Profile: Studio Ghibli

Vast amounts of imagination, ground-breaking animation and bringing a whole new way of story-telling. This is the world of Studio Ghibli.

This Japanese film studio has brought much joy to many people from around the world. After being endorsed by Disney, the mainstream western world have discovered the biggest gem anyone has in the filming industry.

Lead by director Hayao Miyzaki, his imagination is just indescribable and amazingly puts Disney to shame and makes them look, well quite ordinary. It is quite hard to believe, but all you need to do is give them a go. You will be transported to many different worlds and meet so many new characters. Below is my ranking of all Studio Ghibli films with a short review for the top 10:

24) Earwig And The Witch

23) Ocean Waves
22) Only Yesterday
21) Tales From Earthsea
20) My Neighbors The Yamadas
19) The Cat Returns

18) The Boy And The Heron
17) The Wind Rises
16) Pom Poko
15) Arrietty
14) From Up On Poppy Hill
13) When Marnie Was There
12) Porco Rosso
11) Kiki's Delivery Service

10) Laputa: Castle In The Sky - Studio Ghibli's second feature film and a huge action adventure one for everyone to enjoy.

This non-stop magical adventure does not have that Japanese feel to it. So this would probably appeal to the mainstream western world more than the others.

9) Ponyo - A modern and more advanced fantasy telling of The Little Mermaid.

With it being underwater, there is a lot of opportunity for Miyazaki to create many fascinating creatures and of course spirits, because that is a big thing with Japanese fantasy films.

8) Whisper Of The Heart - A wonderful love story that really surprised me as I thought I would not like this.

This is the type of film that makes you appreciate the smaller things in life.

7) Grave Of The Fireflies - My highest ranked non-fantasy theme movie from this studio.

But one of Ghibli's very few intensely moving and highly emotional features.

Seen as a masterpiece by many, this moving war tale shows the studio's variety.

6) The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya - One that I decided not to go and see at the cinema thinking it would be a miss for me. I should never under-estimate this studio.

When I eventually saw it, I was completely overwhelmed by its story-telling, style of animation and just all-round wonderful viewing experience.

5) My Neighbor Totoro - A lot of people's secret favorite and it is definitely making me like it even more every time I watch it.

One of Studio Ghibli's earlier creations produced one of the most famous characters in the animation genre that eventually became the logo of Studio Ghibli itself.

4) Howl's Moving Castle - Probably seen as the last modern classic Studio Ghibli have created.

They broke their own grounds of imagination and animation technology to give us another beautiful story and with imagination that not even Studio Ghibli could never have dreamed of as this was an adaptation of a childrens novel.

3) Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind - Officially it is not, but it is seen as the first Studio Ghibli feature and they definitely hit the ground running with this epic fantasy adventure.

This put Japan on the map as a major animation film maker.

2) Princess Mononoke - Took me ages to finally find this one and it is worth the wait.

The story is vast, the animation goes without saying and the topics it covers is executed perfectly.

Certain one of the studio's most moving features.

1) Spirited Away - My first Studio Ghibli experience, and still the best one I've ever seen. Well deserving of its Oscar for Best Animated Film.

Everything about it just made the animation genre jump to a whole new level. Everyone really needs to thank this film as the success of this 2001 epic made the studio become endorsed by Disney and be shown in the western world.

Requested Nostalgic Review: Source Code

When seeing the trailer for this, I instantly thought that would be another uneventful sci-fi thriller as peoples ideas for films in these genres are decreasing each year.

You do however, get some that are just so fresh and surprise you. But I was confident this would not be one of them. Boy was I wrong!

The trailer gave nothing away and when I eventually got round to seeing it, it was so nice seeing another idea being presented to the world. One big thing I liked it was the amount of detail involved. It was one of those that if you said even the smallest of plot detail, it would reveal a twist or two. The pacing is good, it sucks you in from the very start and most importantly, it keeps you wanting more.

Script is solid and everyone's performances contribute to the film in every way. Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Monaghan hold this film incredibly well by themselves which is a tough skill to acquire.

It is quite hard to review this film, as revealing any info would ruin your own experience. So I will quickly end this by saying, it's a must watch. It's originality is its biggest positive and thankfully it is presented well for everyone to understand, enjoy and it is one of those that you can watch again and again. It's a shame that it has not been promoted as well as it should have been. But that could be a good thing, as it feels like a secret gem that people can find on their own during a movie hunt.

