Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

Buy This Item Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind by Walt Disney Home Entertainment  Available from Amazon  $21.49  on 8-25-2008     Hayao Miyazaki gained widespread attention in Japan for his complex ecological manga series, <I>Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind</I> (1982), which he adapted for the screen two years later. One thousand years after a war devastated much of the Earth, humanity clings to existence at the fringes of a vast, polluted forest inhabited by monstrous insects. Only Nausicaä, the princess of the tiny realm of the Valley of the Wind, grasps the environmental significance of the forest. She sees beyond petty wars and national rivalries to the only viable future for the planet. In <I>Nausicaä</I>, Miyazaki began to explore elements he would develop more fully in his later films: daring, compassionate heroines; exciting flying sequences; colorful side characters; strong interpersonal relationships; and a call for an ecologically sustainable way of life. Nausicaä prefigures Sheeta in <I>Castle in the Sky</I> and Chihiro in <I>Spirited Away</I>, just as the rough and ready Asbel anticipates Pazu in <I>Castle in the Sky</I> and Ashitaka in <I>Princess Mononoke</I>. For years, <I>Nausicaä</I> was available in the United States only as the badly re-edited <I>Warriors of the Wind</I>. The new English dub from Disney presents the film in its entirety, with strong vocal performances by Uma Thurman, Patrick Stewart, Alison Lohman, and Edward James Olmos. (Rated PG: violence, frightening imagery) <I>--Charles Solomon</I> Reader Reviews This is one of Miyazaki's best movies. It has a strong environmental theme but that is one of the aspects that makes his movies great, the built in morality lesson that accompanies a great, entertaining story line. The movie is voiced by several well known actors such as Mark Hamill, Edward James Olmos, and Patrick Stewart. The bonus features in which these stars are interviewed is also interesting, and this is coming from someone who usually doesn't care for the extras. All in all a great movie and a great buy.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Available from Amazon Price: $21.49 Updated on 8-25-2008.

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