Princess Mononoke

I, after much debate and thought, bought Princess Mononoke, which is often considered certainly among the best anime films ever. I did purchase the English language version vs. the original with subtitles, but this version is also highly touted. Billy Crudup, Gillian Anderson, Billy Bob Thornton, Minnie Driver, Claire Danes and Jada Pinkett Smith all lend their voice talent. The movie is relatively new (1997) and the animation is excellent. I was impressed with both of those aspects of the film. The movie starts with a small village being attack by a huge wild boar, who you later find out is a demon possessed former forest God. The boar is killed by Ashitaka, our hero, but it comes at a price at his arm is infected from being touched by the demon. He begins a quest to find the God of the Forest to heal his wounds before he becomes possessed and dies. You meet the humans, represented by "Iron Town" and Lady Eboshi who cut down the forest for firewood to stoke the flames to create iron and industry. They fight with the animals of the forest with guns and explosives and are currently winning. The movie follows this battle of nature vs. progress, industry vs. preservation, animal vs. human. It doesn't really choose a side, but shows that both side is driven by hatred and prone to destruction. It's a very good story that's relevant to all cultures and people. I did fall asleep twice when I would try to watch this film late at night, but it wasn't from a lack of interest. Bottom Line: 8.2 out of 10. I was impressed by a lot of the film and I highly recommend a viewing. It's not available a lot of places, but if you can get your hands on it you won't be sorry. It's the best cartoon film that I've ever seen.