Rating: 8/10

Requested Nostalgic Review: Scott Pilgim vs The World

I only saw this about a month ago, but I do remember when it came out. There was a lot of love it, but in a cult loving kind of way.

The big target market seemed to be the teen girls, so I instantly thought I would probably think it will be stupid dumb rom-com blockbuster. After seeing it, it is a bit stupid, but everything else I was wrong about.

The first good thing to say about it, is the freshness of it. Writer Edgar Wright was the one big part of what made me watch this. After writing Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz, this had a lot to live up to. Then Wright manages to create something completely new. He creates great characters that have depth and make the whole experience really funny and cute at times.
Also, the biggest thing I love about this is its dedication to the vintage video games. The battle scenes were extremely entertaining, well presented and the star of the show for me. Every person Michael Cera's character faced did feel like you were watching an old Street Fighter game.

One thing you could definitely tell had Wright all over was the script. The style of comedy was very funny and witty that it just made you want to watch all of Wright's previous material all over again.

The only bad thing I am afraid was Michael Cera. Everything I see him in is this troubled teen who acts like a bitch that just irritates me to boiling point. But thankfully I did see something different in Cera in this one which did soften the blow of his presence, and that made me enjoy the film even more.

Despite that, I did enjoy it. It was nice to see Edgar Wright show that he can do things on his own. He created another cult favorite and I like that he found something in Michael Cera. I've never really liked him, but at least he was slightly different than in films like Superbad or Juno. There is bits of his old roles in there still, but at least the story covered it up enough for me to enjoy this film. I can see why people hate it, but that is the beauty of a cult classic. I managed to see the good parts of it and regret not seeing this sooner.

Rating: 8/10

Requested Nostalgic Review: Paul

After the success of Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz. This was Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's opportunity to make a big American film without the aid of writer Edgar Wright.

The start however, is very promising and has the comedy element that almost had me thinking "Edgar Wright is definitely not the writer isn't he?". But as the story developed, I was confident that it wasn't. However I was still laughing on a regular basis. The style of comedy was very mainstream and some comedy sketches were even borderline dodgy on religious grounds. Thankfully, I'm not devotedly religious, so I could just take it as a joke.

Pegg and Frost was fantastic as usual. Their relationship on and off-screen is something very special we may never fully understand. They regularly hold films together and I can see them continuing that for the rest of their career. Kirsten Wiig was pretty solid as the love interest and Seth Rogan was the right choice to voice Paul and did his usual stuff that pleases the mainstream audience.

It is a lot of fun with a constant amount of laughs throughout. But with it being Pegg and Frost, I can see some people being disappointed as it does not have that British feel to it like their previous roles. For me, I sort of agree with that. It is clearly not as good or witty as Shaun or Fuzz, but it is a solid summer action-comedy flick with enough laughs to leave you smiling at the end. I will be surprised if this is their only film without Wright.

Rating: 7/10

Requested Nostalgic Review: Captain America: The First Avenger

The final Marvel installment before the most anticipated climax in recent film history arrived in March 2012.

It shows the well known story of how Steve Rogers become one of the most recognisable superheroes of all-time.
From a fragile but brave young American, to the face of the American Army and the greatest of their generation.

There is a great mix of terrific action set in WWII time and stereotypical cliched superhero dialogue. That is probably in the right order as well. The development of Captain America I thought was very interesting, and like other Marvel films there were hints and clues that would eventually lead to events in Avengers Assemble.
It definitely felt more like a war thriller with a bit of espionage then your typical superhero film. I was not too struck by the villain. My enjoyment seemed to go a step backwards. But thankfully, the main protagonists kept this film going and made it mean something instead of just being filler before The Avengers.

As for the performances. Chris Evans was really good and I could see him stealing a few scenes in Marvel Avengers Assemble. It is perfectly cast and could well be a new favourite Avenger. Hugo Weaving as the villain is always a guarantee for a top performance. It probably was not one of his best roles, but he still knows how to be evil especially in the pantomime tone that this film dips their toes into. Hayley Atwell had a glorious on-screen presence as the leading lady and definitely had the face that fitted the time period for a 1940's dame. The best of the minor roles was definitely lead by Tommy Lee Jones. Other mentions would be Stanley Tucci who continues to be probably the best choice for a supportive role, Dominic Cooper who looked pretty slick as Howard Stark and Toby Jones as Weaving's assistant who always produces his best work in everyone of his films.

