The Boy and the Heron review by Bobby Blakey
There is no doubt that one of the biggest animated filmmakers is Hayao Miyazaki director of films such as Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Kiki’s Delivery Service, The Wind Rises and more. In 2013 he announced his retirement, but after working on a short film changed his mind in 2016. Now after all these years his latest feature The Boy and the Heron is finally here. The film features the original voice cast of Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Ko Shibasaki, Aimyon, Yoshino Kimura, Takuya Kimura, Kaoru Kobayashi, and Shinobu Otake. The US release offers up an all-star cast as well including Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson and Florence Pugh.
The Boy and the Heron follows young Mahito who moves to his family's estate in the countryside after losing his mother during the war. There, a series of mysterious events lead him to a secluded and ancient tower, home to a mischievous gray heron. When Mahito's new stepmother disappears, he follows the gray heron into the tower, and enters a fantastic world shared by the living and the dead. As he embarks on an epic journey with the heron as his guide, Mahito must uncover the secrets of this world, and the truth about himself.
I am not much into the world of anime or manga these days, but the films of Miyazaki are on a different level. They are obviously animated, but they are such heavy stories of people and the human spirit at their core wrapped in fantastical worlds of genius creativity. This film is based on the 1937 novel from Genzaburō Yoshino and perfectly fits into the general tone of what Miyazaki brings to the worlds he creates.
This film is yet another perfect example of storytelling in a way that will keep you
guessing, engaged, confused and attached all at once. The heft of the initial tale sets the tone and then the strange characters such as the heron himself take you into a place that makes little sense, but you are captivated to learn more. I have always loved how his films are structured in so much fantasy yet seems more real than anything else. Despite the bizarre nature of its direction or the insane characters that inhabit it you get pulled in and believe in it all.
The animation is as beautiful as ever once again showcasing his mastery of the craft. There are so many nuances in it all that pulls you into the visuals on screen. It is an insane amount of creativity that would seem to make no sense, but always works. There is an ongoing element featuring all these birds that is strange, but amazing when they transition from world to world. I loved every frame of this film from the plain and mundane real world to the strange otherworldly fantasy elements. If this ends up being his final film it is a perfect cap to an amazing career, but always ready for more if he gifts it to us.
Check out The Boy and the Heron in theaters now from Studio Ghibli, Toho and GKIDS.