MovieChat Forums > Mononoke-hime (1997) Discussion > Significantly over rated.

Significantly over rated.

posted 12 years ago by scottylans
25 replies | jump to latest

I just finished watching and I think it's vastly over rated.
Maybe the intention of the director / writers was to frustrate me - because that's what the movie did. I realise having simple movies with clear antagonists and protagonists is a bit basic but this film just had me almost hating every character in the film. The only character I like was the princess and the deer god. Even the Wolf god was a bitter *beep* (understandable but bitter none the less)

I get the message that the forest and the people need to work together to have equilibrium (at least I believe that's the message) but how it's told wasn't to my liking. I guess I like my Miyazaki films to be a lot more sweet at the end or have at least some good touching moments throughout the film.
Often the childish, yet touching moments in his films bring a tear to my eye - this film didn't do that even once. I was expecting this to be some kind of epic tear jerker with some completely touching and bittersweet moments but ultimately almost every character death didn't do much for me.

I didn't dislike the film and I suspect a second viewing may help me enjoy more of it but I would give this film a 6.5 out of 10 at best to be honest.
Spirited away, a vastly more strange, less complex (emotionally) and simple film is far superior to me. It's a weird yet fantastic spectacle with some genuinely touching moments. Also Nausicaa - a Miyazaki film with some more serious and darker tones is far far better than Mononoke.

Perhaps hearing for 10 years what a great film it is has over hyped it for me or perhaps this evening I'm not in the mood for a film with no clear bad guy and distinct winner but this movie is not what I was expecting. Fantastic animation indeed, as usual but in this persons opinion definitely no where near the top of Miyazakis film list.

[–] Ms_Witch 12 years ago

You wrote everything that is on my mind. I just finished watching it, and although it is an ok movie, I cannot believe how people consider it one of the best of Miyazaki's. I am so disappointed, but at least I am not alone thinking that this movie is over-rated. Thank you for reading my mind.

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[–] scottylans 12 years ago

I do not agree with it's high rating.
Therefore, in my mind - it's over rated.

Case closed really.

[–] poolboyg88 12 years ago

I'm sure in your mind your opinions have some sort of significance. Just remember that in "our minds" - it doesn't.

[–] scottylans 12 years ago

That's not the point of this thread.

[–] prisidugo 12 years ago

I think everyone's opinion matters. I really do. I liked the film and you did not. I'm ok with that and would like to have a nice conversation about it.

There are such things called objective opinions and subjective opinions. Subjective opinion means I think this chocolate cake tastes like vanilla.
Objective opinion means I think the sky is blue.

I think guilty pleasures are healthy when it comes to films. A guilty pleasure being something you like but fully admit that it is bad.

Back on topic though, I think it is a film that executed near flawlessly for a few reasons. Most of which are the reasons that many people love it and call it the best.

-There are no real villains in this film. Nature kills its fair share of innocent people and people kill a fair share of innocent creatures. The humans have their understandable reasons for creating Iron Town and the animals have legitimate reasons for wanting to defend their forest. Lady Eboshi may want to kill the Forest Spirit, but she also gives better homes to former whores, takes good care of lepers, and tries to protect her citizens.
-The Japanese Sub and the English Dub (done by Neil Gaiman, now doesn't that fit) are both spectacular.
-All of the characters are written extremely well. As before no real villains. San is raised by wolves and trained to kill humans, but also feels guilty when she falls in love with Ashitaka. I already talked about Lady Eboshi. The villagers should kill Ashitaka after assaulting Eboshi and saving San, but don't because they have grown to care for him as a person.

For many more reasons go to http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/ir/jo/jospecials/35605-month-of-miyazaki-part-7

[–] mojo2004 12 years ago

I'm surprised at how much I was let down after seeing this film. As the OP stated is is really overrated. I also have heard nothing but high praise for the film for a very long time. I put this last on my list of Miyazak films. This didn't even come close to the magic and wonder of 'Howl's Moving Castle' for me. The story went on way too long. It was simply overdone. Cut out 20 mins and the movie would still be the same.

