Done mostly in the style of hand-painted classic animation, with occasional digital assists, "Princess Mononoke is indeed a thing of beauty and imagination.

This handsome, beautifully designed Japanese animated film has the size -- though not the clarity -- of a great Japanese film epic.

Miyazaki's hordes of animators haven't penetrated beyond the skin; the moving creatures feel inarticulate and jerky, almost weightless, particularly when played against painterly background mattes.

A masterpiece. A bold story, effective, engaging animated environmental fable