Princess Mononoke Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray presentation of "Princess Mononoke" shines with an outstanding visual upgrade that significantly surpasses prior DVD releases and even the original Disney Blu-rays. Utilizing a perfectly transparent AVC encode averaging nearly 30 Mbps, this transfer ensures deep saturation and exemplary black levels, showcasing the film's rich colors and intricate details in full 1080p. Each frame of Miyazaki’s epic tale is rendered with stunning clarity, capturing every nuance of the cel animation with unrivaled precision. Though it very closely rivals the Japanese Blu-ray quality, some might find it just a hair's breadth away from perfection. Nonetheless, this remains an exceptional video presentation that fans will relish until a potential UHD release emerges.

GKIDS and Shout Factory have meticulously enhanced the video quality of Studio Ghibli's revered works, and this edition stands as a testament to their dedication. While the contrast is incredibly natural and minimal black crush can be noted, these are minor nitpicks in an otherwise flawless transfer. The dynamic range is impressive, bringing to life the vivid world of feudal Japan depicted in "Princess Mononoke." This release's superior visual fidelity offers a truly immersive experience, allowing the film’s intricately designed environments and characters to flourish with a newfound vibrancy and depth.

In summary, "Princess Mononoke" on Blu-ray from Shout Factory delivers a pristine and technically accomplished visual presentation. The vivid colors, precise details, and excellent black levels make this release a must-have for collectors and enthusiasts alike. It encapsulates the artistry of Miyazaki’s masterpiece in a form that celebrates its full visual grandeur, ensuring that every aspect of this iconic film is experienced as it was meant to be seen.

The Blu-ray audio presentation of "Princess Mononoke" by Shout Factory delivers an exceptional auditory experience in both its original Japanese and Disney-produced English dubbed tracks, each formatted in DTS-HD MA 5.1. This dual-track availability ensures an immersive soundstage, leveraging all five channels effectively. The surrounding audio is meticulously utilized, with noticeable effects such as forest ambiances and battlefield clamor providing a rich, enveloping experience. Significant LFE output accentuates impactful scenes, such as the thunderous pig hooves that resonate powerfully. Dialogue clarity remains superb across both tracks, with the Japanese track slightly edging out for its authenticity and crispness.

The sound design further enhances the film’s atmosphere by incorporating discrete audio cues and a dynamic range that keeps listener engagement high. Composer Joe Hisaishi’s symphonic score is beautifully executed, melding perfectly into the mix, adding emotional depth and grandeur to the viewing experience. The English dub, bolstered by the notable voice cast including Billy Crudup, Minnie Driver, and Claire Danes, presents a coherent narrative albeit with a lean towards a younger audience due to the Disney adaptation’s child-friendly modifications. Additionally, the French dub available in Dolby Digital 5.1 provides another layer of accessibility.

A notable improvement in this Shout Factory release over previous Disney editions is the accurate handling of subtitles. Shout Factory corrects Disney’s previous use of “dubtitles”—subtitles mirroring the English dub instead of an accurate translation of the Japanese dialogue. This release includes proper English translations provided by Studio Ghibli, ensuring that viewers opting for the Japanese audio track receive the authentic dialogue as intended. Fans of the original language will particularly appreciate this meticulous attention to detail. Overall, this release strikes a superb balance between technical precision and an immersive auditory experience.

The Princess Mononoke Blu-ray extras are precisely curated to enhance the viewing experience for fans and newcomers alike, with superior attention to detail. Among the highlights is a meticulously composed score by Joe Hisaishi, capturing the essence of the film’s epic narrative with richly textured instrumentation. The packaging is an absolute marvel, featuring deluxe materials and breathtaking artwork, epitomizing Studio Ghibli's commitment to quality. Additionally, an exclusive 40-page booklet provides insightful essays and artwork, deepening the appreciation for this cinematic masterpiece. While the Blu-ray replicates previous GKIDS releases, it stands out with comprehensive feature-length storyboards, trailers, and behind-the-scenes documentaries that offer unique perspectives into the film's production process. This collector’s edition is a testament to GKIDS’s dedication to Miyazaki’s work, making it an essential addition to any anime aficionado’s collection.

Extras included in this disc:

• Feature-Length Storyboards: Original storyboards playing for the entire movie, perfect for animation enthusiasts.
• Original Theatrical Trailers: A collection of Japanese theatrical trailers with Dolby Digital audio.
• TV Spots: Over a dozen early television spots from Japan.
• Princess Mononoke in USA: Featurette following Miyazaki's promotional tour in the US.
• Behind the Microphone: Featurette with English voice cast discussing their roles.
• 40 page art book: Exclusive booklet with essays and artwork.
• Soundtrack: Complete score by Joe Hisaishi on CD.

