Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Reviews

• A Masterpiece Now Back On Track

  
  By A1QAT2Y011KWFX on 2004-08-24
  Absolutely, BUY THIS FILM. IT IS ONE OF THE BEST FILMS OF ANY TYPE EVER MADE.
  
  Disney, after originally having scheduled the release of this masterpiece for August 31, having moved it to Feb. 22, and having taken it off the release list, has now reinstated its release on Feb. 22. It will be released with Porco Rosso and The Cat Returns; originally, it was to be released with My Neighbor Totoro, but The Cat has been substituted. This is mistifying, because Cat is a sequel to Whisper from the Heart, a sweet and endearing film that has never been released in the U.S.; a studio does not usually release the sequel first. What is Disney thinking, and what is to be done with Totoro?
  
  That said, Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind was Miyazaki's first full-length original film (I don't count the Lupin films because they're part of someone else's work), and it is utterly superb. It is adapted from the epic manga series that he created in between projects while working for other directors, and only covers about 30% of the enormous story. It has a heavy ecological message, and shows Miyazaki's trademark fascination with flight and unusual animals. The story is deep, rich, emotional, and satisfying. The soundtrack, Jo Hisashi's first for Miyazaki, is one of his best; it is not extremely varied, but it is rich and emotional.
  
  A version of this film was introduced as Warriors of the Wind in the late 1980's in the U.S. While the dub was excellent, twenty minutes of cuts made in the film infuriated Miyazaki to the point where he refused to allow any more U.S. sales of his films until Disney agreed to release the films uncut and to do their prodigious best with the vocal talents for the dubs. I still do not feel that their choice of voice actors has always been the best; some of the performances in Castle in the Sky and Princess Mononoke were at best lackluster, but there's always the subtitles and original Japanese soundtrack for purists who aren't happy with the results.
  
  This film is an absolute must-have for any animation fan. Even being Miyazaki's first film, it is a detailed, mature work far beyond the scope of most animation directors and storytellers. I just hope that Amazon will release this film in a 3-pack with Porco Rosso and The Cat Returns.
  
  

• The Greatest Animated Film of All Time

  
  By A2KVUYPLEW4LXT on 2004-05-28
  I have been an animation fan all of my life. I've seen almost every Disney animated flick every countless times. I've studied hte work of Chuck Jones and marveled at the best of Don Bluth.

  I have been a fan of japanese animation in partuclar for about 5 years now. I have seen countless animated films and studied them in depth. I own almost every Studio Ghibli film ever made (including Whisper of the Heart, the Cat Returns, Ocean Waves, and Castle of Cagliostro). I am here to tell you that Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is without a doubt the greatest animated film I have ever seen in my life...

  First of all, this is the first film that the animation genius Miyazaki ever attempted through his own studio. It is also a greatly condensed story, being adapted from a manga that it's creator wrote which was quite lengthly. That being said, this movie is PERFECT.

  The animation may be old, but it rivals, and sometiems ever demolishes, animation released in the theaters today. The action sequences (and particularly the flight sequences) are truly amazing to behold. The sound effects are marvelous. The music is mind-blowing. The pacing is perfect, the voice-acting beyond perfect. The quality of the artwork continues to astound. But that's not why this is the greatest animated film ever.

  At it's heart this is s complex story of man vs. nature and man vs. man. How many times have we been over the topic of how man's meddling is threatening to destroy the world, and how perhaps one day the world will fight back? In the world created in this film, the world has been destroyed by what can only be desribed as a total catastrophe (of man's doing). In response, plants and giant bugs are taking over the whole world and inhabiting vast patches fo wasteland. Various countries are fighting endless wars with each other in a quest to survive. A new danger arises though, as one of the ancient weapons which destroyed the world is found. The nations all claim they want to use it to destroy the bugs that would destroy humanity (not to destroy each other, as each nation claims it's rivals would).
  Toss into this mix an oasis from the harshness of the desert wastelands where everyone lives in peace and harmony...and a young girl may hold the secret to ending the eternal battle between man and nature.

  The story in Nausicaa is incredibly stong, and the plot is quite deep. What really holds this movie together though, is Nausicaa herself. This young girl is the single greatest anime character ever to grace film. The key lies in something Miyazaki himself once said. A man who is the protagonist would destroy his enemies and defeat them. But the real world is not like that. In the real world, empathy and understanding is the only thing that can save us. And so rather than fight everyone to the death, Nausicaa takes on the far more dangerous goal of making everyone stop fighting before they annihilate everything worth saving. The Japanese are very in touch with the theme of the futility of war (having experienced its effects first-hand), and this film is a perfect example of the pinnacle of where that philosophy can take us.

  Miyazaki has changed in his views over time, and this film is not what he considers his best work. I find this to be the ultimate irony. The man doesn't even realize the magnitude of what he has created...

  I said it before and I'll say it again. This is the greatest animated film of all time. It covers the full range of emotion, from friendship and understanding to death and destruction and the chance of forgiveness and renewal. I can often tell whether I will enjoy a movie by it's beginning. This movie has the best beginning of any movie I have ever seen. I always know if I will continue to love a movie when it ends, and this movie has the best ending of any movie I have ever seen...
  
  

• A travesty, plain and simple

  
  By A327TCPU49T263 on 2002-01-31
  

  A previous reviewer said that he/she doesn't think a better anime movie could be made. My advice: see the original. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is a stunning movie of complexity completely unknown to the animated film world of America. The animation is pure art, the characters are as well-developed as they are well-drawn, and the plot is as beautiful as it is complex. Miyazaki took time to fully develop every aspect of the film, and Jo Hisaishi's soundtrack is beautiful.
  

  This studio decided to change all this for unimaginable reasons. They cut out about a half hour of the plot, renamed the characters (Zadra? Princess *Zadra*?!), and basically mutilated. In short: Think Cardcaptors. They cut out everything they thought was slow-moving, so the plot and characters aren't fully developed, and the soundtrack was mutilated as well, because the music would often be cut short or nonexistant in places where it should reflect the beauty of the visuals. Studio Ghibli was so horrified at the end product that they asked the public to forget that this travesty ever occurred.
  

  I have heard that Disney gained the rights to this film, and I really hope they did. They have already released dubbed versions of Kiki's Delivery Service and Princess Mononoke. While I am not familiar with the originals, people who are say that Disney did an excellent job, so I can only hope that they make right what is now wrong.
  
  

• We desperately need a new English version of this great film

  
  By A16QODENBJVUI1 on 2003-05-08
  The five star rating is not for the English language version of this film, but for the original though subtitled Japanese version. My hope is that with the Oscar that SPIRITED AWAY won, following the enormous success of PRINCESS MONONOKE, Disney will bring out a new and unbutchered version of this great, great Miyazaki classic.
  
  Hayao Miyazaki may finally be on the verge of being commonly recognized in the United States as the world's greatest animator. For years I have been hawking his genius to friends and acquaintances, few of whom recognized his name. Several knew MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO or KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE, but were unaware that they were by the same person. But with the growing realization in America that all these great, great films, far surpassing the entire output of Disney in quality and originality, are all by the same creative genius, Miyazaki is finally getting the recognition that he truly deserves.
  
  NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND, to give WARRIORS OF THE WIND its proper title, is one of Miyazaki's greatest films, and one that shows most clearly his preoccupation with ecological concerns (the butchered American version eliminates much of this). As in all of his films, the quality of the animation is scarcely to be believed. The only non-Miyazaki film that renders trees and forests as well is the opening sequences of BAMBI. And as in most of his films, Miyazaki, unlike the Disney habit of almost always updating some classic tale, creates a completely original and previously untold story. He is not merely a cartoonish: he is an original storyteller.
  
  Even in its heavily edited American form, WARRIORS OF THE WIND retains a degree of the power of NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND. When my daughter was in kindergarten, at a time when she was acutely aware of a paucity of strong female role models, she would watch this film over and over. Two movies seems to provide her with better female role models than any others, this film and THE JOURNEY OF NATTY GANN. Many other movies delighted her, but these two made her feel that the world was a place for girls who with things they wanted to accomplish as well, that women, and not only men and boys, could be heroes as well.
  
  With such Miyazaki films as CASTLE IN THE SKY and KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE getting a first rate release on DVD in the US, one can hope that NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND wouldn't be far behind. The big difference between those films and the latter is that they were not especially altered when first produced in English version, while NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND was dramatically altered. For a new dubbed version, Disney will need to first restore all of the cut scenes from the American original, and then produce a new soundtrack. In other words, bringing NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND to the American market anew will require more work than on any of Miyazaki's other films. But the work will definitely need to be justified by the produce, which is one of Miyazaki's finest films. I wonder if before bringing it out on DVD, they might not bring a newly reproduced film to theaters first. Whatever their decision, there does seem to be significant reason for optimism that we might finally get the opportunity to hear and see this film in the way that Miyazaki wanted us to see it.
  
  FEBRUARY 2005 addition: We got it! In the ongoing rerelease of all of Miyazaki's films on DVD, this one has been fully restored and redubbed. I just ordered my copy!
  
  

• The Best of the Best

  
  By AVRXIO54O1IW5 on 2004-07-31
  This is my favorite Miyazaki movie; I like it better than Laputa (Castle in the Sky), Spirited Away, or even Mononoke. As amazingly imaginative and touching as those movies are, I found Nausicaa to be even moreso. It just moved me in a way that is hard to describe. Visualy, the film is just plain beautiful. Even by today's standards. The music, as someone else stated, is haunting. Miyazaki's wonderful inventiveness is at its greatest here; the unusual post-apocaliptic world the film is set in is alive and unique.
  
  The great tragedy is that I've only been able to watch this movie as a poor copy-of-a-copy fansubed bootleg. It simply has not been available in the States in any other form. Hopefuly we'll soon see what we were missing; props to those responsible for finaly getting this movie released here.
  
  If you've liked any of Miyazaki's other films, or if you are an anime fan in general, check this movie out.
  
  
• DISNEY'S WORST SHOW EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  By A5VI800QMKE8 on 2004-08-24
  after announcing the release dates for studio ghibli films dvds "NAUSICAA", "TOTORO" and "PORCO ROSSO" as 31st august, disney has postponed the release indefinitely for reasons best known to them. maybe disney is too busy with films like "lion king3", pocahontas4 or aladdin5 and their special edition dvd releases. films like "lilo and stitch" and "pocahontas" are available on dvd everywhere in the market. still disney is re-releasing their "masterpiece" editions early next year. disney is one company which surely knows how to make money out of its own crap!! one thing which everyone would like to know is why disney and buena vista is afraid to release these "hayao miyazaki- studio ghibli" gems to the west inspite of aquiring their rights years ago?? they have all of studio ghibli films in their possession for years and they have just been sitting on it!! how disgusting!
  
  according to the website nausicaa.net the release has been postponed purposely till january 2004 to coincide with the u.s. release of miyazaki's latest film "howl's moving castle", which is already making waves. how shameless.. just to sell few more copies, why do they have to act so cheap?? or is it just the fear that after watching these gems, everyone will get to know how bankrupt disney and its fims have become?? disney never does such things to their own films. even their cheapest "direct to video" releases, which is mostly crap, is never postponed. so why do such things with studio ghibli classics which everyone is dying to see and own?? or have they got the "idea" of making their own "totoro" and "nausicaa" first?? remember "atlantis"....???? disney's blatant rehash of miyazaki"s classic "laputa:castle in the sky". unfortunately the dvd of laputa was released in u.s. by buena vista long after atlantis was released (and bombed, of course!!). nonetheless everyone now knows from where disney got such a brilliant concept for "atlantis".
  
  and that's just not all. beuna vista and disney have not been faithful to the english world when it comes to the relase of hayao miyazaki-studio ghibli dvds. just check out the same title which have been released in japan, BY NONE OTHER THAN BUENA VISTA ITSELF...
  here are few of the major differences i found in their releases in japan and us:
  
  1. now we all know what disney did to the english track of"laputa:castle in the sky" by getting the score recomposed even for those silent moments. ok...padonable..at least they included the original japanese track but on the extra disc, unlike in japanese release, you cant view the film in storyboard mode using angle feature. so you just cant switch between the real film and the storyboards. also in japanese release, there's one very interesting alternate opening and closing for the film that has been included, which unfortunately is missing from the us release.
  
  2. "kiki's delivery service" dvd release by buena vista japan includes a special documentary on the art of urusura, which was used in the film. sadly the people at buena vista u.s. found it lesser interesting than even john lasseter's introduction (which they never forget to add in any of ghibli's release and the worst part is you cant even skip it!!).
  
  3. the lesser said would be better for "princess mononoke". this stunning piece of art enjoys a well deserved 3disc deluxe edition dvd release in japan which features a long in depth documentary on the "making of" the film besides other features like complete storyboards with angle feature and multi language track option. they even have a separate dvd release named "how mononoke hime was born"...sigh!!!! any chances of it seeing a region1 release...??? forget about it..but be prepared for special editions of lion king5, aladdin6....and so on...!!
  
  i just dont understand why disney is being so indifferent to the english audience. i only wish "NAUSICAA" and all other upcoming dvds (including "TOTORO") are worth the wait....and i hope they include the "special documentary on the recently opened miyazaki meuseum in japan" as in japanese release of "totoro".
  
  everyone in the west and around the world loves and adore miyazaki and studio ghibli as much as their own people. disney has absolutely no right to deprive us of such great stuff.its about time disney released studio ghibli masterpieces in a timely manner with all the respect and honour they deserve.
  
  
• Important information about the DVD
  By AMLG80HZRF8W7 on 2004-07-01
  The DVD release of "Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind" will replace the 21 minutes of footage that were cut out in the VHS version that was released in the U.S. and U.K. (which was titled "Warriors of the Wind"). So please be careful when reading the above reviews, as they refer to the VHS version, not the DVD.
  As for the release date, the DVD was supposed to be brought out on August 31, 2004 (along with two other Miyazaki movies: "My Neighbor Totoro", which will feature a new voice cast, and "Porco Rosso"). No word yet on when this batch of DVD's will actually be released; hopefully sometime in the next few months!
  On a final note, I have not seen this movie, so please disregard the rating (I gave it 3 stars to be neutral). However, I have read the comic series (or "manga" as it is properly called) and I highly recommend it (there are four volumes all together). In fact, all of Miyazaki's work has been fabulous; check out "Princess Mononoke", "Spirited Away", "Castle in the Sky", "The Castle of Cagliostro", and "Kiki's Delivery Service", all wonderful films.
  
