Princess Mononoke (Mononoke-hime) poster & wallpaper
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Yôji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida, Yûko Tanaka, Kaori Kobayashi, Masahiko Nishimura ... see more see more... , Tsunehiko Kamijyo , Sumi Shimamoto , Akihiro Miwa , Hitsuko Mori , Hisaya Morishige , Billy Crudup , Claire Danes , Billy Bob Thornton , Minnie Driver , Gillian Anderson , Jada Pinkett Smith , John DiMaggio , Kaoru Kobayashi

This $20 million animated adventure/fantasy quickly became the highest grossing Japanese film in Japanese film history (making $150 million in Japan during its first seven months). Set in the 14th cen... read more read more...tury, the ecology-themed epic was directed by Hayao Miyazaki whose previous films were acquired by Disney for U.S. distribution plus other territories. Princess Mononoke depicts a mystical battle between Animal Gods of the forest and humans during Japan's Muromachi Period. Young Ashitaka receives a fatal infection after a demonic wild boar attacks his northern village. Seeking a cure, he sets out to locate the deer-like god Shishigami. Along the way, he sees the rape of the Earth by a mining village. The constant plundering by the village has brought the wrath of the Wolf God, Moro, who attacks the village along with San, a human who was raised by the wolf god. She communicates with the nature spirits -- which is why she is called Princess Mononoke ("spirits of things"). Ashitaka wants these opposing forces to co-exist, and he hopes to bring peace between San and the ironworks owner, Lady Eboshi. However, he is thwarted as higher powers, intent on killing the Shishigama, intrude, and a battle erupts over the future of all nature. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

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PG-13, 2 hr. 13 min.

Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki

Release Date: October 7, 1999

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DVD Release Date: December 19, 2000

Stats: 13,654 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (13,654)

  • fb100002384654145
    January 18, 2012
    fb100002384654145
    The animation is intoxicating like in all Studio Ghibli films and it brings the fascinating world to vibrant life. The film's epic and grand scale greatly benefits from the animation. This film is one of the more action-oriented Ghibli film's like "Castle in the Sky". The plot... read more is complex, containing many characters with varying motivations. This movie is rated PG-13 for a good reason because it is Miyazaki's most violent feature. People get stabbed and their is blood, so this movie is not a kiddie affair. Despite it's time length, the film rarely drags. Overall, this is a very well-rounded fantasy adventure with very few flaws.
  • aquateen2
    January 1, 2012
    aquateen2
    Princess Mononoke is one of the most legendary examples of how captivating and magical animation can be. It wouldn't have had the same emotional impact if it were a live action film, as it wouldn't have been as outstandingly disturbing and hauntingly unforgettable as it is. Drawi... read moreng from many different inspirations and crafting them into his own, its Miyazaki's most wild, untamed yet sophisticated and beautiful creation. Not only does it have some of the best drawing i've ever seen in an animated film. It's probably the most powerful epic i've ever seen. One that goes the deepest emotionally and maturely into its highly controversial subject matter of the conflict between humans and the natural world.
  • fb535316333
    September 23, 2011
    fb535316333
    So chalk full of allegory, symbolism, classical Shakespearean ideas and traditional themes of human vs nature that it doesn't seem to fall short of a masterpiece.

    Honestly, Princes Mononoke seems like Miyazaki at his best, there's no other film by the guy that's so well rounded;... read more it's mature, sophisticated, yet completely accessible in it's overall formulaic simplicity.

    On top of that, it's visually stimulating. The closing scenes with the Deer God? Crazy animated work even considering the studio's past creations.
  • cosmo313
    August 25, 2011
    cosmo313
    It seems as if all of Hayao Miyazaki's films are philosophical, filled to the brim with symbolism and allegory, and are heavily influenced by mytholoy and folklore. Of his films that I've seen, this is the one that I've probably enjoyed the most, and think is the best, mostly bec... read moreause it's the most interesting and easiest one for me to "get".

    The story takes the classic trope of human versus nature, and gives the story of a cursed man who gets caught in a wat between the creatures of a forest (led by a woman raised by wolves) and a bunch of villagers in a town who destroy the environment in the name of industrial development. That sounds all very simple, but as I said, the man is cursed, and that's just one of many small details that make this a very unique and imaginative film.

    It's whimsical and full of wonder at times, but this is also a pretty dark film too, showing the downside of human greed and cruelty. It's from Miyazaki though, so that also means it's gorgeous to look at and fileld with some truly awesome creatures and beings.

    While some of this sounds heavy (and it is), it's presented in a very entertaining and enjoyable way. This predates Avatar by a decade, but they are very similar, and they seemed good to compare. This one though might be more artistic, and not as concerned with action and spectacle, although it does feature it (in some truly stunning sequences).

