Mary and the Witch's Flower (2017) - 3/5

When Studio Ponoc split from Studio Ghibli, it took with it the stylistic sensibilities. This looks very much like a Miyazaki film, complete with beautiful scenery and villains labeled ‘misguided’, not ‘evil’. The characters are not as likable or well-realized as their Miyazaki counterparts, though the world building is quite good. The film does end abruptly, in that the last few minutes introduce a new idea that the main character pursues without establishing it at all. Had the script been through a few more drafts it could have been a much better movie.

Closest Comparison: It’s like a mashup of Castle in the Sky, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Spirited Away, with bits of Howl’s Moving Castle.

Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (Netflix) - 4/5

This is what Disney’s The Jungle Book (2016) should have been: much more thoughtully constructed, more emotive facial animation on the animals, and an all-around more engaging story. The voice acting is so good I couldn’t tell who anyone was (except Cate Blanchett), and was astonished to see the cast list in the end credits. In Disney’s version Mowgli looks like he has never been outisde before and timidly walks around fallen logs. In this version Mowgli is running on all fours and diving off treebranches. This is a microcosm of the difference in quality between these two movies. Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle is a bit darker than its Disney counterpart, and even though it’s still a family-weight film some parts may be frightening to young children.

Closest comparison: It’s a better version of Disney’s The Jungle Book (2016)