The Boy and the Heron: Film Review
Knowing Studio Ghibli legend Hayao Miyazaki came out of retirement to make The Boy and the Heron, I really wanted it to be amazing, but I thought it was simply fine.
Set in 1943 during the Pacific War, the film follows 12-year-old Mahito Maki (voiced by Soma Santoki), who moves from Tokyo to the countryside to live with his father Shoichi (Takuya Kimura) and his new wife Natsuko (Yoshino Kimura). At the new rural estate, Mahito is pestered by a grey heron (Masaki Suda) who is definitely not your average bird. When Natsuko goes missing in the woods, Mahito goes to find her and discovers a tower that leads to an alternate world.
I liked the overarching message of The Boy and the Heron – Mahito learns how to accept his mother’s death and his aunt Natsuko as his new stepmother – but the storytelling wasn’t as strong as usual. The narrative felt chaotic, haphazard and incoherent, particularly in the third act. Also, the lore of the tower wasn’t explained especially well and it didn’t always make sense.
Like every Studio Ghibli film, I cannot deny the limitless sense of imagination here. There are so many weird and wonderful elements going on, from a talking heron to oversized parakeet guards. Some of the ideas are fun to watch and they are, of course, animated very well but they didn’t resonate with me.
I know many have found deeper meanings and layers in the story but it was a bit too fantastical for me on the surface and that prevented me from connecting with it in a meaningful way. Also, I thought the film went on too long and could have been wrapped up sooner.
The Boy and the Heron does not reach the heights of Miyazaki’s greatest hits, like Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro, and I don’t think it’ll win over any Studio Ghibli newcomers but it will likely bring joy to existing fans.
Please note: This review was based on the original Japanese version and not the English dub.
In cinemas from Monday 26th December