Top Ranked Films of Hayao Miyazaki

Hayao Miyazaki
6 titles, 39th in points with 18,021
All titles are 'anime' films

These are all the films of Miyazaki’s that made the top 1000 in our 2011 update of the Top Ranked 1000 Films on the Net, all polls.

1. Spirited Away (2001) #78
2. Mononoke-hime (1997) #355
3. My Neighbour Totoro (1988) #382
4. Howl's Moving Castle (2004) #352
5. Ponyo (anime, 2008) #569
6. Castle in the Sky (1986) #668

Those out of the top 1000
7. Kiki's Delivery Service #1658
8. Porco Rosso (1992) #1996

For me, these Japanese animated films pale next to Disney and Pixar films, or those of Nick Park from the U.K. (of Wallace and Gromit: 3 Amazing Adventures (2005) fame). The artwork is very simplistic by comparison, about the level of very 2d tv cartoons [see photo below]. The stories are a little better but usually fall under the kids vs. the spirit world (demons, ghosts, witches, wizard stuff) theme. Therefore, to me these are way overranked, as well as Miyazaki. I’m guessing they are fun for kids, they just don’t exist on two levels like the best Pixar stuff, enjoyable for grownups as well. I get bored with these very quickly, they just don’t have any wow factor whatsoever, it may as well be Saturday morning tv fare.

Still, if you have kids, they'll probably be mesmerized.. "warning: contains scenes of peril" (I saw this warning on one) Heck, with demons, ghosts, dragons, and witches, it has all the things kids like! The films are distributed here by Disney, and the English language versions have all the parts dubbed by western actors - Susanne Pleshette has a major part in Spirited Away!

See the full list of top ranked 100 directors here: Top Ranked 100 Directors, 2011 Edition