  
• Best animated movie! Original & compelling!
  By on 1999-01-12
  Let it first be said that "Warriors of the Wind" is an edited version of "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind". WOTW is missing one third of the original length. Disney has since bought the rights and (presumably) will be releasing ALL of it again sometime in the not too distant future under Buena Vista video. Regarding the movie itself. It is simply amazing! Never before has an animated movie reached such levels. Hayao Miyazaki is perhaps the best creator of anime ever. Find the comics if you can as they continue this story well beyond part 1 (the movie alters the story to give it a definite ending). The translation was done by Topcraft, makers of The Hobbit movies. It shows in the music and some of the voices. They also changed a number of character names. Nausicaa is called Princess Zandra (voiced by Rocky the flying squirrel). and the Ohmu are now Giant Gorgons etc... Other movies by Hayao Miyazaki include: Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Laputa(sp?), and Princess Mononoke. (got a thing for princesses I guess :)
  
  
• A story of a legend told by the legend
  By A3MPL5A6JD3HLM on 2004-04-13
  This is the movie that started it all. Without this, Hayao Miyazaki wouldn't be where he is today. There would be no "Princess Mononoke" or "Sprited Away".
  (ok , maybe that's wrong. But wouldn't be as big as they are)
  "Nausicaa" has all the ingredients a Miyazaki movie needs. Beautiful pictures, rich human characters, complex but highly relatable and understandable themes, amazing imaginations made into reality (almost.. But you likely will forget that you are watching a "CARTOON") , great music by legendary Joe Hisaishi, and above all this, the flying sequences! There's no good or bad in this story. There are people just like us trying to survive on the edge of collapse. Even though it takes place in distant future (2000 years later), you can see the same is happening in today's world.
  This was made 20 years ago, so that the graphics maybe a little primitive compareing to his later work. But I know you will be totally sucked into it once the openning credits starts. ( Be aware of the openning theme tune, too. It's hauntingly beautiful )
  Mr. Miyazaki reportedly isn't as fond of this movie as his fans are, because of the religious imagery in the end. But If you liked his other work, This movie is a MUST SEE! I'm very happy that It's finally going to be released in the states, and the rest of the world (I assume?), because this movie carries a very important message, especially since the state of the world now is more alarming than ever. Also because I get to see it again!
  
  Thank you Disney. Can't wait 'til August. But I wish this would be released in the theatres.
  
  
• Finally! An unabridged US version of a Miyazaki masterpiece
  By A16QODENBJVUI1 on 2005-04-14
  In the early nineties, one of my pre-school daughter's favorite videos was something entitled WARRIORS OF THE WIND. As an adult, I found much in it to be of interest, and much of the animation to be of an exceedingly high quality, but overall the film lacked balance and a cohesive structure to make it a truly great animated film. Later I learned that the animator/writer/director Hiyao Miyazaki had been horrified with the way his Japanese original had been transferred into English and that many of the ecological concerns of the film had been muted by aggressive editing on the part of the American distributors. During the past two decades the English-language revision of NAUSICAA AND THE VALLEY OF THE WIND, the film which through reediting became WARRIORS OF THE WIND has generated as much anger as any film ever made. Now, however, arguably the greatest injustice in the history of animation has been redressed with a marvelous new edition of what is easily one of Miyazaki's greatest achievements.
  
  There is a lot of debate about where NAUSICAA AND THE VALLEY OF THE WIND stands among all of Miyazaki's films Even while there has been a growing consensus that Miyazaki is the greatest maker of feature length animated film ever, there is controversy as to whether this film is or is not his greatest film. I'll confess my bias that it is his finest film, though I certainly can understand why someone would defend the assertion that THE PRINCESS MONONOKE or SPIRITED AWAY deserves that designation. Both of those films are a bit more polished and even more lavishly and elaborately drawn. My own reasons for preferring NAUSICAA are several. First, I personally believe that NAUSICAA is the first truly great Miyazaki film. Although he had done many superb films before this one, it was at this point that his art reached an apex that he has matched on other occasions, but never unquestionably surpassed. Second, I loved the story, both the scope of Miyazaki's vision, the cohesiveness of his narrative, and the richness of the moral message underlying the film. Finally, the animation of the film just blew me away even in the bowdlerized version of the film, and does so even more in this fully restored version. Miyazaki pioneered in animation the framing of images in cinematic fashion. For instance, Miyazaki manipulates in scenes in which Nausicaa flies her glider beside a larger ship to be from the same point of view a camera would be if it were a live action scene. His perspective is always driven by an imaginary camera, unlike, say, the Disney films, in none of whose films from the forties to the eighties can be found a similar manipulation of perspective. Several Disney films from the late eighties to the present display such perspective at times, but I would suggest that it is not an accident that these were made after Miyazaki had perfected the technique in a number of films. Perhaps Miyazaki has made minor improvements in his films since NAUSICAA, but none represent the quantum leap forward that this one did.
  
  One reason my daughter watched and rewatched WARRIORS OF THE WIND, until she literally wore out the video, was the lead character. If my memory serves me correctly, they changed the central character's name from Nausicaa to some far blander name, a change that is emblematic for the production as a whole. But even in that version, Nausicaa stood out as not merely one of the most compelling heroines in animated film, but in all films. In fact, even today Nausicaa compares favorably with such characters as Ripley from the ALIEN films and Buffy Summers as a compelling heroine. She is at moments subject to the kind of preciousness that mars many moments in anime in particular and Asian film in general (think of key moments in films when Jackie Chan ceases his chase of the villains to save a baby in danger, or the way in this one where Nausicaa cuddles with the half cat/half fox creature that attaches itself to her), but all in all, she is utterly courageous, amazingly inventive, unstintingly moral and compassionate, fiercely uncompromising in her principles, and unfailingly resourceful. In scene after scene after scene, Miyazaki invents new and strangely believable ways for his diminutive heroine to resolve seemingly impossible crises. By the end of the film, one has as much confidence in Nausicaa to save the day as Superman or Batman or Indiana Jones. As the father of a girl I can't express how important it was to her when she was young to have such a female heroine to enjoy. Male or female, heroic characters do not come any better than Nausicaa.
  
  No review of this film would be complete without adding some praise for the score. Although I had a tad bit of trouble with the childlike voice that intentionally intones lyrics slightly off key (Sarah Vaughan would famously sing out of tune when she would sing the Ira Gershwin line "The way you sing off key," but she even sang off key musically in a way that enhanced the song as a whole) to produce a decidedly irritating effect, the score as a whole is amazingly effective.
  
  The wonderful thing about the entire series of new issues of the entire Miyazaki catalog is that they consistently provide both the original which can be watched with subtitles and an extremely high quality dubbed version. In live action films I am an unstinting purist. I simply won't watch a dubbed version of a film with live actors, since one gains so much from hearing the actual voices of the actors. I always get a kick on the X-FILES DVDs listening to the various foreign language dubbings and chuckling at the gap between, say, the voice of Gillian Anderson as Scully and the voice of the low-voiced actress dubbing her into German. But with animation it is a different matter. For one thing, the animated characters do not possess actual voices, but have only what any actor gives them. Additionally, animation is even more than live action films driven by the images on the screen. I find I always enjoy the visual aspect of the film more by not having to focus both on what is on the screen and on subtitles. Luckily, one can with this DVD set do both, watch it first in the dubbed version and then in the subtitled, or vice versa. I very much enjoyed the actors used to dub the English version. There were some obligatory big names-Patrick Stewart, who is outstanding as Lord Yupa, Alison Lohman (who voiced Nausicaa), Uma Thurman, Edward James Olmos-but most of the people were highly appropriate for the character they were dubbing.
  
