The Boy and The Heron: Movie Review

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Director Hayao Miyazaki's supposed last film is a mixed bag of ideas and animation that never quite congeals into anything that feels worthy of his own catalogue.

It begins as a tale of Mahito, a boy who loses his mother during a fire at her workplace in the Second World War. Forced to relocate, and with a new stepmother, Mahito is bothered daily by a heron who swoops in and seemingly mocks him.

But one day, Mahito finds himself slipping between worlds to get to the bottom of why he is continually called the "Long awaited one".

It's not that The Boy and The Heron doesn't look stunning; Studio Ghibli's animations are lush and evocative of the era.

Yet the problem persists that behind the facade, there's very little going on other than a seemingly disjointed collection of ideas that never quite gel into a stronger and more compelling narrative sadly. Whilst it's understandable that the ideas would lead the story here and the concepts are where the tale's strengths lie, there's never quite enough to grasp on to as the story appears to meander over its 120-plus minute run time.

Coupled with an overtly brusque ending, The Boy and The Heron feels like it is lacking the potential of the past and previous triumphs. Much of the film requires a leap of faith or a desire to embrace vagueries rather than definitive concept.

Maybe some of what Miyazaki intended is for people to think about the message of going off to create while he retires (a thread from the film seems to imply the passing on of the torch from one generation to the next), but with a looser sets of ideas at the helm, The Boy and The Heron feels less urgent and less compelling.