Princess Mononoke (1997)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Starring (voices) Yôji Matsuda, Yûko Tanaka, Yuriko Ishida, Kaoru Kobayashi, Sumi Shimamoto, Masahiko Nishimura, Akihiro Miwa, Tsunehiko Kamijô, Mitsuko Mori, Tetsu Watanabe, Hisaya Morishige. [PG-13]

Stunning animated adventure fantasy aimed at older kids and adults, as thoughtful and moving as it is enthralling and action-packed. After being attacked by a demon-plagued beast that emerges from the woods one day, young Ashitaka’s arm becomes “poisoned” by a curse, so he embarks on a quest to find the Great Forest Spirit in hopes that It will be able to cure what afflicts him. Doing so brings him into contact with a mysterious, human-hating wolf rider named San, who defends the pack and the natural world around her, as well as Lady Eboshi, the leader of Iron Town, who wants to use new technology and weaponry to control everything in her domain. The fatalistic messaging may not be subtle and the writing sometimes emphasizes philosophical ideas over storytelling clarity, but the lush animation from Miyazaki and company is breathtaking, and there’s boundless creativity and excitement to be found across the lightning-fast two-and-a-quarter-hour runtime. Dignified musical score by Joe Hisaishi. The English-language dub features the voices of Billy Crudup, Minnie Driver, Billy Bob Thornton, Claire Danes, Gillian Anderson, and more.

92/100