Princess Mononoke

I actually have hardly anything to complain about; whether it's the amazing mythical story, the score, or the stunningly engaging visuals, which would be unimaginable in any other animated movie. The problem is simply that the plot, however brilliantly developed and imaginative, failed to effectively pull me in and make me sit still in front of the monitor for two hours. So all OK, I had fun and enjoyed an unconventional adventure movie, but I still like the top American cartoons much more. (03/08/2012)

For me, the weakest epic of Hayao Miyazaki's magnificent filmography, yet still with the feeling of an epic work. The story grabs hold (after an unusually unremarkable start) as soon as San appears and, with a few exceptions, doesn't let go until the impressive and visually stunning conclusion. Those exceptions are the episodes set in Iron Town, which try to fit a somewhat clumsy humor into Princess Mononoke, which this time around feels like a fist in your eye. Everything else, however, is a fairytale in the most positive sense of the word. Whenever San and Ashitaka are in the same frame, but especially when Miyazaki unleashes ideas from that rich treasure trove of his imagination. Wolves, forest creatures, and even the Great Forest Spirit made me feel like I was watching poetry in film. (22/06/2006)

After watching Princess Mononoke, Hayao Miyazaki is for me right up there with James Cameron as a directorial god. His spectacular and narrative masterpieces (Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and Princess Mononoke) are amazing examples of the genius and imagination of a skilled filmmaker. Once again, the director relies on the love between a boy and a girl against a backdrop of horrific dangers, and once again he does not disappoint. Of the films mentioned above, I found Mononoke to be the most mature and darkest. In short, an indescribable experience that I will carry with me for a long time. (24/12/2010)

I'm used to Miyazaki's work being tinged with "let's protect nature – sort trash – don’t burn forests", but this time it was too much. Again, no expense is spared when it comes to fantasy, I really liked the white creatures in the forest, the story was also interesting, the ending was kind of bittersweet (which I didn't mind at the time), yet for me this is one of the weakest films I've seen from Miyazaki so far. It just didn't touch me, not this time. His work has always left something in me, now not a peep. Still, it's a quality piece of work that's definitely worth seeing; me once. A weaker 4 stars. (18/02/2009)

I am watching Hayao Miyazaki's films in chronological order, and I like how his work evolves over time, but his signature remains safely recognizable. Princess Mononoke is another story with a strong ecological subtext, but it is one hundred percent serious fantasy with very few moments of lightness, but with a large number of magical and poetic scenes, and with characters who are by no means clearly divided into good and bad – each of them can be understood with a certain vision of the world, which adds to the story's impact. The monster finale is awesome, but there are plenty of memorable scenes. (06/08/2023)