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Miyazaki 6 Pack (Castle in the Sky/Kiki's Delivery Service/Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind/Porco Rosso/Princess Mononoke/Spirited Away) | 
| Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Actors: Sumi Shimamoto, Mahito Tsujimura, Hisako Kyoda, Goro Naya, Ichiro Nagai
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: $182.94
Buy New: $169.00
You Save: $13.94 (8%)
Rating:  9 reviews
Sales Rank: 29072
Format: Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), German (Original Language), Japanese (Original Language), Portuguese (Original Language)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Number Of Discs: 11
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.9
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.5 x 3.5
UPC: 786936304619
EAN: 0786936304619
ASIN: B0009SW83K
Theatrical Release Date: June 1985
Release Date: June 21, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: AS PICTURED-THE RARE BRAND NEW FACTORY SEALED DISNEY DVD COLLECTION! REGION 1 USA RELEASE-NO IMPORTS, COPIES OR BOOTLEGS HERE!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
 Six great Miyazaki movies, one worthy pack! June 10, 2005
Jonathon Turner (Highland Park, NJ USA)
42 out of 44 found this review helpful
Thanks to the success of SPIRITED AWAY in America, the works of Japanese animation maestro Hayao Miyazaki are finally starting to get the recognition they deserve. Two years ago, when Disney issued the aforementioned Oscar-winner along with KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE and CASTLE IN THE SKY on DVD, AMAZON.COM made the very generous decision of offering all three of these masterpieces together as a three-pack. Now, with NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND and PORCO ROSSO slowly enchanting newcomers and a few great more Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli works on the way to America, AMAZON.COM has prepped yet another package of Miyazaki treats--this set not only includes the aforementioned movies, but also PRINCESS MONONOKE (distributed by Disney's then subsidiary Miramax). The most convenient thing about this pack is that by purchasing this deal, you'll be saving yourself the potentially costly choice of buying each one individually.
The films themselves are unquestionably masterpieces, as I'm sure you may have heard from many other people, but special mention should be made to Disney's DVD releases as well: all six of these movies have top-quality visual transfers (CASTLE and KIKI sometimes show their age in the video quality, but still look excellent) with the original Japanese language track complete with the original credits and English subtitles for longtime afficionadoes.
But for English speaking audiences who don't want to read subtitles and pay attention to the visuals, Disney has provided high-quality dubs for all six films. While dubbing in a live-action film can be distracting (especially if the voice is not associated with the actor on screen), the same arguments do not apply for anime (or cartoons in general). An animated cel stands on its own and is open to all kinds of vocal interpretation. Some argue that Disney's choice of big name actors and actresses are distracting, but on the flip side, these assembled talents such as Mark Hamill, Cloris Leachman, Phil Hartman, Minnie Driver, Patrick Stewart, Michael Keaton, Uma Thurman, Suzanne Pleshette and others help attract newcomers to these movies and give strong, solid performances in their own right.
It's not like Miyazaki sold out to the Mouse House or anything: he has stated that any adaptations of his movies should be done under the supervision of his company, Studio Ghibli and that any alterations in dialogue or music (in the case of KIKI and CASTLE; where the former's songs were changed due to licensing problems and the latter received a superbly lush and breathtaking reorchestration by the original composer, Joe Hisaishi) must not be done without consultation. Thanks to a strong campaign by PIXAR superstar John Lasseter, Disney has honored Miyazaki's wishes through their dubs, remaining faithful to the spirit of the original stories while occasionally adding to them. It should be noted that KIKI, CASTLE, and MONONOKE were not dubbed by Lasseter, but by Anime overdub veteran Jack Fletcher. But while these three dubs may not have the name "Lasseter" attached to them, they are still very much worth watching for excellent performances and solid scripting.