Just for the record, I'm not a Dude, I'm a Dudette!

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[–] mojo2004 12 years ago

I know a lot of people don't like HMC but after finally seeing 'Princess Mononoke' I have to pick Howl. Even the title is better. The main character in this film wasn't 'Princess Mononoke'.

Just for the record, I'm not a Dude, I'm a Dudette!

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[–] jose-cruz53 11 years ago

Miyazaki wanted for the title to be The Legend of Ashitaka. The producers later on gave the name Princess Mononoke for marketing reasons.

About it being overrated: one must understand that people are different and some people are touched by PM, others aren't, which is valid for all works of art: some people find Tokyo Story a bore while others love it. I must say that I only understood Princess Mononoke the second time I watched it. However those that are touched by PM are touched very deeply; it still remains the single most powerful experience I ever had watching a movie.

[–] scottylans 11 years ago

To be fair, I watched Howls moving castle about ,...... 3 or 4 months ago and didn't think much of that either.

Ponyo, Totoro and Spirited away are by far my fave movies of his, they are just adorable - they touch you in innocent places of childhood which have been tucked away for the sake of maturity or saving face. They are amazing films.

I don't hate howls but it's,... I dunno, I didn't bond with any characters. At least it's not universally praised like Mononoke which yeah is just over rated.

[–] fp_ff_fp 11 years ago

I agree. I think this movie was also overrated. It was a good movie but that's about it. About a 7.5/10 from me.

I don't get the hype behind this movie or others like TDK or TDKR (which is absolute garbage)

[–] kimono38 10 years ago

I'm agree with you too.
My reason is different. Some of here said the director want to display there is no good or evil but you can clearly see who is good and who is evil. Human destroy EVERYTHING in the end, even kill the god. And most of the human in ironwork survived.

This is where it goes very wrong, the stupid human in ironwork destroy forest to get more ingredient and prevent the ape from regrowing the forest. We all know deforestation is a bad thing. But in this movie, it doesn't tackle the issue correctly. Even until the end, the people believe they did nothing wrong and it just end there. Ashitaka "saved" the forest but the rest of the people remain ignorance about their action.

To add salt to injury, Ironwork here is to produce gun (weapon) for war. At one hand, it give job opportunity for the infected people & prostitute but in other hand, it fuel the war and create more death. This doesn't justify the importance of Ironwork place for me.

So far, i have watched Spirited away and Totoro which is great. While Howl's Moving castle and princess mononoke is bad. I'm not really into this Studio Ghibli hype train anymore.

[–] dex_90 10 years ago

Got to agree with this. The movie was hyped so much as possibly the best Studio Ghibli movie and possibly the best Miyazaki movie. Now that it came out on Blu-Ray I finally got to see it and I really don't see it.
The factions and actions of the characters seemed kind of disjointed overall and partially didn't even make that much sense.

I much prefer My Neighbor Totoro (I think that might be my favorite Miyazaki movie), Howl's Moving Castle, Ponyo, Arietti, Spirited Away. Even Laputa - Castle in the Sky.

I still need to watch Nausicaa and Porco Rosso though.

[–] Viktoriyachicago 10 years ago

Could not disagree more. Spirited Away is overrated like hell, I was pretty disappointed in it too. Mononoke is the best animated movie I seen! It's just so powerful it touched me so much. You like yours light and sweet, and I like mines more breathtaking. Mononoke took my breath away the first time I watched it, than all other times I watched it. Spirited Away, on the other hand, was the first Ghibli movie I saw and was disappointed. PM in my eyes is a masterpiece above any animated movie ever made.

Human kind can not gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of equivalent exchange. -Alphonse Elric

[–] loepark 10 years ago

I mean...well, you listed all your reasons for not loving it, and it's reasonable enough I guess. It's really up to person's preference but this was a genuine epic and almost incomparable in scope to something like Spirited Away or Ponyo. I'm surprised you liked Nausicaa while you didn't like this one, very curious to why that is. So anyway, I think it's a masterpiece and it's one of my favorite films.

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