Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

The exhilarating feature by "Spirited Away" director-animator Miyazaki, "Nausicaa" is an epic masterpiece about an issue very much on the minds of young people today: sustainable living and the future of our planet. Borrowing its apocalyptic scenario from Miyazaki's own manga originals, this dark fantasia pits a band of warrior activists against the encroachment of a poisonous environment. As always with Miyazaki, this is a world where good and evil coexist, sometimes in the same character. Splendid visuals, great voice acting by Thurman, Stewart, and Lohman, and an absorbing finale make this a science-fiction film with a heart, mind, and message.

I am a conservative. If I were famous, Rosie O'Donnell would hate me. But guess what? I still think this is the best animated movie ever created. Don't be afraid that Mr. Miyazaki is trying to insult you in this movie. Miyazaki did not create this film to preach about global warming at all of us un-enlightened fools, he made it because it is a great story. The environmental message is that mindlessly destoying the earth is bad, not that driving a car is going to melt Antarctica. This film showcases the power of human creativity, not our evil treatment of the earth. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is set in a world where a horrible war devistated the planet and now it must heal. The environmental problems of Nausicaa's earth are immense, not like the possible issues that some people think might be happening and/or might happen on our earth. Nausicaa is a wise, careful girl that actually understands how to deal with environmental problems and she ended up saving the world because of her patience. She shows how despite our human imperfections, we can still do great things. She is not a flawless, she gets angry in multiple scenes and is certainly not perfect, which shows how human this whole story is. And some other characters demonstrate how human sinfulness can cause abysmal mistakes. This is a classic among classics and whether anime is your thing or not, you will love this movie (I would know, I don't like most anime). Miyazaki never made a bad movie, so anything by him is recomended by me, especially Spirited Away.

I love Miyazaki's films. I own Castle in the Sky, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, and Kiki's Delivery Service. I love them all. So I thought to complete the collection I would get Nausicaa (and of course the other two eventually). However, when I watched Nausicaa, from the first 20 minutes, mostly from when I saw her nude to the end of the movie, I was bored. I tried to like it but it made little sense to me. I liked the graphics and I liked the main theme of music. But the other music was kind of weird. I felt like I was listening to an 80's music theme. I didn't feel like I could connect with the characters and they all seemed flawed. I would suggest at least renting this one first, but I am glad I bought it anyway because I want the whole collection of Miyazaki's movies. I'll just say it was an early anime when he started out. I'm not trying to bash this film, I just simply didn't like it that much. And I probably wouldn't watch it again.

This is my wife's favorite of the Miyazaki movies. Great strong female lead character. Interesting story, beautiful animation. Holds up well over time.

What a great way to show the world what we need to take care of now. Kind of scary what the imagination of the future may hold.