The Boy and the Heron Review!

The Boy and the Heron is a gift. Hayao Miyazaki announced his retirement after The Wind Rises (2013). He has returned to craft The Boy and the Heron. If this is his retirement, this film is a treasure like all of the Studio Ghibli movies. The film is written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The visuals are stunning with the hand-painted cel animation, a beauty in its world building and fantastic inhabitants. The music by Joe Hisaishi is gentle and also reflects the wonder of the film. 

We are introduced to Mahito Maki voiced in the English version by Luca Padovan. Leo B. Stoker was also played by Padovan in Nickelodeon limited series, Are You Afraid of the Dark? A siren fails in the morning. There is a fire at the hospital and Mahito says, “Mother’s still there.” He races towards the fire, pushing through the cinders. Then, we hear Mahito say, “Three years into the war, mother died.” 

His father, Shoichi (Christian Bale), takes him to Sugimura Station in the country. Bale starred in the mystery film, The Pale Blue Eye (2022). He previously voiced the wizard, Howl, in Howl’s Moving Castle (2004). Shoichi operates an air munitions factory. He introduces him to the woman he remarried, Natsuko (Gemma Chan), his former wife’s sister. Chan starred in this year's sci film, The Creator, and voiced Namaari in Raya and the Last Dragon (2021). 

Mahito notes that she looks exactly like mother. Natsuko is his mother’s younger sister. She is brought by pedicab to the station and brings Mahito for the ride. Shoichi heads to a van. Natsuko has Shoichi touch her pregant belly. This made me think of the Guillermo del Toro's movie, Pan’s Labyrinth (2006). They stop in the city for a recruitment parade to pass. The pedicab takes them to Natsuko’s country estate. Shoichi notices a grey heron. Natsuko points out Shoichi’s new factory in the distance. 

She takes Mahito up steps and into the estate and a heron flies past him. He comes to land on the pond. They eventually find seven old maids huddled around Shoichi’s suitcase. One of the madis is Kiriko voiced by Florence Pugh. The actress stars in this year’s bio drama, Oppenheimer, and voiced Goldilocks in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022). Barbara Goodson voices the maid, Aiko, she is the voice of Robo Rita in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always (2023). The maids are gathered for the salmon, beef, and sweets in the suitcase. 

Natsuko takes Mahito to his new room and he drops asleep on his bed. The heron knocks at the window. Then, Natsuko brings in a tea tray for Mahito. We get a closeup as Mahito has a nightmare of running to the fire. He sees his mother’s face wrapped in flames! Mahito cries in his sleep. The next day, Mahito sees the heron flying over to an old tower and follows him. The bird slips into the window and Mahito sees lamps light a lower entrance and wanders inside. He finds heron feathers and is about to push through a grate. 

The maids call for him and Mahito returns to find the feathers are gone. Later, Natsuko tells him that her mother’s uncle built the tower. He had lost his mind building a maze of tunnels. Her grandfather sealed off the tower. At night, Mahito sees his father hug Natsuko and crawls back to his room. The next day, he is taken to school with agricultural workers. We later see at hillside, without dialogue, he gets into a fight with another student. On the walk back home, Mahito bashes the side of his head with a rock and blood drips from the wound. His father knows Mahito had no accident and wants to know who bullied him. 

Five+ Heron Feathers out of Five! 

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