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Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

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Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

PG

Released Jun 13, 1985

1h 58m

Fantasy

Anime

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91%

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23 Reviews

91%

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10,000+ Ratings

Far in the future, after an apocalyptic conflict has devastated much of the world's ecosystem, the few surviving humans live in scattered semi-hospitable environments within what has become a "toxic jungle." Young Nausicaä lives in the arid Valley of the Wind and can communicate with the massive insects that populate the dangerous jungle. Under the guidance of the pensive veteran warrior, Lord Yupa, Nausicaä works to bring peace back to the ravaged planet.

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Michael Sragow

The New Yorker

When mammoth dandelions puff out spores, the sight is as seductive as it is lethal.

Apr 1, 2013

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Tasha Robinson

AV Club

Nausica is in some ways a grim and serious film, but it mixes a sweet optimism into its horror-filled lessons.

Aug 10, 2009

Full Review

Carson Timar

ClapperCast

It is insane to go back to this and see how strong Miyazaki already is with scope, size, and purpose. This is such a big story but it is masterfully controlled and focused.

Apr 6, 2025

Full Review

Diana Tuova

Loud and Clear Reviews

Beautifully revealing one complex world, Nausicaä is a wondrous, adventure-filled animation with a benevolent core.

Rated: 4.5/5

Nov 12, 2024

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

[Miyazaki's] Nature-first, humanity-second approach to environmentalism began here…these ideas were never more pure than in their first assembly, gathered by an idealistic young Japanese animator on the verge of changing the medium with his vision.

Rated: 4/4

Aug 22, 2023

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Jordan Brooks

Vague Visages

An adventure that lives in a place outside of time, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind offers a haggard reflection of humanity’s dark side before proclaiming hopefulness and love the ultimate victor.

Aug 1, 2023

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Petros T

I don't know if it's creativity or tripping balls, but there are lots of eye-popping concepts in the film's worldbuilding. However, they're not enough to make the film remotely interesting in the long run as it's plagued by constant exposition via monologues and dialogues, environmental messaging that's as subtle as getting run over by a bulldozer, non-existent character development, and a lack of nerve, passion and emotion, a constant flatness that makes even the grandest action scenes boring.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

05/27/25

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Sam F

An absolutely stunning movie with an important message in its core, especially now. Everyting to the animation and the plot is masterfully done and is and has been one of my favourite movies.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/24/25

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Alex S

Must see the full version (no cuts)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/26/25

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Jim D

The exploration of coexistence and the blinding effects of rage was done perfectly. As time continues, the message of this movie is becoming more and more relevant and necessary. The music was beyond good, the world building is extremely unique, and it's thought provoking in a non-forceful way.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/19/25

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Josh D

Right off the bat, knowing this is one of Miyazaki’s earlier works, I can see a lot of the themes and ideas he explores in other movies in their earlier stages here. I really loved the setting and premise of this movie. I love the animation, the retro futuristic designs, and the post-apocalyptic setting that isn’t just a barren dessert. The story was really well-written and did a great job addressing the themes clearly. I really only had two complaints with this movie. Firstly, sometimes the dialogue could be a bit on-the-nose with the thematic undertones. Secondly, a lot of the characters aside from Nausicaa herself were very underdeveloped and didn’t seem to respond appropriately in some situations (for example, one character learns their close family member has died and moments later is laughing and joking with another character). But overall, I really enjoyed this one and highly recommend it, especially to any fans of Miyazaki’s other work. Also, Lord Yupa is cool as hell.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/28/25

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naim c

Its a phenomenal film

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/12/25

Full Review

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Hayao Miyazaki

Director

Shia LaBeouf

Asbel

Alison Lohman

Nausicaä

Patrick Stewart

Lord Yupa

Uma Thurman

Kushana

Chris Sarandon

Kurotowa

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Synopsis

Far in the future, after an apocalyptic conflict has devastated much of the world's ecosystem, the few surviving humans live in scattered semi-hospitable environments within what has become a "toxic jungle." Young Nausicaä lives in the arid Valley of the Wind and can communicate with the massive insects that populate the dangerous jungle. Under the guidance of the pensive veteran warrior, Lord Yupa, Nausicaä works to bring peace back to the ravaged planet.

Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Screenwriter: Hayao Miyazaki, Cindy Davis Hewitt, Donald H. Hewitt
Distributor: New World Pictures
Production Co: Studio Ghibli
Rating: PG (Violence)
Genre: Fantasy, Anime
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 13, 1985, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): May 19, 2024
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 16, 2019
Runtime: 1h 58m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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