So I watched Goro Miyazaki's movie adaptation of the Earwig and the Witch. It's actually pretty decent. I mentioned this story in the book thread because I had listened to the audio book back in December. The book this movie is based on is basically "little spoiled orphaned witch Earwig unslaves self from weird-ass foster parents Bella Yaga and the Mandrake."
tl;dr is that I give it a solid 4 out of 5. Decently executed from the source material but has room for improvement. The word vomit version of this below:
I think a lot of folks won't like it because the expectations for this studio are the next Totoro and Kiki. Not just that, but I also think that Ghibli movies have the general expectations of "comfyness." They're films you can watch on a cold and rainy day by the fire with a hot cup of cocoa. But this film sorta, uh, isn't. To me in most part because the music is a bit jarring. Both the diegetic and incidental portions. And also, um, the abuse. To be frank. Ha ha. I'll explain.
So going bit by bit here...
Animation - This would've been much better with a more 2D look. The CG looks cheap but it actually has a quality I can appreciate. The weird playdoh liquids, the stiff hair, the rubbery-looking plants, Bella Yaga's strange high-heeled Wellies... like, it's not beautiful but it's not ugly either. The textures sorta fascinate me. 2D would've allowed a greater range of expressions and more cuteness than what the 3D here was able to give us.
Music - The music could've been "fixed" by making the musician characters folk rock types and matching the incidental background music to the general vibe. Think Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" or Heart's "Dreamboat Annie." I think they got the era right (the 70's) but the instruments are clashing about and I don't find it suits the story. What's there isn't awful but it's not very Ghibli-esque. People expect Joe Hisashi and they're not gonna get him. He's busy on Hayao's film.
Voice acting - "Nonsense!" said in English by Japanese ladies is gold. Haven't seen the Eng dub. Everybody was good.
Story - It's kinda hard to really adapt this story to be a comfy film when it's a weird abuse narrative. There's also no major climax to the story other than Earwig getting the Mandrake pissed off enough to make Bella Yaga agreeable so Earwig can go to normie school and learn magic on the side. She's basically a slave but in the "I'm a slave and that's kinda annoying" sorta way. Bella Yaga just goes to an orphanage to get this forced servant and the Mandrake doesn't give a shit as long as he's not "disturbed." (In other words don't piss him off. Yikes.) All that shit's just weird. I guess cause I expect it more from a Dahl story than a Ghibli adaptation.
Earwig's mother doesn't play a real part in the book although the reader is informed clearly the woman's a witch and on the run from other witches. The musician element in this movie is absent from the book. The author died before she could write any sequels so unknown what the plan was regarding reuniting Earwig with her mom or if that'd even happen.
That said, the main story itself was adequately adapted and the musician angle was actually a nice touch. It rounded out everything and gives the viewer more on the mother. And while that's all great, it feels like this movie never revs up and goes anywhere. I saw and read a few reviews and the guys reviewing it all had that general consensus of "okay, now what" after it was done. Reading the book tempered my expectations enough to enjoy this for what it was and appreciate the extra tidbits we got.
Characters - Earwig's about two degress less likeable than Sen/Chihiro from Spirited Away. So brattier and manipulative but not completely unlikeable. But she certainly will be few people's favorite witch or Ghibli heroine.
Thomas the cat is a step above Jiji but less cute than Jiji.
Bella Yaga is The Witch of the Waste + the two old witches in Spirited Away + Manic Panic Rockabilly blue hair dye + some retro-looking clothes. Put all of that in a bowl, age her down, give her a drum kit, and make her perpetually on the rag. That's Bella Yaga in a nutshell. She seems okay in the end but it does leave the viewer wondering if she's mentally ill. Like she'd just adopt a slave from the orphanage and be an asshole when she's capable of being cool and nice? It's weird.
The Mandrake doesn't have much to him but I like his general design.
The Mom seems really cool and smoking hot but she's barely in this movie.
The little demons are cute and wish we got more of them. Shame we didn't.
Advertising - The way this is being marketed is crazy as hell. It appears to be a rock musical and it's not. It also appears to be sold as a "find your mom" narrative and it's not that either. It's not Harry Potter but it's also not Kiki. So I think people will get confused watching this and wondering where it's going only to be let down in the end.
All said, still waaaaaay better than Mary and the Witch's Flower. And I like it better than Laputa. Supposedly, Goro would like to do a series. I can't find where I read that or verify it's true but this being a tv movie in Japan lends credence to that, I think. If so, I'd love to see more.
