Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

Among in-the-know animation buffs, master Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki enjoys a fervent following, which spilled over into the mainstream after he won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature with Spirited Away in 2003. Eagerly anticipated, Miyazaki's early masterworks are now being released on DVD. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), the director's second film, is a post-apocalyptic saga and ecological fable that anticipates themes later developed in his Princess Mononoke (1997). Based on the celebrated manga series, Nausicaä is intended for more mature audiences than the director's later lighthearted fantasies, such as My Neighbor Totoro (1988) and Kiki's Delivery Service (1989). Set 1,000 years following the collapse of civilization, when the last surviving humans are threatened by the spread of a seemingly toxic jungle, the film revolves around a prototypical strong-willed and independent Miyazaki heroine named Nausicaä (voiced by Alison Lohman), who will make a stand to save the jungle from warrior princess Kushana (Uma Thurman). The latter is a formidable foe who launches an assault on Nausicaä's idyllic valley to awaken the slumbering Giant Warrior, whom she intends to use to destroy the jungle. The distinguished voice cast also includes Patrick Stewart as Nausicaä's mentor, swordsman Lord Yupa, and Chris Sarandon (the evil Humperdinck in The Princess Bride) as Kushana's ambitious lieutenant. DVD extras on this double-disc dual-language set include a half-hour documentary on Studio Ghibli, the complete (feature-length long) storyboards, and a "Behind the Microphone" voice talent featurette. While not quite as fluid as his later films, Nausicaä features Miyazaki's dense and detailed design and awe-inspiring set pieces, making this a must-have for most anime collections. Highly recommended. [Note: also newly available in double-disc editions are Miyazaki's The Cat Returns and Porco Rosso.] Aud: P. (D. Liebenson)[Blu-ray Review—Mar. 29, 2011—Walt Disney, 2 discs, 117 min., PG, $39.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1984's Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind sports a fine transfer and a Dolby Digital soundtrack. Blu-ray extras include the original Japanese storyboards (117 min.), “The Birth Story of Studio Ghibli” (28 min.), a “Behind-the-Studio” featurette (12 min.), a “Behind-the-Microphone” featurette on the voice cast (8 min.), an “Enter the Lands” interactive section with characters and clips from various Studio Ghibli films, a trivia challenge, a bonus DVD copy of the film, and trailers. Bottom line: a winning Blu-ray debut for an anime classic.][DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Review—Oct. 31, 2017—Shout! Factory, 116 min., PG, DVD: $19.98, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $29.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and Blu-ray, 1984's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind features a great transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack. Extras include feature-length storyboards, an interview with former Studio Ghibli president Toshio Suzuki and animator Hideaki Anno (44 min.), a “Creating” production featurette (12 min.), a “Behind the Microphone” segment on the voice cast (8 min.), and a booklet with producer and director statements. Bottom line: a beautiful edition of a Studio Ghibli classic.]