Movielogr
The Wonderland (2019)
Directed by Keiichi Hara
Twitter Facebook Google+Fantasy | Adventure | Animation
Overview
The story follows Akane, a girl with no self-confidence. On the day before her birthday, she meets a mysterious alchemist, Hippocrates, and his student, Pipo, who both tell her they’re on a mission to save the world. Together, they set out from the basement for “Wonderland,” and Akane finds herself labelled Wonderland’s savior.
Length 115 minutes
Actors
Mayu Matsuoka | Anne Watanabe | Kumiko Asou | Nao Touyama | Keiji Fujiwara | Akiko Yajima | Masachika Ichimura
Viewing History (seen 1 time)
| Date Viewed | Device | Format | Source | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02/17/2021 | TV | Blu-ray | Library | 8 stars |
| (Average) 8 stars |
Viewing Notes
Glad to catch up with this one, what could very well be Ghibli production had the animation been closer to their style. At least in the story, adapted from a popular children’s book ‘Strange Journey from the Basement’, it’s very much a Ghibli movie with a young protag off on an adventure to save a world she knows little about. There’s a some subtle socio-political symbolism and general classism on display in addition to the overarching eco-centric messaging. All of that embedded in this delightful adventure totally worked its charm on me.
This is one that I’m sure would’ve found its way the big screen last year via Fathom or a limited run at AMC if not for the pandemic. That’s a shame b/c this film is so beautiful it really would sing on that huge screen. The Shout! Factory blu is decent and includes a cast interview and commentary with character designer Ilya Kuvshinov, which I would love to hear someday. Definitely one to add to the list.
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