    The version I saw was the English dub, and I thought it was pretty good. Not all of the casting was great, but it's not terrible, either. Anderson and Driver were both really good, and Crudup and Danes were decent. Thornton and Smith were a little out of place though. I wouldn't have minded reading subtitles, but since this film had so much great stuff to look at, I think I can deal with the dubbed version just fine. It's a far better job than what's done on some films.

    This is a film that can be taken at face value and enjoyed as just a good story told well, or you can analyze the hell out of it, and write a lengthy essay over various aspects. There's nothing wrong with just sitting back and enjoying it, but it is certainly worthy of scholarly analysis. Definitely give this one a watch. It's quite something.
  • ythelastman89
    April 11, 2011
    ythelastman89
    It's very rare that I truly despise a movie, but this is one of those time. I have absolutely no idea what was trying to be accomplished here. Aside from it being so distastefully bizarre and repetitive beyond belief, the plot and characters were undeserving of a full length feat... read moreure. There was absolutely zero subtlety used in this incredibly heavy handed message and I felt like there was so many other ways to get the point across. Also, I do not happen to be anywhere near a fan of anime stylization. It can work at times, but this is not the case for me here. What's the worst thing for me about this movie is that I couldn't enjoy it or admire it on any level at all. It was completely alienating and just flat out immature in my opinion.
  • coollala0910
    April 7, 2011
    coollala0910
    Prince Ashitaka has been bitten by a demon and he is on the verge of becoming one. After being banished from his tribe, Ashitaka goes far out to find a cure but is caught in a violent war between humans and the gods of the forest. Ashitaka teams up with the fearless, sexy, BA, wo... read morelf-raised princess, San, to bring peace to the forest.

    "Princess Mononoke" is an anime film like no other. Director, Hayao Miyazaki, has brought another wonder to my very eyes. The film has wonderful setting that would've take me a million years to come up with. For Miyazaki, it took about 16 years. Yes, Miyazaki took 16 years to develop the enite film. The hard work paid off! The film takes place in an alternate, mytical Ancient Japan where gods can be seen with the human eye. Very original indeed!

    The characters were designed perfectly. Ashitaka isn't the typical hero found in most films. He is very unique. San was very awesome character. She was the anime, female Tarzan. She is raised by something nonhuman and believes shes one of them. She is also fearless and diligent. Jigo the Monk was entertaining, Lady Eboshi was great, and Toki was so charming and unforgettable!

    The voice acting was powerful. Billy Crudup, who fanboys will recognize as Dr. Manhattan, was fantastic as Ashitaka. Billy Bob Thornton was great as Jigo, Minnie Driver was perfect for Lady Eboshi, Jada Pinkett Smith as terrific as Toki, and Claire Daines was absolutely awesome as San! Gillian Andersen and Keith Davis had epic voiceovers as the animal characters.

    The art was phenomenal and I highly praise the fact that there really no antagonists in the film. Miyazaki's greatest? To me, no. His best is still "Spirited Away" in my book. Mainly because the film didn't have overtly bloody/gory violence. My stomach churned a couple times. This movie has an amazing blend of action, drama, and romance that is truly one of the better animated films I've seen. I'm still unsure if I can put this in the "Best films I've ever seen" category. I also felt close to the main characters and felt their tension at some times. No other animator can make me do that but Miyazaki. I felt like bawling when Chihiro was began to burst into tears in "Spirited Away".

    I give props to Studio Ghibli for actually taking the plunge to do this. They've done a lot of family-friendly stuff and this was totally out of their league.

    After 2 1/2 hours of drama and limbs flying all over the place, the ending was incredibly beautiful and me feel warm and fuzzy. The guys at HISHE shouldn't even bother parodying the film. My eyes almost watered. Miyazaki is a true genius. My heart feels warm right now. Its so warm after seeing this. I also wish I could have my Animated Crush list right now so I can give a spot to San. She is my first anime crush. Man, those Japs know how to draw women!

    Awesome film that I gotta a big kick out of after only one viewing. I cannot wait for Miyazaki to hit me with his next masterpiece.

    "I was prepared the very moment that I let my arrow fly."
  • fb732260458
    April 1, 2011
    fb732260458
    A masterfully crafted animated film, Princess Mononoke features terrific voice acting, a strong narrative structure, mesmerizing visuals, and a timeless, riveting story.
  • riverdale237
    March 23, 2011
    riverdale237
    This is one of those sleeper movies. One you don;t expect coming, but turns out to be one of your favorites. One of my favorite movies, not a thing about it I didn't like. It's the "Avatar" of anime films.

    Let's start with the voice acting. There wasn't a single voice actor wh... read moreo did a bad job here. I know voice acting doesn't usually get a lot of credit, but it's not always that easy. Look at Doogal for instance.

