The Boy and the Heron (2023)
Where death comes to an end, life finds a new beginning.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki · Writer: Hayao Miyazaki
While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even stranger following the appearance of a persistent gray heron, who perplexes and bedevils Mahito, dubbing him the "long-awaited one."
Where to watch
HBO Max Amazon Channel
HBO Max
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Spectrum On Demand
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Trailer
Director
Hayao Miyazaki
Cast
Soma Santoki
Mahito Maki (voice) 
Masaki Suda
Gray Heron (voice) 
Ko Shibasaki
Kiriko (voice) 
Aimyon
Lady Himi (voice) 
Yoshino Kimura
Natsuko (voice) 
Takuya Kimura
Shoichi Maki (voice) 
Keiko Takeshita
Izumi (voice) 
Jun Fubuki
Utako (voice) 
Sawako Agawa
Eriko (voice) 
Karen Takizawa
Warawara (voice) 
Shinobu Otake
Aiko (voice) 
Jun Kunimura
The Parakeet King (voice) User Reviews (4)
MORE SPOILER-FREE MINI-REVIEWS @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/mini-reviews-2023-edition THE BOY AND THE HERON is a visually captivating film that struggles to balance all of its storylines and themes. Technically, no faults. The visuals are nothing short of breathtaking, with each shot meticulously detailed and rich in storytelling. The animation is a true work of art, drawing viewers into a world of wonder and magic. The sound design and score complement the visuals beautifully, enhancing the overall viewing experience. And finally, the film retains the typical Ghibli humor that fans have come to love, sprinkling lighthearted moments throughout the narrative. However, Hayao Miyazaki succumbs to his ambition. The filmmaker tries to incorporate too many ideas, resulting in a somewhat confusing, messy narrative, particularly in the transitions between different characters…
Maybe it's sacrilegious to say, but I didn't love this latest from the marvellously imaginative mind of Hayao Miyazaki. It follows the adventures of "Mahito" who arrives at the home of his factory-owning father amidst WWII. We appreciate quickly that his mother has died and that he is to have a new, expectant, mother in "Natsuko". When she mysteriously disappears and "Mahito" finds his presence "requested" by an enigmatic and beautiful grey heron, he strays into an old abandoned tower on his family estate and is soon embroiled in a world inhabited by people who are alive and, well, not! It seems the heron is not quite what it seemed, either, as he must explore rooms within rooms and endless doors that open into new scenarios. Pursued by giant pelicans, how can "Mahito" find his stepmother and return safely to their home? Luckily, along the way, he encounters the benevolently spiritual "K…
Good little adventure for this young man who... has a bit of a strange situation with his dad. What a crazy bugger his dad is and what kind of family dynamic is going on? Is the younger sister pregnant with the dad's kid? Maybe it's cultural and I'm not sure why the old man changes intention so quickly or what the bird motivations are. Perhaps will read a book about it one day. It's fun. There's cool animation. I like to watch these in Japanese with subs but I went back to listen to the English track for certain scenes. Dafoe kills it as the dying stork.
Gorgeous animation as always from Ghibli, but the movie was a mess. It's like 3 different movies mashed together, none of which have any synergy or feel like they have anything to do with the overall plot. Compared to their other movies which were genuinely whimsical, all the magic and beautiful scenes here felt forced. Like they had to add pretty scenes to hide how nonsensical the story is. A lot of it is meant to mimic Miyazaki's life as a child and now as an old man, but it just falls flat.
