A film about a few bandits who attempt rescuing a princess from an evil Count. Miyazaki’s first film really made an impression among moviegoers. Steven Spielberg called it the greatest adventure film ever made. It’s hard to argue with the man who helped create Raiders of the Lost Ark. This movie’s story was great and the suspense and excitement made the film entertaining. But the problem with the film was the animation, and it’s less compelling characters. This film was not presented by the legendary company, Studio Ghibli, which could have been the reason why the film’s characters were bland. This was Miyazaki’s first feature film, so it’s understandable that the animation wasn’t as beautiful as his newer films, but it left him plenty of time to improve. Miyazaki is also known for making emotionally heart wrenching films with deep messages, but this film was not one of them, disappointingly.
Though the action scenes were unrealistic, it’s what made this such a good adventure film.
Though Miyazaki’s newest film is not his best, that is, in all honesty, not saying much at all. Ponyo is a beautifully drawn animated film, with amazing visuals that improved over his other films. It’s a story about a young boy who finds a humanoid goldfish, who desperately attempts to be a human girl. The story was great, nothing really too familiar about the plot. But what made it low on the list? Well Ponyo was certainly not bad, it’s plot was more exuberant than compelling. Usually Miyazaki’s films either had a compelling plot, or their characters were very memorable, which this failed at. While Ponyo’s plot was still intriguing, it’s characters were very predictable most of the time.
8.
Howl’s Moving Castle
Another one of Miyazaki’s newer films, Howl’s Moving Castle is an epic tale of a young girl cursed by a witch and turned into an old woman. While entering the realm of witches and wizards, she enters Howl’s mysterious moving castle. Inside, she’s taken on all new adventures, and at the same time, she attempts to make herself young once again. The story was great and the characters were memorably interesting. But this wasn’t Miyazaki’s original idea, as it was a adaption from a novel. It may not sound like a big deal as most movies are adaptions from novels. But Miyazaki’s other films were his original ideas, and he got worldwide critical acclaim for them. His ideas were rich and original, much like Howl’s Moving Castle. But it came from a book, which caused a lot of disappointment for the fans. Also, relating to the characters wasn’t so easy as with his other films, and the pace of the plot gets a bit confusing at times. But Howl’s Moving Castle is a beautifully animated film, with epic and magical scenes that are unforgettable.
