Ollie Clarke

Bit of a mess. I'm very surprised to see this movie getting such praise. Yes the animation is pretty, but certainly not breathtaking like you'd expect from a Ghibli film. Don't hold out for any gorgeous food shots (a Ghibli staple), because you're not getting any. I watched the English dub, and the most notable performance was Christian Bale's Shoichi - who can't decide on an English, American, or Australian accent, very bewildering. I wasn't particularly wowed by any other performances, and sadly wasn't impressed with Joe Hisaishi's soundtrack either. The worst offender however, is the plot. It seems to just be a bunch of set pieces that Miyazaki thought would be cool (and sure, they're pretty cool), but make no sense within the film itself. So much of this movie straight up doesn't make sense. Why can't the heron fly when he's been shot in the beak? Why is there constant flip flopping between Natsuko being the boy's aunt or his mother? Why does she want to give birth in the magical world? Why does Lady Himi have fire powers? I'm all for interpreting your own meanings in a film, but there is too much that goes unexplained here to properly enjoy yourself and it all adds up to a very unsatisfying experience. 3/10.