From Jeff Nelson

Hayao Miyazaki returns to feature filmmaking for the first time since the masterful The Wind Rises, which hit theaters in 2013. The Academy Award winner draws audiences back into his swoon-worthy world of adventure and heart with The Boy and the Heron. It isn’t his strongest work, but it’s a mature piece of storytelling packed with humanity.

Mahito Maki (Soma Santoki) is a young boy forced to move to a new town with his father, Shoichi (Takuya Kimura), after his mother dies in a tragic hospital fire. A Grey Heron (Masaki Suda) appears and takes a suspicious interest in Mahito, informing him that his mother isn’t dead. The young boy investigates a nearby abandoned tower, entering another world where nothing is as it seems.

The Boy and the Heron begins in tragedy, as Mahito runs toward the danger, but nothing can be done to save his mother. He’s thrown into a whole world of changes, including a change of home, a new step-mother in his aunt, Natsuko (Yoshino Kimura), and a half-sibling on the way. Nevertheless, Mahito retreats within himself, presenting a tough exterior for the world to see. He struggles to adjust, growing allured by his rural surroundings and the secrets they hold that take him on a journey he’ll never forget.

The film is dedicated to Miyazaki’s grandson, which is consistently felt throughout the narrative. The Boy and the Heron passes the torch of life’s passions and frustrations from one generation to the next. The film acts a portal to a world filled with wonder that allows its protagonist to learn a great deal about his family, as well as himself. The story relies greatly on these familial connections, although they’re a tad underbaked to pull off the level of emotion it’s aiming for.

Miyazaki doesn’t give all of the answers of this world away so easily, sometimes relying more heavily on the feeling that the story emits, rather than straightforward narrative points. The Boy and the Heron doesn’t lack a shred of the legendary filmmaker’s signature style, representing a culmination of his body of work that is as dense as it is genuine. It’s not always so easy to follow, but it guides you through on charm.

The Boy and the Heron blends hand-drawn and digital animation to a beautiful degree. The characters are drawn with personality and the world that surrounds them is consistently stunning, with colors that pop. The creature design is singular and distinct, along with Joe Hisaishi’s superb score that’s full of wonderment.

The Boy and the Heron is an intimate and sentimental retrospective that simultaneously feels like a tender goodbye and a heartening hello. It isn’t Miyazaki’s most stirring work, especially when it comes to an emotional impact that doesn’t hit quite as hard as his prior films. Nevertheless, it has a unique, personal quality to it. While we don’t know if this will be Miyazaki’s final foray into the world of feature filmmaking, it’s isn’t a bad note to end on, if that’s the case.

Rating: 4/5

The Boy and the Heron hits theaters on December 8th, 2023.

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