  My only complaint with the DVDs is the way that Disney programs the DVDs to try to steer you to an endless series of Disney commercials when the discs are first inserted. Such spamming is just not appropriate to DVDs and especially not to an otherwise high quality version of a Miyazaki classic. Still, I applaud Disney for taking the effort to make almost Miyazaki's entire incredibly impressive corpus available. Only a few years ago, before the release of PRINCESS MONONOKE, Miyazaki was still unknown to most American filmgoers. He still doesn't enjoy the reputation that he deserves, but the release of his films on DVD is treated as event even by Wal-Mart and Target. He truly is without his peer in the world of feature length film animation, for not only does he do an amazing percentage of the animation himself, he also writes the stories, and acts as both producer and director. No other great animator has involved himself in his films at such great length and in such detail.
  
  
• Lush, Moving, Fantastical: Miyazaki All the Way
  By A23GFTVIETX7DS on 2005-12-04
  This classic anime by Hayao Miyazaki pits a spunky, loving princess against those who misunderstand the precarious balance of nature in their diseased environment. Like most Miyazaki heroines, Princess Nausicaa is an independent girl, full of wisdom despite her young age, and one who approaches life with both awe and determination. When well-meaning but ignorant invaders from another land threaten to destroy the Valley of the Wind, Nausicaa must rely on her special understanding of nature to save them all.
  
  Some of the themes and undertones of later Miyazaki works can be seen in this earlier film. In particular, the environmental interdependence of man and his environment that later defines "Princess Mononoke" begins in "Nausicaa." The "ohmu," giant armored bugs who attack when one of their own is injured, have the mysterious inner lives that many of the fantastical spirits/gods possess in "Spirited Away." His fascination with wind and flight , lush and complex scenery, and the dynamic "acting" of his characters mark "Nausicaa" as an archetypal Miyazaki work.
  
  Although I watched this anime in the original language with subtitles, Disney has assembled a remarkable cast of voices: Uma Thurman, Chris Sarandon, Patrick Stewart, Edward James Olmos, Alison Lohman, and Mark Hamill. (The extras in the DVD contain interviews with these English-speaking actors about their dubbing experiences.) I watched bits with these voices, and they are actually quite good in that they capture the emotional force and rhythms (to a degree) of the original. For those who get too distracted by reading subtitles , the high-quality dubbing should be appreciated. Still, I am a purist, much preferring the original language.
  
  Because of its larger issues, Miyazaki's animation appeals to adults perhaps more than to children. His intense battles and ominous creatures will probably frighten younger kids, hence the PG rating. Highly recommended.
  
  
• US Studio Does Nausicaa Terrible Injustice
  By on 2001-02-09
  I saw 'Warriors of the Wind' and felt it was an amazing film. Then I saw the original, uncut 'Kaze no Tani no Naushika' and thought, my god - what had they done. This is a landmark film that cannot truely be appreciated in its edited version. New World Pictures felt it could only be marketed as a kid's action movie, so they cut out about a quarter of the movie (the parts they felt were "slow moving") and garbled the storyline in the process. [Writer/Director] Miyazaki was horrified when he found out what they had done to his film, and Ghibli [studios] asks everyone to forget that this version ever existed. Fortunately, New World Video's rights to Nausicaä expired in 1995. The distribution rights are now held by Disney, who did a nice job on 'Princes Mononoke'. One can only hope they will do as well with Nausicaä.
  
  
• Best Anime Film Ever: Thumbs up to Miyazaki
  By A3B97VI1KMKRL2 on 2005-02-27
  From the director of academy award winning Spirited Away, Hayao Miyazaki brings to us his personal first, Nausicaa of The Valley of The Wind. This epic fantasy is based off the manga, and shortend to bring it to the delight of fans everywhere.
  
  Nausicaa takes place a thousand years after a global war which left many parts of the earth covered in toxins an unihabital to humans, but not to bugs which are literally the size of houses. Nausicaa, the princess of the Valley of the Wind, leds the people of the Valley of the Wind, which is one of the places still populated, with courage and heart unlike any other. The people look to her for strength and reasurance when they are invaded by an empire looking to awaken one of the Giant Warriors to exterminate the bugs they view as the problem of the toxins. This remains untrue due to Nausicaa's discovering it is in fact that these bugs protect the forest which are slowly cleansing the earth of the toxins. it is now left up to her to stop the empire's that threaten the vally from angering the bugs and destroying the world.
  
  This epic fantasy focuses on the environment and a possible future which could happen years from now if nations keep waring and destroying the earth. Its a touching tale one sure to keep you on the edge of your seat, and im not just saying that. It goes from one susupensful scene to another as you watch Nausicaa strive to save her home and her people: she sacrifice everything to save them. The music in this film is also absoluting enchanting, i love films with great music and this one tops it off. Plus it has such vivid color and imagination that you forget that its a movie and not the real thing. Its simply breath taking.
  
  I personally love the japanese voice track myself, but with an all star cast doing the english track, and you can tell the hard work they put into it to make the story flow right and stick to the original script, it makes it doubly enjoyable. While i do think they could have gotten a better voice for Nausicaa in the English track all the other voices are A+. Voice talents include: Alison Lohman, Uma Thurman, Patrick Stewart (awesome choice!), Edward James Olmos, and Mark Hamil.
  
  Here are the features that come with in the two disk set:
  -Behind the Microphone with the english voice talents listed above
  -Complete Storyboards: Get an insiders look at the films artistry
  -Original Japanese Trailors
  -The birth Story of Studio Ghibli Featurette
  
  Technical Specifications
  -English and original Japanese Soundtracks
  -THX-Ceritfied, including THX Optimizer
  -Widescreen (1.85:1)-Enhanced for 16x9 televisions
  
  This movie is surly made for anyone who loves great fantasy and a deep lover of anime and Miyazaki's work. I have watched this film a dozen times all ready and i never tire of it. It is surly the best anime i have ever seen. I hope there is more to come. You will not be left wanting when you watch Nausicaa, i gaurantee it.
  
  
• First-class treatment of Miyazaki's revered masterpiece.
  By AUS2EQT4NU3BF on 2005-03-14
  Before I start my review, let me state that I did manage to see this film subtitled at an art museum in New York. For me, it was a very interesting experience to discover Miyazaki in his youngest days. While some may find the quality of this film to be a bit dated upon initial glance, it is important to remember that NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND was made back in 1984, so the animation, likewise, does not have as much polish as Miyazaki's later work displays. But this is not to say that NAUSICAA is unwatchable because of that. This is a deeply complex, imaginative tale set in a post-apocalyptic world that will remind many of PRINCESS MONONOKE, only the protagonist is a girl. Nausicaa is a compassionate princess who prefers to solve problems with peace, not vengeance. Her struggle to resolve a bitter conflict between two warring kingdoms and prevent them from reaching her home valley is not a good vs. evil tale. The characters are all flawed, believable people with their own agendas and redeeming qualities.
  
  In a testament to Miyazaki's admiration of nature, the film offers a sub-plot involving a supposedly poisonous jungle. The product of a terrible global war, this thick, lush forest not only showcases Miyazaki's imagination (those insects sure are creepy-looking!) but also emphasizes the dangers of world pollution.
  
