Review of The Wind Rises

This film is not like other films by Hayao Miyazaki. It isn't exciting or daring or whimsical or magical. It has an atypical lead for a Miyazaki film, is a little bit slow and plodding, and the story is probably a little too ambitious compared to the sort of film Miyazaki is used to making. But it's a thoughtful film, a quiet film, a thinking film, that purposely takes its time getting to where it wants to go. My strongest complaint is that while there is a message in this film, just like all of Miyazaki's works, it takes some mining to unearth it. Ifthat one problem had been corrected, I think this would be a significantly better film.

So I won't say this is my favorite of Miyazaki's work, but I will say I can appreciate it.