I'm glad it was better then I expected, and this got me more excited for Marvel Avengers Assemble. I was really pleased that the people making these Marvel films are making everyone enjoyable in their own way rather than just quickly making some origins story to get to the end so they can make the epic conclusion to the epic tale. It's definitely not the best Marvel film, but surprising me and many others is credit enough to make this a good film to watch.

Rating: 7/10

Requested Nostalgic Review: Face/Off

The first thing remembering about this film was the huge plot hole of the face transplant, which I think the makers realised that, but when on with it anyway.
I also remember some good solid action scenes that made it a popular film at the time.

It's all about an FBI cop trying to foil plans of a terrorist, and by doing so he was going to have a face transplant, and become him. But sadly, it backfires and the action quite literally begins.

One fact I forgot about this film, was that this was John Woo's first successful film in America. This film lead him to directing Mission: Impossible II and the terrific Red Cliff. But Face/Off I think remains his most successful English language film.

For the performances, this is actually a decent one by Nicolas Cage. I don't mind him as an actor, he just fails on numerous occasions which is a same. As for John Travolta, he consistently produces a solid performance at the very least. Thankfully, this is no exception. Cage and Travolta seemed to enjoy themselves making this, which is always a good thing.

As for the plot, it is daft. But like most action films, you just go with it and manage to enjoy it. This is what makes action films enjoyable. Their redeeming features, which is most likely the action scenes, manages to mask over the nonsense of everything else.

In the end, I did enjoy it. The action was well presented and it had me having that rush of adrenaline you usually get when watching an action film. Travolta and Cage's relationship was great to see. Despite some big plot holes, it is still an enjoyable action flick that you can easily watch any day of the week and just switch off your mind for a couple of hours.

Rating: 7/10

Review: The World's End

Like many people from my generation, I have grown up with the adventures of Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and writer Edgar Wright. I remember hearing lots of good things about Shaun Of The Dead (which I can't believe is nine years old). After watching it, I could not believe what I saw. It was something so new and brilliant, and I was so happy to see that it was all British.

Next was Hot Fuzz, and that somehow managed to keep the momentum going after Shaun Of The Dead. It was another amazing success that just kept expanding the fan-base even more. After a stint in America, Pegg, Frost and Wright were back for the final installment of 'The Three Flavored Cornetto Trilogy'. It is easily the weirdest name for a trilogy, but if you have seen it, you will know why it is called that.

The World's End really shows the relationship of these three British treasures. Despite being all grown up, they just want to re-live their younger days and do it all over again. The beginning really sets you in for what is about to happen, and it shows a great reflection on how much we now know about Pegg, Frost and Wright.
It doesn't suck you totally just yet, but there is still a consistent amount of laugh out loud moments throughout. As the epic pub crawl is in full swing, the momentum is slowly gaining and you are reminding yourself why you wanted to see third and final installment.

As we come to the climax, the film is definitely at its strong point and you are loving every minute of it as Pegg and Frost are at the peak of their powers. Paddy Considine contributed well with his character. Martin Freeman has featured in all of the Cornetto films and this one, he is given a lot of time to work with his character and he is an enjoyable addition. Eddie Marsan steals a few scenes which was nice to see. And finally, Rosamund Pike as the love interest gave us a nice mixture which is what Wright is so well known for doing. There was of course a lot of cameos. Some you usually see, and some new ones that were a nice surprise. But I won't mention them as I will like you to find out for yourself.

The big pluses is the usual stuff. The style of comedy, the whole Britishness of it and of course the running gags that develop so beautifully throughout. Despite liking it so much, I have never seen so many disappointing bits. The cinematography did not have the Shaun Of The Dead or Hot Fuzz feel about it. It felt like as if it was trying to be part of the mainstream audience, which is not what these films are about. One big disappointment was sadly, the ending. Just like Martin Freeman in the films, I was saying "WTF!". It felt completely out of sync with everything else, and it felt like I was watching a totally different film. I could see what they were trying to do, but I'm sorry, it just did not work for me.

