Studio Ghibli pt.3: The Commercial (1997 - 2004)

Dissertation. Habis. Fin. In JoyceTheFairy terms,
"I. am. so. happy. can. die. dot. com." (do ppl really talk like that?!?)

PRINCESS MONONOKE
(Mononoke Hime, 1997, Hayao Miyazaki)

13 yrs since Nausicaa, Miyazaki ventures into the mankind-ecology struggles again, this time with more complications and ambiguities. Our hero Ashitaka kills a big bad giant boar and contracts the evil spirit on his right arm. Doomed to die, he leaves his village in search of a cure. Eventually, he gets caught up in a war between a tin-mining town and its adjacent forest. Towards the end, the shishi gami (forest god) turns into a horrible-looking giant looking for its head, then restores everything back to nature. Firstly, how in the WORLD did it get a PG rating, when they are heads and limbs flying off, and monsters spewing blood onto other monsters. Secondly, except for Ashitaka, all men in the movie are useless! Oh well, I don't care bout that. Mononoke is a visual masterpiece, where the forest is detailed right down to the leaves. The creativity team also gets full marks for the shishi gami, giant animals, and the oh-so-cute kodamas. Alas, this action-adventure fare falls short trying to satisfy its genre. It seems to me everybody is just hell bent on killing off the other side, instead of the righteous reaction of nature, like the Ents storming Isengard in LOTR. It also touches on vengeance and religion, which was unnecessary. Still, this is one heck of a cinematic extravaganza not to be missed.

Fave stuff: Uber-cute kodamas, although I'm pretty sure I'll be petrified to see one when forest-trekking.
Verdict: Epic adventure that got lost in itself abit. 8/10

MY NEIGHBOURS THE YAMADAS
(Houhokekyo Tonari no Yamada-kun, 1999, Isao Takahata)

At first glance, I almost avoided this film because of its shabbily-drawn graphics. Oh how lucky I was that I didn't. This comic strip-style feature is a comedy of the Yamada family, told in vignettes of their daily lives. Yamada Nonoko introduces us to Obachan, Otousan, Okaasan & Oniichan, the eccentric Yamadas who are as normal as anyone else. This fave topic of mine, the dysfunctional family, is presented here in a less dramatised Simpsons style. Dad having talks with son, nagging Granny, Mum conning Son to wash dishes, the quiet but matured Daughter etc. These scenes occasionally is mixed up with fantasy scenes depicting metaphors about marriage and family life. The best part of this movie is its humour, and how normal family life can be so amusing at times. The deceptive graphics mask an incredible skill of minimalist drawings, where emotions and figures are depicted clearly with a few strokes, and the watercolour backdrop complements it superbly. Takahata proves that he's "real" dramas are on par with Miyazaki's lil' girl action-adventures.

Fave stuff: Mom & Dad fighting over the remote; the umbrella story.
Verdict: Light-hearted and witty family comedy. 10/10

SPIRITED AWAY
(Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, 2001, Hayao Miyazaki)

Chihiro stumbles into a magical world, loses her name and parents, forced to work slave labour, becomes a heroine of the truest sense, and nabs a cute guy in the process. And she's only 10yo. Made for "all 10 yr olds", this magical adventure boasts beautiful graphics, brilliant score, compelling storyline, unforgettable characters, and an Oscar to boot. The usual themes of pigs, growing up and cleaning rooms are given an extra boost by its quirky and strangely lovable characters from the bossy Yu-Baaba to the spider-man Kamajii. The theme of identity in a foreign world is also strongly presented. Unlike Mononoke, the sub-plots are integrated perfectly into the story, such as the loneliness of Kaonashi, the greed it generated, pollution and the River God and Bou the big baby literally berdikari ('berdiri dgn kaki sendiri'). On my fifth viewing, finally displaced Laputa as my fave Miyazaki feature.

Fave things: Oshira Sama the Daikon radish god (pic). Prob the character I love the most from Ghibli, even more so than Totoro's Cat Bus.
Verdict: If you love movies, you will love Spirited Away. I doubt Miyazaki will be able to outdo himself with this one. 10/10

THE CAT RETURNS
(Neko no Ongaeshi, 2002, Hiroyuki Morita)

Muta and Baron, the two cats from Whisper of the Heart, make a heroic comeback in this lightweight adventure. Haru, a bumbling girl, saves a cat, and is invited (rather forcefully) to the Cat Kingdom to marry the Cat Prince. Leave it to Baron to save the day and claim the maiden's heart. This peculiar feature depicts cats with human characteristics, and thats about it. It was particularly annoying that Haru's character was paper-thin, like the "find myself" theme was included only because it's a Ghibli. The character development is left trailing in the dust if compared with Kiki or Shizuku (Whisper). Still, the beautiful graphics and humour carries the film quite well. The Baron and Muta proved to be intriguing heroes, and some scenes are absolutely hilarious. Like the palace banquet scene, which featured cats as Egyptians, English, Chinese, Arabs, and had performances reminescent of Michael Jackson's MV Remember the Time. A satisfying debut from Morita.

Fave stuff: The King's 'secret service' just cracked me up.
Verdict: Enjoyable lightweight adventure, although more for the parts than its sum. 7/10

HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE
(Hauru no Ugoku Shiro, 2004, Hayao Miyazaki)

Based on a British fantasy novel and set in Colmar, Howl's tell the story of Sophie, a girl cursed by the Witch of the Waste to have a body of a 90yo. She finds her way to Howl's moving castle, then gets caught up with love and war. For once, an old lady cleaning rooms! Sophie is probably one of the best Ghibli characters that display the strongest personality. The support cast do well, particularly the fire demon Calcifier and Howl's apprentice Markl. Just like any Ghibli, the graphics are breathtakingly beautiful and Joe Hisaishi's moving compositions is a sheer joy to listen to. However, Howl's falls abit short in its storytelling, especially about Howl's heartless problem and the war scenario, which are muddled at best. Luckily enough, such scenes are quickly rejunevated by Sophie's enthusiasm and intelligent resolve. A thoroughly enchanting romantic adventure fantasy.

Fave stuff: Howl's moving castle. The mechanical tongue and the greenery towards the film's end - love it!
Verdict: The biggest mistake one can do is to compare this to Spirited Away. Don't. 9/10