Suzume (2022)
Makoto Shinkai’s visual stunner falls short of Ghibli’s magic.
Presentation:
Breathtakingly beautiful, the animation in the film raises the bar with high precision and clarity. This is Makoto Shinkai’s most ambitious anime, which attempts to utilize supernatural and mystical elements straying from his typically more realistically rooted stories. In an attempt to save the world, they must close the doors which act as portals to another world but deal with whimsically fantastical elements along the way. It’s indeed imaginative, but where it falls short is the script follows a formulaic and family friendly ending that bears little risk. There aren’t mature themes either that can make this enjoyable for more mature audiences, it’s a very straightforward mainstream anime film.
Conclusion:
A beautiful film, fun but quite standard that doesn’t really offer anything more, perhaps even less than you bargained for considering the wonderful visuals. It doesn’t have the same impact of Ghibli films that are filled with meaningful themes. This film is quite safe and for mature audiences might feel like something we’ve already seen before but in a shiny package. Still, one of Makoto Shinkai’s most gorgeous films to date that could be particularly meaningful for younger females.
Recommendations
Pixar films do have soul after all.