  While NAUSICAA is an older movie from Miyazaki, it manages to hold surprisingly well--most classics have such staying power.
  
  Its long journey to America is a story in and of itself. In 1985 (a year after the film broke records in Japan), NAUSICAA debuted in America--renamed WARRIORS OF THE WIND, drastically altered, and cut by a quarter of its two-hour running time, much to the outrage of Miyazaki and his colleagues. Since that time, Miyazaki declared that any adaptations of his films for American release must be done under the supervision of his company, Studio Ghibli.
  
  As much as some folks love to hate Disney these days, one can credit them for taking the time to strike a deal with Miyazaki to distribute his films globally. While the Mouse House has made their share of marketing mistakes with his films, the dubs they've produced thus far--KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE, PRINCESS MONONOKE, SPIRITED AWAY, and CASTLE IN THE SKY--all have maintained a quality of excellence and strong performances from a solid cast of well-known actors and actresses. This brand new English version of NAUSICAA is no exception.
  
  As the title character, Alison Lohman provides commendable sincerity, compassion, and vulnerability, and is amply supported by a grand cast of side characters, which include Uma Thurman (the embittered empress Kushana); Chris Sarandon (the sneaky, smarmy Kurotowa); Edward James Olmos (feisty, loyal Mito); and unexpected appearances by veteran character stalwarts Tress MacNeille, Jeff Bennett, Tony Jay (who does a brief opening voiceover), and the Little Mermaid herself, Jodi Benson. Shia LaBeouf's Asbel sounds a bit rocky at first, but he grew on me. Mark Hamill, fresh from his outstanding turn as the evil Muska on the brilliant yet underappreciated (on some places anyway) CASTLE IN THE SKY dub, plays a small role as the Mayor of Pejite. He only appears in two scenes, and consequently, his performance here isn't as remarkable as his work in CASTLE IN THE SKY, but it's nonetheless great to hear his golden voice in another Miyazaki dub. Arguably the highlight of this dub is Patrick Stewart as Nausicaa's mentor, Lord Yupa. He speaks with strong Shakespearian diction and carries the dub as a whole through his subtle, charismatic rendition of this skilled swordsman.
  
  Miyazaki declared that any new adaptation of his masterpiece should be nothing but a straight translation and no cuts. English dub scriptwriters Donald H. Hewitt and Cindy Davis Hewitt (who worked on Spirited Away) honor his wishes through their adaptation, remaining faithful to the story while tweaking a bit of terminology for comprehension purposes.
  
  As with Miyazaki's other works, Joe Hisaishi provides the music score. Compared to the more lush soundtracks he composed for Miyazaki's later films, his score for NAUSICAA, while undeniably beautiful, occasionally comes off as a tad primitive, notably when it breaks into sometimes jarring techno-synth jingles. For better or worse, his score remains intact in the new cut of NAUSICAA, which will no doubt please purists. I was a bit disappointed, however--especially when his ambitious reworking of the CASTLE IN THE SKY score (composed exclusively for that dub) turned out so well IMO. A film like this deserves a 5.1 remix! Nonetheless, it's my one quibble of this otherwise top-notch English track of Miyazaki's most revered masterpiece.
  
  The DVD sports a near flawless visual transfer and a humble serving of extras--which include the typical English voice talent featurette we saw on Disney's previous wave of Miyazaki's films, trailers and TV spots, and a second disc devoted entirely to storyboards. The most noteworthy feature on this disk is a 30-minute long documentary, "The Birth of Studio Ghibli", which is undistractingly dubbed into English. For fans that are curious about the upbringing of this animation studio and wondering which of their films have yet to be released, this is a must-see.
  
  As someone who has been very pleased with Disney's releases of Miyazaki's works so far, I am delighted to say that they have done yet another bang-up job on polishing this legendary classic for new generations to cherish. Don't be fooled by its primitive looks; NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND's status as a masterpiece resonates from the first minute to the last.
  
  
• Like the enviroment? Got kids? Want a good adventure movie?
  By AJJBIXVL2U8FP on 2005-10-14
  If you do, then watch this movie!
  
  When I was younger, I got the entire set of Nausicaa books from the library, and read them straight through. Looking back, they are one of the few manga I actually read through, and thats some five hundred pages of comic. Ever since, I've died to see this movie, and it didn't disappoint. It's a lot tamer than the comic version, which was not written with young children in mind, but it certainly has the enviromental and heritage themes intact. In fact, Miyazaki wrote this comic because they said his movie would fail unless he had a comic to base it on. So, he wrote it and it became the most popular comic to ever run in Animage magazine. To this day, one of the most beloved and recognized comics (besides akira toriyama's stuff) in Japan.
  As an action animation, it still portrays its message, and has enough plot that you won't have to read 500 pages of comic to understand whats happening.
  
  -Being Miyazaki's first film, it has many of the nuances and plot devices of his later works. (First if you don't count the Lupin the Third work)- We start off with a young girl who lives in the Valley of Wind, and knows everything about the wind. She can control a small glider with jets through the air, and rides currents all over. But, everything is not just fun and games. A thousand years before, the people of the planet had great technology, and used it for everything, polluting the air/water/ground (think near future). But, they became power hungry and went to war, creating large 'God Beasts' that fought and brought on the Seven Days of Fire (Miyazaki's analogy for nuclear war). After the seven days, everything was destroyed, and out of the ashes a toxic forest arose, full of vile bugs that destroy everything living in their path. Nausicaa is special, and feels she can communicate with the bugs, especially the Ohmu, a giant caterpillar that is generally kind and gentle, but when provoked becomes a raging beast. The valley is on the fringe of the toxic forest, and her people have come to coexist near the forest, even as it poisons them. The king, Nausicaa's father, has succumb to the sickness. Soon, Torumekian soldiers come to their valley, hiding a secret from a warring state called Pejite. With this secret, comes bugs and poison seeping into the valley...
  
  This story is so in depth, yet it's about a fourth of the books. I suggest to anyone who likes this movie, or wants something to write about in an enviromental studies class, get them. All four Perfect editions. As for the movie, the same great art is preserved well in the dvd transfer. Obviously, for an '84 animation this one could be pretty bad, but disney gave a little retouch it would seem, or Studio Ghibli (miyazaki's design house) was just this good. Colors are vibrant, lines are sharp, little fuzz. The sound is crisp, in both languages, and the music is a sweeping score (great in surround sound).
  
  The reason this disc gets a star taken away, is special features. Disney did this and two others at the same time, (The Cat Returns, Porco Rosso, and Nausicaa) and they mostly have similar features.
  
  On the movie disc is a featurette called Behind the Microphone, featuring the english voise talent from the film discussing their experience and being all excited. This is nice, considering the all-star talent (Mark Hamill, Patrick Stewart, Shia Lebouf, Alison Lohman, Edward James Olmos, and Uma Thurman [almost another star taken away for her]). Next is a great featurette called "Birth of Studio Ghibli", told from producer Isao Takahata's perspective. This guy has been Miyazaki's main man since the beginning, and influential in Ghibli's success. Four japanese trailers, one english, and other Ghibli movie trailers are nicely implemented. The second disc is, again (same as all new two disc disney editions), entirely storyboards set to the audio tracks. Interesting for up-and-coming artists, enthusiasts, and comic fans. Otherwise, you'll probably pop it in for a few minutes, then turn it off. This is where the extra star went. I was expecting something special from this new version, and on two discs, I'm sure there were more features they could have translated...
  
