Tag: Hayao Miyazaki

REVIEW: Ponyo (2008)

For one reason or another, the Studio Ghibli movies from 2008 onwards tend to be ones I never saw (The Wind Rises, From Up on Poppy Hill) or that I saw once and didn’t like at all. The latter category pertains to Ponyo (2008), Hayao Miyazaki’s loose adaptation of The Little Mermaid by Hans Chris...

REVIEW: Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

I like most Studio Ghibli movies, but my absolute favorites have to be Princess Mononoke and Howl’s Moving Castle. I reviewed the former a while back, and the latter is one of the main reasons I wanted to review Studio Ghibli’s output. Howl’s Moving Castle is based on a novel of the same name ...

REVIEW: Whisper of the Heart (1995)

1995 saw the release of the first cinematic Studio Ghibli film not directed by either Isao Takahata or Hayao Miyazaki. Whisper of the Heart is more grounded and toned-down than many of the studio’s more famous efforts. The movie follows a young girl’s day-to-day life in a pretty honest, believab...

REVIEW: Porco Rosso (1992)

In 1992, Studio Ghibli released Porco Rosso. In some ways, Hayao Miyazaki’s historical fiction fantasy is more reserved than his earlier efforts, but it still maintains a sense of magic in the world. The film has a unique tone, balancing slapstick comedy with serious subject matter. Miyazaki has a...

REVIEW: Castle in the Sky (1986)

After the success of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Hayao Miyazaki’s next film came two years later in the form of Castle in the Sky. I forgot to mention last week that Nausicaä was technically produced before Studio Ghibli was formed, making Castle in the Sky their official first film....

REVIEW: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

When I watched and reviewed Earwig and the Witch last week, it got me thinking about Studio Ghibli as a whole. This was their first film in six years (seven for us here in the United States), and it was disappointing to most fans, to say the least. However, it’s worthy of note that a …

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