At the moment I'd have to say that this is my favorite anime, though it's close. I guess I just love all good anime, huh?
This movie is truly epic. That's the right word for it: the scale, the plot, the theme, are all larger than life. The characters too are all superbly done. Nothing is simple in this movie, and you're never quite sure what's going to happen next.
First mention should go out to the awesome animation and dubbing. Both are probably the best I've ever seen in an anime. The dubbing actually rings true, and a lot of times I found myself thinking "That's what I'd say, and how I'd say it, in that situation."
The characters in this movie are great. San is of course the most memorable character in the movie: she's totally hot, and being raised by wolves and fighting humans is a plus! And of course she's very hot. Ashitaka makes a great hero. He might seem to be too good at times, but hey, you gotta remember that he's got that whole "seeing with eyes unclouded with hate" thing going on. Plus, he's not afraid to use his curse if he has to. His reactions to the events around him are heroic, but human: he's definitely got more guts than your average person, but he's still human. The other characters are pretty neat too, but in lesser amounts. Lady Eboshi is quite complicated: you hate her for destroying the forest, but you like her for being nice to the girls and the lepers. Of course, making lepers work all day isn't what I'd call the perfect hospital, but at least they're being treated decently and they're happy.
Do I actually have any complaints about this movie? Only one, and I'm not sure if it counts. The Forest Spirit looks quite disturbing in his normal mode. That whole elk-with-a-human-face thing is decidedly odd. Other than that, this movie is totally awesome.
There's never a dull moment in this movie, even though it isn't all action. You're always kept intrigued by the plot and the characters, even after having seen it a few times. This movie definitely stands up to repeated viewing, and each time you notice something new.