ThiefHott Too much of everything

BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Meloo Peloo I really like Studio Ghibli movies. I never thought how they were made before this documentary and now I appreciate them even more due to the effort goes into them. Ghibli Studio looks really amazing with the spiral stairs and the cool rooftop but as far as I understand, Miyazaki is not the best boss in the world. Throughout the documentary, I never witnessed him giving a praise or liking some work. He seems rather pessimistic to me. I would never have guessed this from the movies he made.I really admired how tediously he works. It is said that he works from 11 to 9 6 days a week. This motivated me to work more and be more disciplined. Truly inspirational movie for anyone who is interested in any type of art. I think it shows the good and bad sides of working in the art industry.

rolfesam If you love films as a passion go watch this.If you love films as an art go watch this.If you love animation go watch this.If you want to see a glimpse of the magic of film go watch this.This documentary is something special. If you don't know already this documentary follows one of the greatest animators of all time, Hayao Miyazaki, as he works on what is likely his last film, the Oscar-nominated 'The Wind Rises". This small peak behind the scenes is something of an oddity among documentaries. Where as so many documentaries are focused on presenting the facts of a topic to light in a way that is both non- biased and easy to understand 'The Kingdom of Dreams and Magic' prefers to forgo this and instead attempt to provide emotion to its viewers as well as leave a lot of subjects and stories untouched or unfinished in a way that makes me think that the documentary film makers behind the camera never had any intention in attempting to make the famed studio Ghibli any less magical. I have to believe that this was done purposefully to protect the magic of the studio to which the title of this documentary alludes. If you are reading this and wondering why I'm being so vague about describing the actual goings on of the documentary it is because I feel the emotion of what I saw in this film can never be translated properly to the written word. If you ever watched a movie of Hayao Miyazaki then watch this flick, it will only make you respect the man, the studio, and the films even more.

LilyDaleLady I was majorly disappointed in this documentary about legendary animator Hiyao Miyazaki and his famous Studio Ghibli (that produced such iconic animated films as My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke to name a few.First let me say that I near-worship Miyazaki. When I first found his work in the mid-90s, I had a fantasy of flying to Japan, prostrating myself at the front door of Studio Ghibli and begging for a job as the lowest underling -- sweeping floors, making tea -- just to be near the artists & their work. OK, a silly mid-life fantasy. But still. I adored them, and I still consider Miyazaki the most pre-eminent animator of the last 35 years, and Studio Ghibli makes Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks look a bit lame (his hand drawn animation blasts their computer graphics into space dust).But this documentary is the epitome of bad documentaries. It's fragmented. It's boring. If you have not seen most of films, it won't even make sense. They give no framework for understanding WHO he is or why he is important (or why his presumed retirement is an irreplaceable loss for the world of animation). A good documentary could be on rice farmers in the Sub-Sahara, and be seen by someone who has never heard of them, and actually make you understand and appreciate the subject. This documentary does the OPPOSITE -- it took someone and something I absolutely adore and revere, and made them more boring than math homework.For starters, the film is in Japanese, and they thought so little of it as to not dub any of it. It's grueling to watch. (There is more footage of the studio's adorable snub-tailed cat than Miyazaki!) The subtitles are so poorly done, you often cannot read them against the backdrops. This is inexcusable. It would have taken very little effort to have the narration dubbed into English.About all I got out of this (besides meeting their cat!) was that the studio itself is interesting - - a light filled and charmingly modest space. We also see what I THINK was Miyazaki's home (they do not make it clear) and again, it's a large and homey space, but nothing fancy. I imagine if one toured the home of John Lassiter or Brad Bird or any Disney exec, you'd see something on an entirely different scale of bling. You get to see nature surrounding Studio Ghibli and the rooftop garden, which is a glimpse into the natural beauty often reflected in the films. That much is nice. But there isn't too much of it.Most of the film is the rather dark and depressing personality of MIyazaki. Good thing I never became his gofer/tea girl, because I thought he would be a warm, grandfatherly person full of light and imagination. Ummm....not. He's an "end of the world" type, and strikes me as depressed. His colleagues and co-workers come off as non-entities (though I am sure they do important work). I was surprised not to see evidence of his family (besides the son, Goro, whom Miyazaki makes painfully clear is not talented enough to take over the studio). Supposedly Miyazaki based the characters of May, Seitsuke, Kiki and San on his granddaughters. They must be young adults by now. It would have been nice to have seen them or at least some photos of his family. (If he is married, they do not mention his wife.)I have probably seen films like Totoro and Kiki 10-12 times each, if not more and remain fascinated with all Miyazaki's work. I like some better than others, but all of them form a rich cultural treasure chest. THIS documentary -- I fell asleep somewhere around the last third. FELL ASLEEP. It is unbelievably dull. How you can make such a fascinating person dull is beyond me.

Ieda Marcondes Wonderful and insightful movie about Hayao Miyazaki's life and work at the famous Studio Ghibli, responsible for animation classics such as "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Spirited Away", during the making of Oscar-nominated "The Wind Rises", his most personal work to date and presumably the last. The documentary offers many personal views from the director, with plenty of photographs and archive footage, and also incredible shots of the strenuous process of making traditional hand-draw animation. At 72 years old, and facing a possible retirement, Miyazaki still manages to instill hope for more to come. Beautifully done.