Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind: ***1/2

Directed by Miyazaki

It's kind of shameful that a geek like me never saw this movie until this year. Nevertheless, I now have it under my belt, and you know what? I'm a better person for it.

Seriously, though, this is an excellent movie. It's one of Miyazaki's earliest Studio Ghibli film, and in it you can see the seeds of many of his themes and idea. In fact, it's almost like a very rough version of Princess Mononoke, although much less refined and a little more raw.

It's also very different in that it takes place in a basically made-up world instead of the more realistic Mononoke. But it has the same man/technology vs nature idea. It also of course has Miyazaki's fantastically detailed characters and better-than-average animation. Nausicaa herself is like a cross between Kiki and San (although, for some reason all the women in this movie have much more cleavage than in any of his others).

If you like othe Miyazaki movies, find this one. DO NOT however watch the American release called "Warriors of the Wind." I haven't seen it, but i'm told they heavily edited it.

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