Hayao Miyazaki’s "Princess Mononoke," a seminal work in the Studio Ghibli oeuvre, masterfully intertwines intricate storytelling and breathtaking animation. Set in a fantastical version of feudal Japan, the film delves into the clash between humans and nature, epitomized by the divine animal spirits and industrializing humans. The narrative is propelled by Ashitaka, the last of the Emishi, who is cripplingly cursed after a deadly encounter with a boar god turned demon. His quest for a cure leads him to a legendary forest home to the powerful Forest Spirit. Along the way, dynamic characters such as Lady Eboshi – a formidable ironworks leader – and San, the wolf-princess raised by animal gods, complicate the narrative with their influential roles and conflicting motivations.

Miyazaki's magnum opus is brought to life through over 144,000 hand-drawn animation cels, offering an artisanal quality rarely seen in contemporary animation. The film’s visual grandeur is matched by its profound thematic depth; it isn't just a tale of adventure but a philosophical reflection on the consequences of technological advancement. Engaging characters like the resourceful Ashitaka, the complex Lady Eboshi, and the fierce San contribute to the morally nuanced story. Their interactions expose viewers to various facets of human and environmental strife, making it more than a straightforward battle between good and evil.

"Princess Mononoke" deftly balances dark themes and hopeful undertones, distinguishing itself as a mature animated feature. This quality is echoed in its poignant score and stunning visual detail. The film carries significant weight in the canon of animated films, inviting comparisons to classics such as "Seven Samurai" for its epic scope and Rashomon-like complexity in moral ambiguity. It remains an indelible piece of cinematic art, illustrating Miyazaki’s unparalleled ability to combine human emotion with lyrical storytelling. This Blu-ray edition respects the original cinematic experience, offering fans an opportunity to witness this meticulously crafted animation in high-definition fidelity, preserving its artistic integrity.

Princess Mononoke is an epic tale set against the backdrop of the industrial revolution, weaving a poignant narrative about the balance between humans and nature. Directed by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, the story delves deep into themes such as fear, hate, war, sacrifice, life, death, revenge, and compassion. The film stands as a benchmark for its brilliant animation and majestic score. It remains one of Miyazaki's most popular works and is considered among the greatest animated films of all time.

This Blu-ray release by Shout Factory is a definitive edition aimed at collectors and aficionados of Studio Ghibli. The package includes the original Blu-ray disc, an official soundtrack, and an exquisite 40-page art book. Notably, it corrects the subtitle issues found in previous releases, making it a substantial upgrade from earlier versions. The deluxe packaging and additional content make this a must-own for serious fans of the film and Studio Ghibli.

Princess Mononoke is a timeless masterpiece exploring fantasy themes and humanity’s impact on nature. It is an unforgettable cinematic experience, unmatched in its intelligence and artistry. Whether you are upgrading from an old release or purchasing for the first time, this collector’s edition offers tremendous value and remains highly recommended for its exceptional content and presentation.

Technical Specifications: Starring: Billy Crudup, Minnie Driver, Claire Danes, Jada Pinkett Smith Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki Written by: Hayao Miyazaki Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 AVC Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, Japanese DTS-HD MA 5.1, French DD 5.1 Subtitles: English, English SDH, French Studio: Shout Factory Rated: PG-13 Runtime: 133 Minutes Blu-ray Release Date: May 14th, 2019

Recommendation: Great Buy

Princess Mononoke is a vibrant and thought-provoking story about the industrial revolution and how it destroyed the tenuous harmony between humans and nature. Miyazaki explores themes like fear and hate and war and sacrifice, life and death and revenge and compassion, all encompassed with brilliant animation and a majestic score. There’s a reason this film is one of his most popular, and continues to be perhaps his greatest battle epic to date. This version of the film is geared directly for the collectors amongst us, as it's a bit more feature-packed than Shout Factory's standalone release last year. It comes with the same Blu-ray disc that is in the previous set, but it excludes the DVD and gives us the official soundtrack, as well as some really nice collector's packaging, and a full 40-page book of art. It's a great set, but if you have the previous Shout Factory release I would only upgrade for the collectibility of it. If you still have the Disney release, then I still highly recommend upgrading for the botched subtitles that Shout Factory fixed, whether it be this issue or the regular edition that Shout Factory released. I highly recommend it, but not for small children. Technical Specifications Starring: Billy Crudup, Minnie Driver, Claire Danes, Jada Pinkett Smith Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki Written by: Hayao Miyazaki Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 AVC Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, Japanese DTS-HD MA 5.1, French DD 5.1 Subtitles: English, English SDH, French Studio: Shout Factory Rated: PG-13 Runtime: 133 Minutes Blu-ray Release Date: May 14th, 2019

Recommendation: Great Buy