  Overall, one of the great Miyazaki films. I'll be showing it to my kids for sure.
  
  
• childhood favorite
  By A1L52G1CCSG3WU on 2004-09-01
  I have long awaited this release on DVD and am so excited to see it FINALLY come out.
  About 17 years ago this film was on HBO quite a bit, but aired as "Warriors of the Wind." HOWEVER this DVD has footage that was originally cut out of the film by the US distributor....20 minutes worth!!
  A great environmental message, and although it's from way back the film is a masterpiece. If you like it, you should check out the graphic novel that Miyazaki did - it's what the movie is based on!
  Like Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, the central character is a strong woman who fulfills an ancient legend to end all wars and "tie the strings of the earth together."
  A must have for anime fans and environmentalists alike!
  
  
• The greatest anime film ever made
  By A2AY0CVA38HAX5 on 2005-02-20
  I cannot descibe how important this film is. If this masterpiece does not change your life, or make you want to change the world- well, you have lost yourself.
  Maybe Joe Hisashi's greatest soundtrack ( which is saying alot).
  Forget about Lord of the rings, or star wars, this film is the beginning of the Miyazaki universe. Laputa takes place "somewhere" in this world, as does Princess Mononoke.
  The review before mine is much more detailed- all I can say is that This is in my top 3 favorite films of all time! Allow yourself the pleasure of experiencing this. my Teto!
  
  
• Wonderful in Japanese, but...
  By A1B38S1YJR1PQD on 2005-02-25
  (*****) for the Japanese-language track on this long-awaited Region 1 release of Kaze no Tane no Naushika on DVD. Compared to grey- and black-market DVDs and VHSs to which Miyazaki fans have had to resort, this new DVD mastering and cleanup with remastered Hisaishi soundtrack is like a newly-polished gem. Bravo, and about time!
  
  ( **1/2) for this boo-hiss Disney-fied English-track mess foisted on North Americans! Judging by the mangled pronunciations, soundtrack "enhancements", dramatic-element telegraphing and noticeable character & plot alterations, we-all Yanks must be too stupid to understand what Miyazaki-san originally had in mind. Or maybe, like other Disney repackagings, somebody really, totally missed the point and just doesn't "get" the original story and presentation.
  
  Bizarre changes abound:
  -Since when did Ohmu become "Ohm"?
  -The God Warrior has been renamed "Giant Warrior" -- why, so deists & theists wouldn't be offended?
  -Why oh why is the city-state of Pejitei (peh-jee-tay) pronounced pedge-ite?
  -Why is Nausicaä voiced by an actress with a vocal palette of sobs, anger, and monotone?
  -Why was Yupa to choose the name of a child without first being asked to be her godfather?
  
  Extra soundtrack compositions intrude constantly, spoiling the dramatic feel of what were tender or sad/dramatic moments. Evidently nature abhores a vacuum; so do obtuse soundtrack directors.
  
  Insufficient voice talent coaching and direction (except for Patrick Stewart), questionable translations, elective plot surgery and gratuitous tinkering-by-focus group have made this an annoying, shameful product. Not as bad as "Warriors of the Wind", maybe, but in the same spirit, if not extent.
  
  I can recommend this to anyone over about ten years old. The themes are mostly adult, and the situations of extreme violence, threat, death and loss are pretty intense. Despite the Disney veneer and American kid-vid standards, this is just not for the kiddies.
  
  
• Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds is amazing 22 years later...
  By A2EGK0YRDF4ZZB on 2006-03-06
  Miyazaki Hayao's first big film Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds was released in 1984. Based upon Miyazaki's manga, it follows the futuristic barren wasteland that Earth has become, ravaged by industrial toxins and radiation. Small pockets of civilization perch on the edge of the Sea of Decay, among them Nausicaa's Valley of the Winds, untouched by toxic mold spores. Nausicaa is a young princess with the ability to talk to animals and insects, using charms to keep them from destroying themselves and others. She is a fearless leader of her people, who wants to stop the bloodshed between warring factions and stop the murder of giant insects such as the Ohmu. Although altruistic, she possesses a dangerous, unpredictable rage. There is a prophecy in the land that a "...a person clad in blue standing in a golden field will find the bond between humanity and the earth, and lead the people to a pure land..."
  
  The Valley is threatened when a ship from neighbouring Pejite crashes and releases toxic mold spores, along with a much more dangerous foe: one of the Giant God Soldiers responsible for the Seven Days of Fire, in which the world was nearly destroyed by nuclear radiation. Nausicaa finds the princess of Pejite inside, chained and mortally wounded.
  
  The Valley is threatened by the appearance of Princess Kushana of Torumekia, who seizes power in a coup, killing Nausicaa's father. She seeks to resurrect the Giant God Soldier, whose nuclear weapons can destroy both enemies and the hordes of destructive insects that ravage the land. Nausicaa escapes, and must save her beloved valley from a stampede of enraged Ohmu...
  
  The story, visuals, music, and sheer creativity are simply amazing. This is one of Miyazaki's most original, moving efforts, and I've seen nearly all his films from Nausicaa to Howl's Moving Castle. His frequent lament on the destruction of nature is at its most poignant here, the small seeds of hope blossoming into renewal. Visuals are strongly drawn from medieval costumes and castles in the Valley, the ships look like something from Star Trek, and the insects gave me nightmares (and I thought the giant cockroaches in my office were scary (!). I hope to get my hands on a copy of the original manga (in Japanese) to read more fully into the lush backstory of Nausicaa. Poetic, spiritual, and unique, this is my favourite Miyazaki film.
  
  
  
• Nausicaä is one of the best films ever made.
  By A22TINZ1HXH7JY on 2003-11-17
  Studio Gihbli, who created the original Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind has asked us to forget this horrible hack job ever existed. The writer/director Miyazaki was extremely upset when he saw this video. As I write this (11/3) the new English dub by Disney is in production and will hopefully be available in the US soon. The new dub will be true to the original and will show it in it's full glory. Please wait for it's release. It'll be worth it.
  
  
• Groundbreaking Anime Offers Brilliant Cinematic Experience
  By A6ADO7B6FUVN on 2005-02-27
  Nausicaä of the Valley of the Winds is loosely based on an old Japanese legend known as The Princess Who Loved Insects that has its roots in the 12th century. In this tale a princess openly displays her liking for insects, especially caterpillars. However, her mother finds it repulsive and demands that she quits her unlady-like behavior, but she refuses, as she desires to enlighten that all creatures are wonderful and have an important function to mankind. Same theme is used in Nausicaä, but with a fantastic adventure where the destiny of the world is at stake, as the young princess Nausicaä spreads her compassionate and affectionate love without boundaries.
  
  Nausicaä is a fearless young teenager that has deep affection for the natural beauty of the world. This affection roots within her morals and values, which are based on trust, compassion, and understanding. This is an understanding that all creatures live on the same terms under the same sun despite appearance. However, it is how things appear that brings birth to fear in the people of Nausicaä's world, as a vast poisonous jungle is expanding its boarders into the realm of human beings. Inside the jungle exists gigantic insects that when threatened are consumed by rage, which roots itself in fear, as they attack the threat without mercy. Recognizing the power of fear elevates Nausicaä's understanding that fear is the source of evil, and if fear is eradicated then harmony can exist.
  
