ColossalBeltloop

I LOVED this movie when I was a kid. Another repeat tape I would watch over and over again. I suppose it seemed strange that I enjoyed watching...appliances moving across the screen, but they had so much character and personality, I still got thrilled watching supposedly inanimate objects surviving through peril and various landscape adventures. It's sad to know that when anyone randomly picks up the cover to see 'The Brave Little Toaster' kids, and probably even adults would think, "Yeah.....roight..." but the movie is strangely unique with the old vs. new themes that are surprisingly well told, with some very dark, almost disturbing elements and images used to portray these themes during some of the awesome (particularly if you're a kid) songs. Overall, this movie is recommended to kids 5-8 years old, so long as they can handle the dark, scaryish type moods. But anyone with an open mind and animation on the brain can enjoy this film.

I can't say enough bad things about this tiringly frustrating film, but I won't bore you with constant adjectives. I found that people who really liked this film were either mindless anime fans who love any anime just because it was made by a Japanese hand, or high school boys.

Let's start off by noting the roll-yer-eyes, unimpressive characters. First off, we have this guy who looks to be a gentle giant, until he turns into a psychotic lunatic bent on...who knows what and I don't care after watching the stumbling dream to reality sequence over and OVER again. Of all things, the movie immediately stereotypes the Big, ugly, illiterate, mute, freakish looking man, as an abnormally insane, obsessive, psychotic, manic killer. Nice. I don't think that's been done before (or has it?)

The female character is ditsy, helpless, and brainless. How I managed to watch her whimper and whine throughout the entire movie, I don't know. As for the dream to reality, or MAYBE-reality sequences, they were hardly thoughtful, always sloppy, and so countless you didn't care anymore. And for the twist at the end, it felt as if the writers ran out of ideas and slapped the decision of spontaneous, rabid, bloody betrayal together. All in all, this movie looks like something that would be in Alfred Hitchcock's trashbin.

I don't think there was one film I watched over and over again as a child except The Secret of Nimh, aside from maybe Bambi and a select few others.

As a kid of course, I didn't know anything about big corporate companies and animation studios making animated features, but even then, I knew there was something different about this film compared to Disney's squishy squashy movement and antics, and I knew it simply wasn't disney made. There was something raw, realistic, and wonderfully harsh about the realism and movements of the characters and the film itself. This is why i fell in love with it as a kid, because i felt closer to the deeper and darker themes.
When i look back, i have alot of respect and admiration for the movie. Even now, few films can compare to The Secret of Nimh, though i must mention, the 'stone' somewhat seems to stick out of the story, and it's appearence in the beginning is all that can save it, but as a child, the presence of that item really added to the fantasy feel about it, and made it seem that much more magical and powerful as a whole. I loved the feeling, and still love the feeling of things that can't fully be explained and remains mysterious when it comes to good books and movies. The Secret of Nimh definately holds up to that.

All right, I have to redeem myself for bad mouthing Nausicaa, with this subtle masterpiece, Porco Rosso. This has to be Miyazaki's deepest, most personal film. However, you have to be willing to think about it for a long time, or watch the film two or three times. I did both, because I sensed an underlying importance I was uncertain i grasped. When the backbone was finally recognized, it's quite simple, but incredible to realize it was surfaced in this film.
The story is about a bounty hunter who goes by the name of Porco. The story seems neat and simple, as he meets many colorful characters such as Sea Pirates, his old attraction, Gina, an innocent girl named Fio who gives him more faith in humanity, and a rival pompous, but good-hearted American pilot named Curtis. The challenges of bounty catching and other conflicts meet throughout the film, but what becomes most alarming, is how deep and personal the scenes truly are. When I first saw the film, I felt empathy, but with thought. I later realized Porco's true story.
He turned himself into a pig through his uncertainty, and hatred for humanity and himself. This is caused by his decision to side with his country, rather than his love, Gina (because she lives in enemy territory). Furthermore, THIS is caused by his experience in air wars, watching his best friend (Gina's husband) get shot down. He contemplates, regrets, and eventually forgoes the different decisions he could have made, including abandoning Gina. Through all this motion in his mind, he begins to hate himself, willingly throwing away his human self, and curses himself into becoming a pig in response to how he feels with the battles of The Great Depression, and his own choices.
By the end of the film, the only question we have, (aside from the many Italian words throughout the film) is whether or not Porco turned back into a human. Curtis comments that he wants to see Porco's face, because he noticed a 'change'. I believe I know the answer after watching the last scenes of the film, but it all remains rather mystified.

With such a dedicated fan base, and so much profit being made by his name, no would dare say Miyazaki had a 'bad' film. Only the few and realistic would recognize a good film from an 'uhhh,' one, no matter who made it. Valley of the Wind, is by far his worst piece of work. Even Miyazaki himself gave this film a 'D', and was unsatisfied when compared to the 13 year project manga. However, because of the film's distinctive premise, and unique science-fiction/fantasy/agnst-based tale, it was quickly accepted and a huge success. The film has some very rich and detailed ideas, with some conveyed very well throughout the story, but ultimately, the mellow drama, plus/or the over dramatic elements felt purposeless, or unneeded, simply to keep the film going. The characters have a great look to them, but also fall short of true connection and affection. Add this to the loose-ended and jumpy storyline, and you get Nausicaa, Valley of the Winds, a film with potential, but lacking in ALOT. I would only recommend this film to anyone that is interested in the history of Miyazaki, and how he got started off.