The Boy and the Heron Spoiler Review
The Boy and the Heron is a unique and complex movie that may not have mass appeal but is a must-watch for animation fanatics.
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| Character | Voice actor | |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | English | |
| Mahito Maki | Soma Santoki | Luca Padovan |
| The Grey Heron | Masaki Suda | Robert Pattinson |
| Lady Himi | Aimyon | Karen Fukuhara |
| Natsuko | Yoshino Kimura | Gemma Chan |
| Shoichi Maki | Takuya Kimura | Christian Bale |
| Granduncle | Shōhei Hino | Mark Hamill |
| Kiriko | Ko Shibasaki | Florence Pugh |
| Noble Pelican | Kaoru Kobayashi | Willem Dafoe |
| The Parakeet King | Jun Kunimura | Dave Bautista |
Release Date:- December 8, 2023 (USA Release In Theaters)
Director:- Hayao Miyazaki
Writer:- Hayao Miyazaki
Running time:- 124 minutes
Read Review For Previous Episode "Rickfending Your Mort"...
Overview
The Boy and the Heron (Japanese: 君たちはどう生きるか, AKA Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka) is a 2023 Japanese film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. As per Toshio Suzuki, the producer, The Boy and the Heron is the most expensive film ever produced in Japan.. Miyazaki's childhood experiences deeply inspire the movie's script and illuminate the themes of growing up and dealing with a world marked by despair and grief.
The Boy and the Heron Plot (Spoiler Ahead)
The movie follows the story of Mahito Maki, a 12-year-old boy who lost his mother during the Pacific War in 1943. After his mother's death, Mahito's father, Shoichi, remarries, and they move to the countryside to live with his late wife's younger sister, Natsuko. Mahito struggles with grief and a tense relationship with Natsuko, who is now pregnant. A grey heron at the estate also pesters him. One day, while pursuing the Heron, Mahito discovers a ruined and sealed tower in the woods near the house. He makes himself a bow and an arrow from the Heron's feathers and later finds a copy of the novel How Do You Live? with his mother's handwriting inside.
While recovering from a head injury, Mahito discovers that Natsuko is missing and sees her on her way to the tower. With one of the maids, Kiriko, they arrive at the tower built by Mahito's granduncle, a famous architect who disappeared. The grey Heron claims Mahito's mother is alive and tells him to enter the tower to save her and Natsuko. Inside the tower, they find themselves in an alternate world full of magic, where Mahito encounters several characters, including a younger version of Kiriko, a young woman with magical powers named Himi, and Natsuko's granduncle, who rules the world as a wizard with great powers.
Mahito, Himi, and the Heron infiltrate a castle guarded by giant man-eating parakeets and find Natsuko, who will soon give birth. She initially resists leaving with them until Mahito addresses her as his real mother. Meanwhile, in Mahito's world, a maid tells Shoichi that the tower was formed after a meteorite struck the ground and that when Hisako was younger, she disappeared for a year before inexplicably returning.
During their escape, the parakeets capture Himi, and while rescuing her from the Parakeet King, Mahito meets with the granduncle, who asks him to take over the job of maintaining the alternate world. However, Mahito chooses to return to his world, noting that his head wound shows that he is not free from malice. The Parakeet King tries to usurp the granduncle's power, causing the alternate world to collapse. Mahito, Natsuko, and the heron return to their world and are reunited with Shoichi. Two years after the end of the war, Mahito moves back to Tokyo with his family.
The Boy and the Heron Spoiler Review and Discussion
The Boy & the Heron is Miyazaki's latest film after a decade. The film took six years to complete after pitching the premise and storyboards. The Boy and the Heron is a new fantasy adventure film by Miyazaki. It is not as good as Spirited Away or The Wind Rises, but it is still impressive. The movie is an original story not connected to the 1937 novel of the same name.
The movie had a mix of creativity and consistency in animation. The movie has a lot of density and references to history and fantasy. In the movie's first half, there are clear parallels to Miyazaki's early life and struggles. In the second half, the film dives deeper into fantasy, making distinguishing between reality and imagination difficult.
The movie 'The Boy and the Heron' combines innocence with real threats and violence. The film recontextualizes the concept of making mistakes in the backdrop of war-torn Japan. The movie's second half serves as a healing process through fantastical elements, highlighting the acceptance of impermanence.
Conclusion
The Boy and the Heron is a unique and complex movie that may not have mass appeal but is a must-watch for animation fanatics. It has beautiful imagery, astonishing music, great humor, and disturbing violence. It offers an ambivalent examination of Japan's role in World War II and showcases the unique body of work by Hayao Miyazaki.
FAQs:
What is The Boy and the Heron about?
The Boy and the Heron is a Japanese fantasy adventure film directed and written by Hayao Miyazaki. The story follows the journey of a 12-year-old boy named Mahito Maki, who must deal with grief and the challenges of growing up in a world marked by despair and grief.
Is The Boy and the Heron based on a novel?
The Boy and the Heron is an original story not connected to the 1937 novel "How Do You Live?" but the novel name does appear in the movie.
When will The Boy and the Heron be released?
The movie was already released in Japan on July 14, 2023, and is set to be released in theaters in the United States on December 8, 2023.
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