The Boy and the Heron (2023)
So, the legendary Hayao Miyazaki's done it again. I've always said that Miyazaki's never made a bad film, and
The Boy and the Heron keeps up the filmmaker's winning streak that began with
The Castle of Cagliostro in 1979. As someone who discovered Miyazaki's canon in 2017—some years after his most recent "retirement"—I can't help but feel fortunate to have gotten the chance to see a brand new Miyazaki film and have that experience inside of a theater—and, by extension, experiencing the hype train in the years leading up to this point of being excited that, "Yes, there's a new Miyazaki film on the way!" And what a Miyazaki film it is—for my money, it's his best film since
Howl's Moving Castle. If anyone knows how to craft a compelling story, it's Miyazaki, and
The Boy and the Heron is no exception. The story is somewhat semi-autobiographical, having been partially based on Miyazaki's own experiences, and this is felt throughout the film, which often carries an elegiac tone. It's a complex and engrossing story where you don't dare turn your brain off for a second as Miyazaki reveals backstories in manageable chunks throughout the film, and I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't get everything on the first viewing, but as Miyazaki films tend to, I have a feeling it will prove to reward repeated viewings once it arrives on Blu-ray and/or UHD next year. In true Miyazaki fashion, the animation is stunning, and I have to wonder how much this was enhanced by the film apparently being rendered in Dolby Vision, as evidenced by the Dolby Vision and Atmos tag that appears as the final credits roll. Joe Hisaishi's musical score is different from his previous scores but is haunting and matches the story the film tells. NYAV Post has delivered yet another excellent English dub, directed by voice acting legend Michael Sinterniklaas and featuring a collection of live-action stars, some up-and-coming—in some cases, I missed their live-action work—and some veterans—some of whom have dubbed previous Miyazaki films, but all perfectly cast. Luca Padovan is excellent as Mahito Maki, a boy grappling with grief after losing his mother in a fire. Robert Pattinson is rock-solid as the titular grey heron, perfecting a "crusty" voice very,
very far removed from his natural voice. Christian Bale also does some great work here—in his second Miyazaki film after his turn as Howl—as Shoichi (interestingly, voiced in Japanese by Takuya Kimura, who also voiced Howl), Mahito's father who owns an air munitions factory. Gemma Chan also impresses as Natsuko, Mahito's stepmother. Karen Fukuhara nails it as Himi, a girl with fire powers who may be connected to Mahito's past. Florence Pugh is also excellent as Kiriko, a mariner. In his third Miyazaki film, Mark Hamill gets to flex his voice acting muscles as the tower master, who takes on an unexpected role as the film progresses and is quite different from his turns as the Mayor of Pejite in
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Muska in
Castle in the Sky. Willem Dafoe wrings the most out of the briefest of screen time as the "noble pelican." The rest of the cast—it's cool to see voice acting veterans Barbara Goodson and Melora Harte still getting cast in new dubs—is also up to par, and the dub script written by Stephanie Sheh is completely natural. Overall, I think
The Boy and the Heron is incredible. Like the best Miyazaki films, it is engrossing, poignant, and emotionally satisfying. Miyazaki's once again proven why he's one of the best, I eagerly await the film's arrival on Blu-ray and/or UHD, and since he plans on making more films, I can hardly wait to see what the master animator comes up with next.
Reply to Topic
