Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

I have been catching up on my anime and animation in general for about two years now. Seeing movies and shows that are on 'must see' lists. Thank Krom for Netflix. Hopping back and forth through the time line of Miyazaki & Studio Ghibli's productions I've found that I love these guys. Their work trails often into the steampunk realm even includes blimps and airships, kickass! So going into this flick I was not pessimistic about the amount of entertainment i would receive from watching it, and I was not disappointed.

Setting: It has been a millennium since a global war known as the "Seven Days of Fire" destroyed human civilization. Only a tiny remnant of humanity survives, huddled in small enclaves across the continents. The Fukai, a thick jungle whose spores and plant life are poisonous to humans, covers much of the Earth's surface.

This early (cir. 1984 CE) Miyazaki & Studio Ghibli production is the fruit born of the sci-fi cartoons of the 1970's. It's a fantastic story that I found worthwhile, and the world shown to us is totally different from the world of 'today' and looks alien. It is evident that Miyazaki took full advantage of animations distinct ability to be totally alien from live action. You can see the early makings of the Miyazaki style in this film but it is distinctly it's own.The english dub (done in 2003) is great and I'm glad Disney got Patrick Stewart and Alison Lohman they did a great job, as did Luke Skywalker. Uma Thurman was ... well, Uma. (*Jumping the tracks*) I've never been a fan of Uma's acting I think she looks great, can certainly do action scenes and beauty shots but I have always thought her emoting has been at the level of Keanu Reeves. Which poses a problem when, in animation, all you have is your emotion. (*back on track*) Overall this is a great movie and, unlike some anime movies, didn't seem episodic; but a story unto itself.