Hayao Miyazaki, classic animation director from Studio Ghibli, who directed such brilliant films as Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, has returned to present a new animated film, The Boy and the Heron.

According to IMDB, “A young boy named Mahito, yearning for his mother, ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning. A semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death, and creation, in tribute to friendship, from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.”

Above all else, as in most Studio Ghibli films, the animation is stunningly gorgeous. It is like watching moving art. The imagery of the film is breath-taking.

I did not love the story because it did feel a little messy. It did deal with a lot of areas that was tough to follow at times. There were some deep themes throughout the film, but it did not feel as if characters were necessarily consistent across the time. It did feel to be a little long in the tooth for the film, but not bad enough to be dull.

It is a beautiful movie that had some flaws. Miyazaki showed that he still has it despite being in the late 80s age wise.

3.75 stars