Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is the highly acclaimed masterpiece from Hayao Miyazaki that launched his animation career into global success.  This wonderful tale of Princess Nausicaa is lovingly digitally remastered to give the movie a whole new dimension of detail.  This Japanese animation is one of the cornerstones of the industry and helped to solidify Studio Ghibli as a major household name for wholesome family animation.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is a beautifully woven story about a princess who lives in one of the last hospitable valleys in a far future Earth destroyed by war.  In this world the land has been taken over by a toxic jungle created by spores and there are very few places where humanity can survive.  Princess Nausicaa must courageously find a way to help bring both mankind and nature back together and save what is left of humanity.

The clarity of the video re-master is so great that even some errors within the original film film reel are apparent.  As this movie was released in 1984, it is already in a proper widescreen format and there is no screen filling technology used.  The full 1080p version of this film is essentially the highest quality format this film will ever need to be, so there is no hesitation in recommending this version of the film.

One thing to note that has changed with the film is the default audio track.  The default audio track is a completely re-done recording that takes the remastered music and effects tracks and pairs them with new voice acting from the likes of Shia LaBeouf, Alison Lohman, Edward James Olmos, Patrick Stewart, and Uma Thurman.  If you prefer to watch the movie in it’s original Japanese language version with subtitles, that option is available as well.

The enjoyment of Miyazaki’s epic masterpiece is further enhanced by the exclusive bonus features included with the blu-ray.  The World of Ghibli bonus allows you to have a unique interactive experience.  A behind the studio feature allows you to walk through the film’s origin and even has an interview with creator Hayao Miyazaki.  The “Enter The Lands” feature lets you interactively explore a map that includes many of the different worlds that have been imagined by the great minds at Studio Ghibli.  You can also view the original Japanese storyboards for the film, and test your knowledge of Studio Ghibli with a trivia challenge.  The bonuses add just that extra touch to complete the experience of this Blu-ray debut of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.

Keep in mind that some elements this film may not be appropriate for some of our youngest Disney / Studio Ghibli fans.  There are brief moments of violence and minimal bloodshed that are the reasons for it’s PG rating.  If you are a fan of Studio Ghibli films such as Spirited Away and Ponyo, you will absolutely love watching this beautiful rendition of one of Miyazaki’s original films.

Movie Details:
Length: 117 Minutes
Rating: PG
Format: 1080p Blu-ray / 480p DVD
Audio: English, French, Japanese
Subtitles: English, ESL, SDH, French
Package Contents: Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack

Disclosure: This review is based off of my own opinion of this movie. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment furnished a copy of this title for review. All copyright images, and content belong to Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. Reviewed by Jon & Anne`

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