  Different kingdoms within the futuristic world of Nausicaä fight for power to control the world, as they all believe their concept of peace is the correct answer. The leaders of each kingdom are willing to wipe out each other in the quest for peace, which includes burning down the poisonous jungle and all the insects despite historical evidence that war and burning down the poisonous jungle is ineffective, and in the past it has brought mankind closer to extinction. This destructive concept is essentially a uniform belief within all leaders of the world while they rely on their might in firepower. However, Nausicaä acknowledges the importance of harmony within the world and between all beings, but others are not willing to listen. The leaders turn their deaf ear to Nausicaä, as they firmly believe, a belief rooted in fear and other emotions, that they are right while they unknowingly are about to bring the world to extinction.
  
  Hayao Miyazaki who is best known for Spirited Away (2001) directed this magnificent tale about Nausicaä, which in many ways is groundbreaking. The hero of the story is a confident young girl, which was almost unheard of before the film was made. Through this character Miyazaki brings important notions for the audience to ponder such as environmental issues, war, and a positive life philosophy that stems in acceptance and love. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Winds uniqueness radiates through its multifaceted moral lessons that can be hard to follow for young audiences. Nonetheless, Miyazaki remains true to the purpose of storytelling without using cinematic clichés from other films, which is to elevate understanding and wisdom of how to better one's own life. In essence, Miyazaki's visual journey lays the ground work for later wonderful anime films such as Grave of Fireflies (1988), Whisper of the Heart (1995), and Princess Mononoke (1997), which was developed through decades of hard work.
  
  The story of Nausicaä's adventure brings several interesting notions for the audience to contemplate. Many of these ideas are not foreign, but are presented in an appealing way, which could be easily accessible for adults and teens. Young children might enjoy the animation, but miss the complex message. Yet, these children will remember the film through its wonderful animation together with the films score, which will echo in their head for months after having seen the film. An interesting thought would be if the United Nations would make Nausicaä of the Valley of the Winds required viewing for all of the world leaders, as a lesson to help making better decisions in regards to humanity. Nonetheless, Nausicaä takes the audience on a breathtaking and suspenseful journey, which will leave the viewers in deep thoughts.
  
  
• Scissor happy TV....
  By A87LOM1QZIEXL on 2001-11-17
  I HAVE NOT SEEN THIS FILM. I have only seen the Japanese version, and that's not the same thing at all. The excisement of a full 20 minutes in any film is an absolute travesty, but in a movie of such complexity crammed into a fairly short space of time, every single scene and line of dialogue carries huge weight, both in terms of plot and character development. Having been told some of the scenes which were removed, I can tell you that Warriors of the Wind is a beautiful, stunningly animated film, with compelling music and characters, which feels incomplete and rushed. Also the end post credits image, if it was retained, will make no sense at all. Which is a shame, because complete it is one of the most powerful images in any film I have ever seen. As I said, the 1984 animation stands up well to anything around today (Seriously, it's stunning), the music is lovely but the cuts and cuts and the rest of the cuts stop me from giving it 5 stars. And they changed Nausicaa's name to Zandra. That is unforgivable.
  
  
• First steps
  By A3HJQP8LH6YTKV on 2004-04-22
  I would disagree with many who would say that this is one of Miyzazaki's best works. Nausicaa is not a bad movie, but it is most certainly not Miyazaki's best movie. It possesses many of the traits that many have come to love in Miyazaki's movies: fantastic worlds, original creatures, real people. However, nothing seems to work as well in this early work. The bizarre creatures and plants would be more at home in a B-movie sci-fi flick; they seem more silly than enchanting. The character will seem to be very similar to the familiar characters of Miyazaki's later movies, but they seem to have less depth than other Miyazaki's movies. The strong-willed princess seems less a human being and more an archetype. The villains do not possess the same kind of human quality that other Miyazaki villains have; they are just leering vicious, two-dimensional bullies. Similarly the moral lessons lose any kind of impact because they demonstrate a black and white attitude to the subject manner, and furthermore the whole environment has been created as a contrivance to validate the moral argument. How is one supposed to take a lesson about conservation to heart when the deck is blatantly stacked to prove the point. Princess Mononoke succeeded in its message because it showed, in addition to the importance of nature, how human technology and progress can help people when used with sound judgement. Lady Eboshi who led the forces of Irontown was far more human than the villainess in Nausicaa. Princess Mononoke showed that there are no easy answers. Overall I believe that Nausicaa should be seen as nothing more than an early work by Miyazaki; a prototype for the Princess Mononoke masterpiece that would succeed in every way that Nausicaa failed.
  
  
• The first movie that let world people know Miyazaki
  By A121WJCKYJ4T03 on 2004-11-22
  Mr Miyazaki was active as a film maker before this movie. But factly the first movie that let people over the world know the reputation of Miyazaki was this Nausicaa, that is, as the directer and the original writer. About 20 years passed since the film was made, but we can look at Nausicaa with very pleasure, excitement etc. I am not able to believe that the film making was more than 20 years ago, very real animation, for instance the scene that Nausicaa helped the old man Yupa riding a animal who was followed by a holy insect, Oumu is that. At that time, Nausicaa helped Yupa by letting him know the escape way with riding a unique airplane, Meve. The scene that Nausicaa overlooked the surface from Meve was incredible real animation. Even if I consider that the movie is a old movie, the animation is marverous, that is, the scene that landscape aprroached near and near.
  
  The story of Nausicaa was wonderful. The movie implyed Miyazaki's anti war principle by using the intro scene,[Death Seven Days War caused by Gigantic Army], by the war, the world covered with Daath Acid. I think that Miyazaki made the scene while he knew the truth that there were a lot of falling acid after atomic bombs fell at Hiroshima in Japan under World War 2. I think that he not only made just a animation movie, but also was included the movie the important message. And the point is different to Disney movie. And when I looked at Aumu first time, I disliked Aumu for the grotesque looking. But as I felt the Aumu's deep tenderness, my emotion changed. Maybe Miyazaki will want to say what should see thorough the inner things, not outer things.
  
  Anyway, this is a great movie that I am thought about many things, peace, love, tenderness, friendship and familyship, not only the real animation.
  
  Thank you for reading my poor English.
  
  
  
  
  
• This DVD version is horrible.
  By A1NHQ4UQWBSJDX on 2005-07-29
  This film is my favorite anime of all time! But this DVD version, released by Disney, is absolutely horrible. The picture and audio are flat and obviously were not digitally remastered. The original release looks and sounds better than this version. It looks like they copied the old video (aged 20 years), quickly dubbed in English parts, slapped it in a new package, and then charged double for it.
  
  Except for Patrick Stewarts part, the acting on the English voiceovers are dreadful as well. The butchered US version released in the 80's is better then this version. I waited forever for this to be released, excited about Disney releasing it in all it's original glory, shame on you Disney for releasing this.
  
  
• This movie stinks!!!!!
  By A12KW5XVUHNG24 on 2005-12-13
  OK, I know a lot of self loathing environmentalist love this film. Humans are evil, humans are bad and untrustworthy, animals are inherently good and superior to human beings and therefore animals should have dominion over our precious god, mother earth. That's the theme of this film. Watching this film makes you want to die, literally. After all, the earth would be so much better off if we humans weren't around mucking it up.
  
