15/09/2025

LYFE MONDAY | SEPT 15, 2025

25

Ű BY YASMIN ZULRAEZ

MOVIE REVIEW

T HE year is 2025, but the forest still rumbles with the thunderous return of a 1997 legend. Yes, Princess Mononoke is back on the big screen, re-released with its original Japanese audio and English subtitles, inviting veteran fans to rewatch it for the thousandth time and discover something new, as always, while giving newcomers the rare gift of experiencing Hayao Miyazaki’s iconic epic the way it was meant to be seen: loud, luminous and absolutely feral. For those unfamiliar with this towering achievement in animation, this is not your typical fairy tale. There are no clean-cut heroes, no damsels in distress and definitely no musical numbers (unless one counts the haunting orchestral score by the ever-iconic Joe Hisaishi). Instead, there is a cursed prince, a wolf-riding girl who bites people in the face and an entire ecosystem of gods, guns, grudges and gushing green goo. Nature vs humanity At the heart of Princess Mononoke is a roaring environmental allegory, but Miyazaki being Miyazaki, it refuses to be straightforward. Here, the battle between human development and nature’s survival is not black and white, it is iron and moss, ambition and consequence. And while the characters may wield swords and gunpowder, the real weapon is ideology. The film’s ecosystem of conflict is meticulously layered: industrialists versus animals, gods versus mortals, tradition versus survival, capitalism

Rebirth of timeless giant o Princess Mononoke returns to cinemas, reminding audiences why Miyazaki never misses

San (voiced by Ishida), the fierce wolf girl, stands by her adoptive mother Moro (voiced by Miwa).

versus... well, sentient tree spirits. Yet, somehow, the story never preaches. It seduces. Every frame pulses with the breath of the forest, the clang of metal and the quiet horror of what is at stake. If environmentalism had a hype squad, this film would be its thunderous opening act. Art that breathes Visually, Princess Mononoke is proof of the power of hand-drawn animation fused with just the right touch of digital magic. Even after nearly three decades, it remains a technical marvel. Every vine, mountain mist and furry snarl is animated with care that borders on obsessive. The action sequences? Explosive. The quiet moments? Sublime. The backgrounds? Gorgeously painted watercolour poems. And the creatures range from adorable to terrifying. Simply put, no studio today does it like Studio Ghibli. And no Ghibli film looks quite like Princess Mononoke , a historical fantasy soaked in blood, bark and big feelings.

The re-release screening pays tribute to Miyazaki’s visually stunning, emotionally rich fantasy epic.

Miyazaki never misses By now, it should be considered a scientific fact: Miyazaki does not make bad films. Princess Mononoke is not just a classic, it is the reason Ghibli went global, the reason eco-fantasy became mainstream and the reason countless animated films since have dared to dream bigger. This is not a film that ends with hugs and closure. It ends with compromise, questions and the soft promise of a new beginning. And yet, every rewatch feels as urgent and emotionally wrecking as the first time. That is the power of Miyazaki: he builds worlds so rich that even their destruction is beautiful. Worship it With a runtime of two hours and 13 minutes, Princess Mononoke is for anyone who loves stories that challenge, animations that astonish and directors who dare to make gods bleed. It is messy. It is mythic. It is metal. And it deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible. For the newcomers: welcome to the forest. For the veterans: welcome home.

and the world, everyone has got a point and everyone is a little bit wrong. It is political, it is personal and it is painfully relevant. Who knew an animated film from 1997 would so accurately mirror 2025’s world of climate anxiety, technological overreach and the occasional desire to throw a rock at society? For veterans, virgins For longtime fans, this is the spiritual equivalent of a pilgrimage. Seeing Princess Mononoke in cinemas again is like reuniting with a chaotic old friend who taught an entire generation that environmental destruction is bad and wolves make excellent babysitters. For first-timers, the special screening is a rare opportunity to be initiated into the cult of Princess Mononoke the right way: in a darkened theatre with booming sound, enveloped by the lush chaos of Miyazaki’s vision. Bring tissues. And possibly a teddy bear.

San defends the forest with a warrior’s spirit and a heart torn between two worlds. Cast of morally grey legends There are no villains in this story, just people (and gods and pigs and wolves) trying to protect what matters most to them. It is this refusal to assign blame that gives the film its emotional weight. Whether it is a visionary woman building a better life for outcasts, a girl raised by wolves fighting to protect her home, or a prince desperately trying to heal his body

Princess Mononoke invites Malaysian audiences to experience Ghibli’s timeless epic on screen.

0 DIRECTOR: Hayao Miyazaki 0 CAST: Yoji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida, Yuko Tanaka, Kaoru Kobayashi,

Masahiko Nishimura

E-VALUE

7

ACTING

7

PLOT

7

Leader of Iron Town, Lady Eboshi (voiced by Tanaka) challenges gods and men alike with an unshakable vision of progress.

Ashitaka (voiced by Matsuda) confronts nature’s fury and mankind’s ambition, guided by a lone wolf.