As far as the extras go, they range from barebones (MONONOKE) to passable (KIKI, CASTLE) to good (PORCO ROSSO) to must-watch (NAUSICAA and SPIRITED AWAY). The most common feature is a behind-the-scenes featurette on translating the movies into English (and the actors speaking fondly about Miyazaki and his work). With the exception of MONONOKE, the other superfluous but interesting extra are the Japanese trailers and storyboards synched to the soundtrack. But the real meat of extras are on both the NAUSICAA and SPIRITED AWAY DVDs, which include featurettes on the making of SPIRITED AWAY and a worthwhile history lesson on the birth of Studio Ghibli. Not a whole lot of extras for such fabulous movies, but better than satisfactory nonetheless.
Whether you choose to watch these movies in their language of origin or in the A-grade English tracks provided by Disney, Miyazaki's work is essential to anyone's DVD library, and by purchasing a deal like this, you'll not only be saving a bit of money, but getting more than what it's worth as well. I like that AMAZON.COM put together this excellent offer of a purchase. Not only is it less expensive than buying each movie individually, it's more convenient, too.
A Mass of Anime Classics October 27, 2005
Antonio D. Paolucci (Beaver Falls, PA)
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
Miyazaki just knows how to entertain us. So much so that a huge name such as Disney would pick up his Japanese films. And this is as good a team as I've seen in quite some time (Disney and Ghibli). Disney has the capability of getting those big named voices (Uma Thurman, Patrick Stewart, and Michael Keaton to name a few) that make these movies twice as magical as they already are.
This collection brings together not just two of Miyazaki's truest masterpieces (Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke) but also four more of his past successes. With Howl's Moving Castle looming for DVD release this is a great way to get yourself affiliated with Ghibli work. I'd recommend these to anyone but especially parents who want some family time but are completely bored with what their children enjoy. Not all movies work for the entire family, however. One, Princess Mononoke is definitely more mature than others, while Kiki's Delivery Service is geared more for the kids.
Below is a list of shorter reviews:
Spirited Away: Miyazaki's Oscar winner about a girl who gets lost in a spirit world and must become a worker to survive while also trying to save both her parents and her memory. It's a children's love story filled with morals.
Princess Mononoke: Miyazaki's action film, this movie starts out exciting and end in the same way. A fantasy epic of gods, monsters, and the humanity's capabilities for good.
Porco Rosso: Miyazaki's love of the sea and planes becomes apparent with this movie, about a man turned pig who must battles air-pirates in order to save the Adriatic. Funny the whole way through, but with a few touching moments in between.
Nausicaa...: This is a relevant tale about human and nature and our wont for destruction. The humans of the Valley of the Wind battle giant insects and a poisonous jungle to keep the jungle itself from spreading. Nausicaa isn't too serious but there is a clear theme.
Kiki's Delivery Service: This is a tale of a young witch who must go out in the world in order to learn what her capabilities are, and she takes a job as a delivery girl. As heartwarming as any of Miyazaki's films, the children will love this one.
Castle in the Sky: This film follows two young people as they seek out the mysterious castle in the sky. The girl searches to find the secrets of her past and the boy searches to follow the dreams of his dead father.
 If you prefer a Studio Ghibli set... September 30, 2005
M. L. Cusi (Singapore)
12 out of 16 found this review helpful
If you want more of these types of works, look for the Studio Ghibli DVD boxed sets that have 12 (blue box) or 14 (white box) movies depending on which set you can find. If you don't mind paying for shipping, a lot are available from Australian sites if you don't like the Hong Kong (Chinese) packaging.
I know that the white box set has movies that offer both English and Japanese audio. I prefer to hear them in their native Japanese dialogue (it's more authentic). Sometimes I'd watch the anime a second time to disregard the dialogue and pay attention to the details (facial expressions, background, shadows, colors, etc.)
Ghibli and Miyazaki movies are generally wholesome with simple plots but with lots of heart and strong messages.
Miyazaki's Work September 19, 2005
Jauff Barclay (Trinidad, W.I.)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
The first miyazaki anime i saw was Princess Mononoke a few years back and i was struck by the intriguing storyline. It was only when i saw my second miyazaki, - Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind - that i recognised the animation and style of the director and got hooked. The Miyazaki six pack contains all my favorite Miyazaki masterpieces, including Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. This is a definite collectors piece to any fan of the great Hayao Miyazaki.
Cheers
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