Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind

The people of The Valley Of The Wind live a peaceful existence living off the prosperous land of their valley, which is in stark contrast of the world that surrounds their land. They survive in a time when poisonous forests and large wild insects have reclaimed the land, but those aren't the only dangers, the rest of humanity can be just as dangerous. When other kingdoms spark conflict with each other and nature only the brave and compassionate princess Nausicaä can save their world.

The long awaited US DVD release of a great classic by the dynamically talented and creative Hayao Miyazaki is finally here. Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind (1984) is now available from Walt Disney Home Entertainment in a 2-disc set. The 2-disc set boasts English and the original Japanese language tracks, widescreen (letterbox) format, a "Behind The Microphone" featurette, complete storyboards, original Japanese trailers, and "The Birth Story Of Studio Ghibli Featurette."

It's a great pleasure to finally be able to see another of Miyazaki's works of art, especially one that's as old as I am. Featuring some big time Hollywood names, I was amazed at how well the voices fit the characters. Alison Lohman (Princess Nausicaää), Patrick Stewart (Lord Yupa), Uma Thurman (Princess Kushana), Shia LaBeouf (Prince Asbel), and scores of supporting actors and actresses contributed to bring this masterpiece stateside. Adding to the great voice acting is the original musical soundtrack by Joe Hisaishi and the original sound effects that both create depth and bring the film to life.

Those expecting to see animation rivaling today's animé series and movies will be may be disappointed, but in lieu of flashy CG graphics, viewers are treated to beautiful hand-drawn and painted animation that still holds it's ground against today's high-tech expectations.

Disney has been putting some decent extras on their releases of Studio Ghibli titles and Nausicaä is no exception. The "Behind The Microphone" featurette provides an interesting glimpse of the voice actors at work. If so inclined, viewers can watch the entire movie with only storyboards. But the best of these extras is "The Birth Story Of Studio Ghibli Featurette," which gives a fairly detailed look at the history of the animé production company.

Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind, from Walt Disney Home Entertainment, is approximately 117 minutes long. It is rated PG for violence and has an MSRP of $29.99.