Film: The Boy and the Heron
Distributors: GKIDS, Toho Co, Wild Bunch
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Cast: Christian Bale, Florence Pugh, Robert Pattinson, Dave Batista
Studio Ghibli has captivated and inspired audiences with some of the most breathtaking cinema that has transcended cultural barriers and perceptions of what animation “should be” for almost forty years. The Boy and the Heron is no exception being the 24th film of Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki’s last movie. Set during World War II a young boy by the name of Mahito Maki (Luca Padovan), has suffered a great loss and moves with his father Shoichi Maki (Christian Bale), to a new town with his new wife. While Mahito is adjusting to these circumstances he comes across a strange (and even at times creepy) Heron (Robert Pattinson), which becomes an integral part of Mahito’s journey. While Mahito discovers a tower that acts as a portal to another realm it allows him to reveal not only what this strange new land has to offer but also gives him the power to heal. From pirate Kiriko (Florence Pugh), to Lady Himi (Karen Fukuhara), and the Parikeet King (Dave Bautista). Each character is an important piece for the hero’s journey. It not only teaches Mahito some very important life lessons but may even help certain audience members with those lessons as well.
Like all of Studio Ghibli’s films, it’s not only pleasing to the eye but also pleasing to the mind. Which is becoming an even rarer treat these days. Especially when we are overrun with Disney fair that has unfortunately lost its creative soul. Thankfully this is a film that hasn’t forgotten to be creative, unique and dare I say at times even original. The writers and animators have created a world that is at times strangely familiar but also unlike anything that you’ve witnessed before. Studio Ghibli has created the perfect formula of whimsy and wonder that each time allows the audience to be transported to not only another land but also other realms that are unique and memorable. So if you looking for animation that has the power to not only transport but also move you and perhaps even heal in these very strange and uncertain times. Then The Boy and the Heron just could be the perfect ticket during the Christmas period.