The Boy and the Heron (2023)

World War II is underway and Mahito lives in Tokyo with his parents.  One night, the hospital, where his mother works, is left in flames after bombing.  His mother dies in the fire.  Soon after, his father Soichi (Christian Bale) relocates the family out of Tokyo to his wife's family's estate.  He has since remarried Natsuko (Gemma Chan), who happens to be his dead wife's younger sister.  No sooner have they arrived on the estate than a gray heron starts paying inordinate attention to Mahito.  He soon finds that it is a magical talking heron (Robert Pattison), which wavers between friend and foe.  The property has an old tower where his granduncle (Mark Hamill) went missing years ago.  There is also of story of his mother having vanished for a year in the tower only to return with no memory of the incident.  Of course, Mahito must investigate.

Like all Ghibli movies, the art is outstanding.  However, the story is lacking.  Mahito believes his mother might still be alive, clearly not yet reconciled with her death.  He does not get along with other kids at the local school and inflicts an injury to himself so that he won't have to go back.  Now with more free time, he followed the heron into the mysterious tower where he enters a fantastical world of giant man-eating parakeets led by the Parakeet King (Dave Bautista), villainous pelicans (Willem Dafoe), a strangely familiar fisherwoman (Florence Pugh), and Lady Himi the fire woman.  There are other bizarre denizens of this magical world that Mahito must navigate to save his stepmother and return home.  It is often confusing.

Obviously, it is a must-see for any fan of Studio Ghibli, but it is one of the weaker offerings.

Earwig and the Witch (2020)

A woman rides a motorcycle down the highway, pursued by a yellow Citroen with a gaping maw for a grill.  She escapes by creating a mass of worms with a strand of her hair.  Ah, she is a witch.  She arrives at an orphanage where she leaves a baby girl named Earwig.  The matron finds the name Earwig unacceptable and renames her Erica Wig.  Years go by and Erica essentially runs the orphanage.  She has everyone wrapped around her finger because she is a savant of manipulation.  Better still, she has managed to avoid being adopted.  Until now!  A strange couple arrive and select her.  Bella Yaga is a witch who needs an 'extra pair of hands' for her work.  Mandrake (Richard E. Grant) is a mysterious figure who commands demons and passes through walls.  He is quick to anger and Bella fears nothing more than annoying him.  Why do these two live together?  Initially, Erica is eager to help, expecting to learn magic.  Bella has no interest in teaching.  However, her familiar, Thomas the talking cat (Dan Stevens), is willing to help Erica learn magic.  Antics commence.

The latest Studio Ghibli film, I had high expectations and this fell far short.  Who was the woman who left Earwig at the orphanage and why?  She had mentioned angering the 12 witches and being on the run.  Is Bella Yaga one of the 12?  The Citroen from the opening chase is in the garage.  Has Erica fallen into the clutches of those who chased her?  Right when the movie feels like some of these questions are about to be answered, it ends.  What?  Is this a pilot for a series?  That can't be all there is.

The epilogue shows Erica has managed to dominate Bella and Mandrake in much the way she had dominated everyone at the orphanage.  Does she have a magic power of bending everyone to her will?  Maybe.  All in all, very disappointing.  Without doubt the worst Studio Ghibli film I've seen.  Skip it.