  I am quite sure that the self loathing creator and the self loathing lovers of this film had no issue with using the DVD player to view this film, which by the way is powered by electricity which was made possible by burning eeeeevil fossil fuels. I wonder if the creator ever rode in an earth polluting automobile or airplane and yet has no problem telling us how eeeeevil and stupid we human beings are?
  
  If I could give this film negative 100 stars, I would. The worst film I have ever seen in my life.
  
  
• Not Miyazaki's best work
  By A1OL81VF27S1V6 on 2006-05-21
  I know this review isn't going to earn me many "helpful votes" from the film's rabid fans, but I would have to say that this -- Miyazaki's first work -- is the weakest link in the chain.
  
  The basic story is intriguing -- Nausicaa is basically a eco-messianic tale -- but it unfortunately remains at an undeveloped level and is thus rather weak. There are far too many holes in the plot and details unexplained, such as just why Nausicaa's dress manages to change from pink to blue towards the end of the film. Is it stained with the baby ohmu's blood, and if so, why is the entire dress stained that way? It's never explained in the film, which makes one wonder if the colourist just got lazy. Details like this will plague viewers who enjoy Miyazaki's later films, which typically explain minor details and deftly tie up dangling threads.
  
  The other problem is that Nausicaa is lacking as one of Miyazaki's usual heroines; she's something known as a Mary Sue. That is, a fictional character who is perceived as being unsympathetic due to being idealized and, generally, lacking in any truly noteworthy flaws or having her flaws romanticised. (see the article on Wikipedia for a more in-depth explanation) In Nausicaa's case, it's her naivete and that she cares too much, which are presented as not *really* flaws, after all. In other words, classic Mary Sue "flaws".
  
  While messianic tales are difficult to pull off without reverting into Mary Sue-ism, Nausicaa is sadly unable to do so. All the other characters seem to exist simply to showcase Nausicaa: friends talk about how wonderful/brave/smart/awesome she is, villains twirl their handlebar moustaches as they tie helpless villagers to the train tracks simply to show off how wonderful the princess is. (In fact, the antagonists lack the humanity of those Miyazaki's later films) Nausicaa is a princess, single-handedly solves the mystery of the toxic jungles all by herself, is a princess, is able to calm insects just by using a noisemaker (or other animals by letting them bite her fingers off), is a princess, effortlessly pilots a hanglider, (which never seems to take any sort of damage) and can fire a machine gun without ever having picked one up! (Note: there is a *world* of difference between firing a rifle and a machine gun) Did I mention she's a princess?
  
  Sarcasm aside, you don't have room to worry for her: you know that she'll pull through with the illusion of a near-miss. While this is an eco-messianic tale, the heroic elements of Nausicaa as a character are just too overblown for me as a viewer to feel any connection to her. And I got bored hearing villagers talk nonstop about how wonderful/brave/smart/awesome she is.
  
  In fact, the story and characterisation is so lacking that the three stars it earned from me is from the visuals alone. The animation is slightly dated, but on a visual level it is still a beautiful film even after all these years. Most of my enjoyment of the film came from studying the breathtaking backgrounds. The other saving grace is the presentation of Miyazaki's trademark moral conundrums: even as Nausicaa tries to stop the fighting and mourns the violence, she herself has to resort to it. Even being anti-war has its consequences -- just as defending oneself or taking the fight to the enemy does -- and it is this ambiguousness that keeps Miyazaki films entertaining yet conscientious without making the viewer think he or she is attending a sermon.
  
  For all its flaws, Nausicaa isn't a bad film; just that for Miyazaki's work, it's middling. Personally, I would suggest skipping this one in favour of Miyazaki's other works, such as Princess Mononoke or Kiki's Delivery Service.
  
  
• Clear Judgement Help Me Please
  By A3FSL5O3ABAJDT on 2006-11-14
  I own "Howl's Moving Castle" amd "Spirited Away" by Miyazaki and bought "Nausicaa" mainly because of the customer reviews.
  "One of the Best Films of Any Type Ever Made."
  "Greatest Animated Film of All Time."
  "Best Movie I've Ever Seen."
  Please help me!
  This film story is about a young female heroine (who can't afford underpants) with a good heart and a desire to stop all killing in a future world dominated by giant worms. And a worm is a perfect mascot for the tedious, snail crawling pace of this film (everyone viewing almost fell asleep). The plot is slow to develop, character development lacking and animation primitive at best. Of the three Miyazaki films I own, this is the worst. Does it matter who wrote the screenplay? When you put your name on it, it's yours. "Howl's Moving Castle" and "Spirited Away" (which won an Academy Award) have qualities that are totally lacking in this film. These films had characters who's evolution touched my heart, a storyline which captivated me and animation that made me forget that this was animation. Not so with "Nausicaa".
  The reviewer who claimed that this is "One of the Best Films of Any Type Ever Made". has obviously never seen "Gone With the Wind", "Ten Commandments", "Ben Hur" or even "The Wizard of Oz".
  The reviewer who stated that this is "The Greatest Animated Film of All Time." has probably never seen "Dumbo", Pinocchio" or the new "Over the Hedge" or "Open Season" (the animation of the bear fur is beyond realistic).
  So if you're an animation freak like I am (and not someone who's been paid by Miyazaki to praise his inferior work), who lets the eyes and heart decide what's a good film and if you want good Miyazaki film, pass on this one. If you want great animation, buy "Dumbo" or "Pinocchio". And if you want great films, buy any of the classics like the four movies mentioned before or "King Kong", "Godzilla" or any of the other top 100 films listed by the American Film Institute.
  "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder", so don't let the myopic vision of reviewers blind you to a bad movie choice made by people who really don't get out much.
  PS Used "Nausicaa" for sale or trade.
  
  
• Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
  By AJ6O2J0REBX6W on 2004-04-24
  Released in Japan in 1984, Nausicaä explores many of the themes later visited in Princess Mononoke, and proved highly influential to modern day anime, from plot elements to even the mecha design (the "Evas" from the series Neon Genesis Evangelion, considered by many to be the best anime released to date). This film is certainly no mecha anime; the young princess Nausicaä finds herself torn between her people, mankind, and nature, the brutal, ascendant force on earth after the fall of man. Is humanity doomed to extinction, or is the equilibrium that Nausicaä espouses the ultimate answer? Nausicaä herself is a blend of Greek heroine and nature-loving adolescent, and strongly foils the other, Machiavelian characters. Though in a post apocalyptic future, Nausicaä feels little like Mad Max and more like primordial civilization as seen in Princess Mononoke. Hayao Miyazaki goes into even more depth and creates an even more epic tale in the manga (graphic novel) Nausicaä, so if you cannot wait, look it up. An incredible story, it is unfortunate that Disney has not decided upon a full theatrical release...
  
  
• Don't listen to bad reviws
  By A1BM2VXIK2IOZN on 2004-05-21
  The bad reviews of this movie pertain to the cut up version of this brilliant film by Miyazaki. This version will be uncut at 116 minutes. This is the real deal that all otaku have been waiting for on Region 1 for an eternity. The deal with Disney was a perfect move for Miyazaki so his films get the treatment they deserve on DVD. If past films (Mononoke, Spirited Away & Kiki) are any indication as to the amount of attention Nausicaa will get, we should be in for a great DVD. August 31st can't come fast enough!
  
  

• Princess Mononoke
• Castle in the Sky
• Howl's Moving Castle
• My Neighbor Totoro
• Kiki's Delivery Service