    The plot was pretty cool too. It's a very complex plot, and almost everyone in the movie has an important role in the story. Prince Akitasha is trying to save himself from a demon infection, and bring peace between the animal gods and humans. Princess Mononoke is trying to overthrow the human empire, bent on pretty much destroying everything. The Monk is determined to make a profit no matter what the case, even if it means destroying the world.

    The animation was also fantastic. Most anime doesn't have very good animation, but Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke was not one of those cases. Vincent Van Goh couldn't do a better job my friend.

    This is a fantastic movie. Like really, really fantastic. I reccomend it to anyone, as long as there in a good mood. One of the greatest films of all time.
  • mumby1988
    March 14, 2011
    mumby1988
    When searching for snappy one-liners to compare movies, it's very easy to make a fool of yourself. The Wicker Man is not "the Citizen Kane of horror movies" - not because it isn't great, but because it's not a horror film. The Adjustment Bureau is not "Bourne meets Inception" - b... read moreecause it's a great deal lighter and sillier than either of those. And Princess Mononoke is not "the Star Wars of animation" - because it's arguably a whole lot better than Star Wars.

    Princess Mononoke is an enchanting, dazzling piece of filmaking, refining and retuning elements from Hayao Miyazaki's previous works while still feeling bracingly original. Its technical perfection in its marriage of hand-drawn and CG animation is matched only by the nuance and vibrancy of its storytelling and the multi-layered subtlety of its themes. It is also the film which finally broke Miyazaki into the West, with John Lasetter of Pixar overseeing the English-language dub.

    In relation to Miyazaki's back catalogue, the film is closest to his earlier epic, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Both films depict multiple civilisations at various stages of economic and political development, in the context of a modern world wrestling with the influence of ancient gods and demons. And, of course, both feature female protagonists whose motives and allegiances are not entirely clear-cut. But although it's slightly longer, Princess Mononoke is a much more focussed work. Even when it has to balance multiple story strands which become more and more frantic, it constantly feels like it a film that knows what it is doing and where it is going.

    As always with Miyazaki, the visuals are beautiful to behold. But Mononoke is notable for being the first of his works to incorporate elements of CG animation alongside more traditional hand-drawn techniques. Because of Miyazaki's affection for hand-drawn animation, both in its personal touch and its tactility, CGI is employed only very selectively - the most notable example being in the opening battle between Ashitaka and the possessed boar. CG technology is used to animate the demon worms on Ashitaka's forearm, but because they are carefully coloured and only on screen very briefly, you honestly couldn't tell the difference.

    Although the film is a PG certificate, there are many moments in Princess Mononoke which are dark, creepy or just plain surprising. In its opening minutes a number of people are decapitated by arrows or have their arms shot clean off in the heat of battle. The writhing mass of demon worms which cluster round the boar are reminiscent of Gerald Scarfe's psychotic animations in Pink Floyd - The Wall. In several scenes characters are bleeding or have some form of life-threatening injury - the camera doesn't flinch, and the implication is that neither should we. And then there is the last 30 minutes, of the Deer God turning to the same void-like black sludge of No-Face in Spirited Away, spreading all over the landscape and destroying all that he touches.

    What these moments hint towards is the emotional maturity of Princess Mononoke. It is a refinement of Nausicaa in its depiction of characters who are morally ambiguous. This is a world without absolute concepts of good and evil, in which ideas of right and wrong exist solely within the minds of its protagonists, some of whom have very limited perspectives. The world is one of complex economy and murky Realpolitik, with alliances being made and broken constantly. Few animated films have so brilliantly captured the reality of modern politics while keeping their fantasy world so seamlessly unique.

    As well as having several interweaving strands, Princess Mononoke is notable amongst animations for having no central protagonist and no-one who is straightforwardly heroic - which makes The New York Post's comparison with Star Wars all the more redundant. All of the characters believe that what they are doing is right. San is defending the Deer God and the wolves whose spirit inhabits her from the encroaching humans, whom she accuses of unduly destroying the forests. The humans in the ironworks believe that the ancient gods stand in the way of their progress, only turning to them in order to exploit their power and win wars.

    Ashitaka, who could be called our lead character, has both a selfish and an existential bent. He is selfish in that he journeys to find a cure for his curse, and has little time to be delayed by the needs of others. But through his many meetings and coming to terms with the force that is consuming him, he comes to realise his place in the universe and atone for what he has done. At the beginning of the film, he is more impulsive and self-centred, allowing his cursed arm to control him at crucial moments; but eventually, through his attachment to others, its power relents and he learns to live with himself.

    Like Nausicaa before it, Princess Mononoke is an environmental film in its negative depiction of humans' impact on the world around them. But as before, the film makes the point of focussing on attitude as much as action, and by refusing to caricature humanity as purely and inherently evil. The forest creatures may be fighting back against the humans but they are also warring amongst themselves - the wolves versus the boars, the boars versus the monkeys and so forth.

