Viewed: 15 August 2005
Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki
Listed in: Movies, Other

I really love Miyazaki’s designs and worlds he creates. I really dislike hearing “famous” voices dubbing over characters. With the Disney dubbing Billy Bob Thornton is just distracting as the scheming monk Jigo. And Claire Danes just seems to scream her lines as San. I can’t detach the (sometimes very poor) dialogue from the very distinctive voices of actors who generally don’t do voice acting. Of course ignoring the dialogue the film still has untouched Miyazaki visuals, from the Kodamas with their rattling heads to the Forest Spirit with an incredibly kind face. I also noticed (after reading a New Yorker profile of Miyazaki) the great emphasis on capturing movements of creatures. Like the slight windup of Kodama’s head before it rattles, to their tiny little butts as they run through the woods. That’s the joy in watching Princess Mononoke, I just have to remember to never watch the dubbed again.