Mononoke is the most visually astounding of the lot.

While the animation is brilliant, the plot also excels with a story that looks to find compromise between humans and nature.  At times though the film’s lack of subtlety with its ideologies starts to make it sound preachy, and that can be a nuisance.  Nevertheless, Princess Mononoke is another top notch film by one of Japan’s greatest animation studios.

Grave of the Fireflies Film Review

by The Wanderer

Director: Isao Takahata

Cast: Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Yoshiko Shinohara, Akemi Yamaguchi

MPAA Rating: No Rating

Length: 89 minutes

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Why Must Fireflies Die So Young?

If you remember watching Bambi’s mother getting shot and the feelings that came with that – the holding of your breath, the pangs in your heart, the tears in your eyes – well loop those feelings for an hour and half and that’s basically what you feel like when you watch Grave of the Fireflies.

Requiem for a Dream, Schindler’s List, and only a few other films in the history of filmmaking could be considered as depressing as this movie.  The story, based off real life events, follows two orphaned children in Japan during the final months of World War 2.  Even though viewers will know how the film ends 60 seconds into watching it, Grave of the Fireflies will still devastate you.

Spirited Away Film Review

by The Wanderer 

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Cast: Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takeshi Naito, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Tsunehiko Kamijō, Takehiko Ono, Bunta Sugawara

MPAA Rating: PG

Length: 124 minutes

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Sen and Chichiro are Spiriting Away

Spirited Away is another masterpiece in the long line of films made by Studio Ghibli and director Hayao Miyazaki. Chichiro a young girl works at a spirit bathhouse in order to free her parents who were turned into pigs.  Strange, yes … but run with it and you’ll find a beautiful coming of age story with some of the most engaging characters in any animated film.

This is the movie you show to people who dismiss anime as nothing more than a childish fascination with animated sex and violence.  It’s a movie that can be easily appreciated by people of all ages, cultures, and values. So if you’re looking for a great animated story not made by Pixar then check out Spirited Away, it is one of the best animated films ever made.