The Boy and the Heron (2023)

I’ve always been a fan of Hayao Miyazaki. In fact, Spirited Away is one of my favorite animated movies and I love everything else he’s done as well. His movies always make me feel like I’m watching artwork come to life and The Boy and the Heron is certainly no exception in regards to that. As I’m sure my rambling and repetitive mindset has made clear before, if there’s anything I like about a movie, it’s when the story just sucks me in and I feel like I’m being transported to another world. Well, that’s what I got here. Miyazaki has created a story that will make you think and captivate you as a viewer from beginning to end. I should probably make it clear that I watched the English dubbed version and I’m sure I’ll watch it in Japanese at some point but Miyazaki films always leave the same effect on me no matter what version I’m watching. From the gorgeous animation, engaging storylines, incredible voice acting (both in English and Japanese), and the magical moments that delight just about anybody, his films always know how to make me feel a sense of wonder and nostalgia whenever I get the chance to watch them. I have more to add to this beautiful tale, so let’s get started.

     The film tells the story of a young strong-willed boy named Mahito (Luca Padovan: English Version) who, following his mother’s death and his father’s remarriage, encounters a mysterious talking heron (Robert Pattinson: English Version) who leads him to an abandoned tower and a world of both the living and the dead. It reminds me of Spirited Away but if feels darker and more desolate. Similar to Miyazaki’s other works, the visuals are dazzling and the animation is off the charts. The movie even has an impressive English cast that features Christian Bale, Gemma Chan, Mark Hamill, Willem Dafoe, Dave Bautista, Karen Fukuhara, Dave Bautista, Florence Pugh, and some others who rose to the occasion. Another thing I loved was the beautiful music score. The score is always incredible in Miyazaki’s films but composer Joe Hisaishi (who also did Spirited Away and Ponyo) really brought his A game here. The music adds a feeling of both awe and melancholy, and ups the emotional aspect of this movie to the full extent. This was a jaw-dropping and impressive journey to sit through but I have to admit, I did have some problems with this film as well. Maybe it’s because my simple-minded brain had trouble catching up or because I’m a total bonehead and I watched this movie when I was tired but I did find myself confused at times. The story is very complex and kind of hard to follow but that’s just how I felt. Either way, it was nice to watch a new Miyazaki film and from what I heard, the man is developing ideas for a new movie, so I can’t wait to see what he brings next.

     I may not have made the right choice and watched this movie when I did but I still found it to be a fascinating tale nonetheless. It has just about everything you would hope for in a Miyazaki film: strong story, beautiful music, fantastic animation, great characters, and impressive attention to detail, and if you’re like me, you’ll pay attention to every detail no matter how big or small it is. Overall, I would have to give this movie an 8 out of 10. If you’re a fan of anime, Hayao Miyazaki, or good storytelling in general, then definitely check this film out if haven’t already. Just remember to watch it when you’re in the right mindset.