Despite that, I felt it was a satisfying ending to the three flavored Cornetto trilogy and this will be remembered as one of the greatest British achievements in modern film history. I was very disappointed with the ending, but there was still enough content in there to make me smile and laugh a lot. There is still some Pegg and Frost magic in there, and there is of course many memorable quotes for all of us to use in everyday situations. But I'm afraid, it will ultimately go down as a disappointment.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Monsters University

When you ever see a trailer for Pixar's next installment, you just have to see it. You may not know what the story will be, but you know you will get something that will warm your heart.

This time, we get Pixar's first every prequel. They decided to choose the classic and emotional Monsters Inc. and show how the relationship of Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan began.

As usual, with every Pixar we begin with a short animation. I always love this distinguishing feature, as it shows that they have not left their roots. This one, titled The Blue Umbrella, was a very touching one. Despite it being approximately 5 minutes, it makes you change to several emotions. It will make you laugh, smile and cry. The animation looked very real, and they seem to be making even newer grounds into their technology which is pleasing to see.

On to the main feature, and the start is pretty basic I felt for Pixar's standards. But it still got you geared for what is to come. There is a nice flow, but it did not feel like a full-on Pixar yet.
As the film goes on, there are several returns of characters from the Monsters movie which was pleasing to see. There were obviously some new ones, where I felt the best one was voiced the always stunning Helen Mirren. Her voice made her character a lot more intimidating then you expect. From that point on, every time she appears on the screen, you know there is evil on that screen.

The final third of the film was definitely the best part, as we get the epic conclusion on what makes Mike and Sully click and it was worth the wait. It definitely felt like a Pixar classic by the end of it and set the scene nicely for 2001 classic. Even typing that makes it hard to believe that it has 12 years since Monsters Inc.

The whole thing reminded of Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire and even Cheaper By The Dozen 2. It is a good origins story, and it will no doubt get A LOT of box office. It didn't feel like I had just seen a new classic, but I still think it is a memorable watch with a strong pay-off. The last Pixar that really touched me was probably Toy Story 3, which was in 2010. They are still making terrific films that are putting Dreamworks to shame, but they are not instant classic and their rivals are slowly catching up in terms of their ideas. I really hope their next installment (Inside Out) will bring back the Pixar we all know and love. I have no doubt they will, because magic quite literally comes out from their California studio, and I already can't wait for summer 2015.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Pacific Rim

When I first saw the trailer, my initial thoughts were "Oh dear, it's another stupid Transformers-esque dumb summer film". But when I saw that Guillermo Del Toro would be directed it, I began having second thoughts because Del Toro has made good monster movies in the past such as Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth. So I thought I would give it a go.

I'm sort of glad I did, mainly because the most common occurrence throughout the film was the NOISE. It wasn't loud, it was LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDDDDDDDD!!!! Just when I thought Michael Bay made it to the limit of noise for his Transformers series, I think Del Toro just made Bay s*** his pants in embarrassment. Not only did he make it louder and more over the top, he gave it depth and most importantly, fun. Never has the noise of metal on monster been so good.

The performances were not anything special. A few of the minor characters for me stole the show, such as Ron Pearlman whose presence in Del Toro seems to become a common theme, and he seems to always bring his A-game in his features. There was a nice surprise of seeing Burn Gorman as I'm a big fan of the sci-fi TV series Torchwood. I will talk a lot about the story though, which I think made it fun to watch. The skill of working these skyscraper high robots was a nice added element to the film. It gave you a great chance to know a lot about these characters that work these robots which made you care for them throughout.

The biggest positive to come out from this film was obviously the visual effects. Del Toro knows how to do detail after what I saw in the two Hellboy films, and was successful in this one. The imagination in the monsters was very well done and gives a lot of references to the Japanese monsters that Del Toro has inspired a lot of his films.

I have mentioned this before, but another positive was the fun element. There was hints of Starship Troopers, and the fight scenes just reminded me of every ending to a Power Rangers episode from my childhood.

The whole thing is over-the-top, clichéd and simply a big dumb summer blockbuster. But unlike some of the recent summer films, there is a fun element. There is a lot of scenes of big robots just beating the crap out of huge monsters, but Del Toro manages to make every fight more enjoyable then the next. Michael Bay needs to take note, because this is what Transformers should have been.

Oh, and this one has a post credits scene which is very funny.

Rating: 7/10