Princess Mononoke (1997):

Princess Mononoke (1997):

“On a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.”

Prince Ashitaka has to stop an evil demon plague from taking over the forest, and his arm. Meanwhile, there's a war brewing between animals and humans. Some people want to destroy the forest spirit. (Mononoke means “forest spirit”) Some want to destroy the humans, and some want to destroy the animals, and let technology grow unrestrained.

Ashitaka wants to bring balance between nature and humans. But, he's got all these obstacles in his way. Luckily, he gains an unlikely ally in San, the human princess raised by the Wolf Queen. He has to unite the animals and convince them to make peace, if it's even possible. Also, Lady Iboshi and her gun-wielding ladies of Iron City (Tatara) have hired a mercenary monk and others to kill the forest spirit.

Of all Hayao Miyazaki's films, this is definitely the most violent. There's tons of action, blood, and war. But, I feel it's all balanced out by the beauty of the Ghibli art style, and the ecological message. This is the anime I usually recommend to friends who are just getting into Miyazaki, since it's more like traditional anime, with the over-the-top level of action.

Of course, the real hero here is the art. It's all hand-drawn, the movements are all slow and human (As opposed to fast and exaggerated, as in other anime.) ,and it really lets you take in the awe of the forest, animals, and nature. As well as showing the horror of war, and the destruction technology can cause when unrestrained. The more the forest is off-balance, the more the evil plague grows. If you have time, it's a fantastic film. Definitely worth a watch. Check it out!

Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader? (2009) Review

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CAPED CRUSADER? (2009) REVIEW:

“You don't get heaven or hell. Do you know the only reward you get for being Batman? 

You get to be Batman.” 

- Disembodied voice

Whatever Happened to The Caped Crusader? is a story by Neil Gaiman in which Batman dies. Many times. Each villain/person in the story tells a story of when Batman dies. It’s essentially a reboot story. Batman is able to deduce that the disembodied voice is a result of a near death experience (NDE) that takes the form of his mother. As Batman notes, each story is different, but remains the same. Catwoman, Alfred, Joker, Robin, and Riddler all tell stories of how Batman died; honestly, I found it kinda cheesy for a reboot comic.
   
Catwoman’s story takes place in the ‘40s, back when she wore a cat’s head mask and no one knew she was a woman. She tells of their first encounter and when he discovered she was a woman. Batman ends up wounded by her some years later after he rejects her advances. She ties him up and allows him to die near her, which is creepy. Then, she quits crime and opens a pet store for high society “ladies.” (But, she uses a different word.)

Alfred’s story was my favorite, and by far the most creative interpretation.  This story reveals that Alfred belonged to a troupe of actors. After Batman’s parents died and he swore vengeance, ALFRED dressed up as all Batman’s villains, and hired helped from his acting to troupe to employ people like Penguin and Riddler. Riddler then shoots Batman after Batman discovers the truth.

Speaking of other villains, the art here is very good, even if some of the stories are a little lackluster. Joker in particular looks like straight out of The Animated Series, and has some great bits….(For maximum effect, read in Mark Hamill’s Joker voice.) “I don’t just randomly kill people. I kill people when it’s FUNNY!” But, then again I always imagine Mark Hamill’s voice paired with The Joker, including his laugh. Joker’s story is that after he kills Batman with his Joker venom, he didn’t even smile…and then he realized killing Batman wasn’t very funny after all.

After every villain says their bit, Batman deduces that he’s dying, and the disembodied voice is his mother. She tells him that there’s nothing he can do but say good night. Then, the book turns into a strange Batman version of Goodnight, Moon. The story ends with Batman being born in a hospital. A symbol of his rebirth in The New 52. Touching, if not chronologically and contextually confusing.

This is a reboot comic, so I will say they did a pretty good job. It had some nice tributes…in particular the art on The Joker and placing Catwoman in the ‘40s. But, the story doesn’t feel that heroic to me. All the stories are of Batman dying. (In creative ways, I must say!) It seems to me you could find other ways to show off a reboot then multiple deaths.

Death worked for Superman because he was split into about five different people and then put back together. Batman could’ve done absolutely nothing to deduce his death, and the comic still would’ve been the same. There was no action. Apart from some nice conspiracy theories, this essentially does nothing but show Batman as weak. Yes, I know, Batman never gives up, etc. But, he could’ve given up here, and nothing would’ve changed…I still give it a solid 3/5.