    In its characterisation of the gods, the film is much more of an allegory of the Renaissance, with people trying to kill or forget 'ancient Gods' to forge ahead and create a new civilisation. Up until the last ten minutes, it is very even-handed, suggesting that while what the humans are doing is destructive, the vengeance of the gods is hardly better, with both sides prone to being headstrong and impulsive. There are also big spiritual overtones to the Deer God's final act. Having regained his head and slaked his wrath, he gives up his spirit to rejuvenating the forest, drawing comparisons with Christ or the story of Noah and the flood.

    Princess Mononoke continues the trend in Miyazaki's works of equal footing for female characters. Women not only take a more dominant role but their identities are freely accepted, whether at the ironworks or in San's leadership of the wolves. When women claim to be more productive than men and able to defend themselves, Miyazaki resists throwing in a set-piece showing a woman humiliating a man in battle or another such cheap gesture. There is more than enough in the humorous banter between male and female to suggest that these people are not to be messed with, let alone belittled.

    As if we needed any more convincing, Princess Mononoke has moments of pure fantasy which are absolutely to die for. The sequence of the Deer God dissipating into the Earth and turning the whole land green puts even the heaven sequence in Porco Rosso to shame. The marriage between fantasy and reality is perfect, placing moments of visual magic and poetry in the midst of deep personal conflict. San and Ashitaka do not end up together, at least not romantically, but in view of the magic unfolding they learn to recognise each other's differences and gain mutual respect. San learns to tolerate the existence of humans, while Ashitaka embraces nature, in the hope that the others will follow his example.

    Princess Mononoke is a pure, undiluted masterpiece and one of the very best films of the 1990s. It is a truly outstanding piece of work, whether visually, thematically or technically. Its execution on every level is note-perfect, addressing complicated and grown-up themes while never shutting out the younger viewer. Most of all, it is a film which proves not only the virtues of animation as a medium, but which demonstrates that animation does not have to be inferior to live-action, either in content or delivery. It is a true masterstroke that will stand the test of time.
  • ironclad1609
    February 7, 2011
    ironclad1609
    Like most of Miyazaki's animes this is a really unique film. While the message of peace, love and respect for nature are easy to see, most the characters can't as easily be classified as good or bad. Even the villains show reasonable features and act human, an aspect that makes t... read morehis movie superior to many "real" films. The images, creatures and landscapes are very beautiful and the, sometimes admittedly naive, story is very entertaining and exciting. Children will be hopelessly confused by the rather unusual way of storytelling and graphic violence, but this is mostly for young adults anyway. Probably one of the best animated movies out.

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Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum
September 2, 2008
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

Even when animals speak, lip sync is avoided; they seem to be communicating almost telepathically, and one seldom feels that they're contradicting their animal natures. Full Review

Todd McCarthy
June 17, 2008
Todd McCarthy, Variety

Hayao Miyazaki's exceedingly imaginative, beautifully realized animated epic adventure has been adapted into English with tact and talent... Full Review

Michael Booth
March 7, 2008
Michael Booth, Denver Post

It's just right for the 9-year-old looking to while away a long afternoon in escapist storytelling. Full Review

Liam Lacey
March 19, 2002
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

The imagery, ranging from sublime mountain-smashing power to firefly delicacy (individual waterdrops splashing on a rock) is exuberant and intoxicating. Full Review

Peter Rainer
January 1, 2000
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine

Utilizing traditional hand-drawn cels and some computer-generated imagery, Miyazaki brings out the animism in this emerald vision and gives it a spaciousness rarely found even in live-action epics. Full Review

David Edelstein
January 1, 2000
David Edelstein, Slate

The movie has a scope that makes Hollywood's homiletic, follow - your - dream fables look even more solipsistic. Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Unlike most animated motion pictures, which have a relatively limited scope, Princess Mononoke is an epic saga, a fantasy adventure of great ambition and extent. Full Review

Susan Stark
January 1, 2000
Susan Stark, Detroit News

Brooding, occasionally bloody and often abstract, it explores animation's dramatic potential in wonderous ways. Full Review

Peter Brunette
January 1, 2000
Peter Brunette, Film.com

It's big and breathtaking, and it knows how to use music and silence in enthralling ways that make the characters in our animated films seem like empty-headed chatterboxes.

Frank Scheck
January 1, 2000
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

There is no denying the film's visual imagination, from the awe-inspiring creature creations to the stunning forest landscapes to the sensitive human characterizations.

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Princess Mononoke (Mononoke-hime) Trivia

  • What movie is there two characters called Ashitaka and San  Answer »
  • Gillian Anderson, voiced a character in the Studio Ghibli film, Princess Mononoke (Mononoke-Hime).  Answer »
  • What animated movie do Billy Crudup and Claire Danes voice the two main characters?  Answer »
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