in the shell

Excellent eco-saving 1984 Sci-fi/fantasy epic masterpiece that is Miyazaki's second movie and a great movie. Loved it since the 80's when i was 5 years old in 1986 when i rented it under the New World Pictures butcher cut and loved it then when i was in high school in my anime club i borrowed the teacher's uncut fansub copy and made a copy for myself. I waited years for it to come to US DVD and it finally did in 2004.

This movie was the "Avatar" of the 80's, in fact James Cameron is a huge fan of this movie and other anime as i could see it an inspiration. This is the 1984 Sci-fi/fantasy movie that "Dune" should have been, basically "Dune" was a big sloppy mess that rapes a brilliant book in the ass.

You know, I never saw this one. Always heard about it, though, and I probably should pick it up.

I agree about Dune (aka "David Lynch's Frank Herbert's Dune," or more properly "David Lynch's Imagined Version of Frank Herbert's Dune"). Only rarely can you make something completely different from the book and have an equal or better product (eg, Blade Runner); Dune was NOT it.

--Jeff

I first saw Warriors of the Wind years ago on HBO or something late 80's...and it rocked my world, the animation and the characterization. I didn't know is was a poorly done hack job on Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind...until I came across VIZ Comics' beautiful English language release of the original manga series, scripted and drawn by Miyazaki himself.
The movie does not even compare...and I have read that Miyazaki had somewhat lamented in choosing to adapt it to animation so soon when there was so much story left to tell. What takes place in the film is only about 1/4 of the entire manga...as the manga had entirely different ending and expansion of characters and situations. You actually feel you are growing up with Nausicaa in the manga. I break out my collection every two years to reread it. VIZ also made a beautiful Editor's Edition of the series which added maps and posters and other background info as well. Don't get me wrong, I love the movie too, but the manga is so much more introspective and just plain grips you. Get both.

Ohh, I'll have to look up the manga then.

I'm pretty much the antithesis of a tree-hugger, but that film is still one of my top five ever. It's the characters, they are very compelling and very true to themselves.

Would you compare this to Avatar?

I wouldn't, but then I refused to go see Avatar and I own Nausicaa