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When Hayao Miyazaki announced that 2013’s The Wind Rises would be his “final” film, many suspected that an artist of his caliber would eventually return to create again if given the chance.

Release Date: 07/14/2023 Runtime: 124 minutes Director: Hayao Miyazaki Rotten Tomatoes: 97% iMBD: 7.6/10 Where to Watch: Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Fandango at Home, Google Play Movies, YouTube

Ten years later, the legendary Japanese animator, known for classics like Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky, and Princess Mononoke presented us with perhaps his definitive work. This new magnum opus combines the finest elements of his previous films into something sure to be considered the greatest Hayao Miyazaki film of all time.

In the story, eleven-year-old Mahito loses his mother in a hospital fire during World War II

His father soon remarries—his late wife’s sister—moving them to the countryside where he can apply his manufacturing profession to the war effort and support his family as they welcome a second child. Behind their new rural home looms a strange, abandoned tower, and around the pond on the estate grounds flies a mysterious heron.

When his new mother enters the forest in the delirium of pregnancy, the entire estate goes searching for her. Only Mahito knows that the path to finding her leads into the tower.

The heron lures Mahito inside, and he soon finds himself in a dreamlike world that would make L. Frank Baum and Lewis Carroll proud

Unlike The Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonderland, this narrative leads Mahito into a “world of the dead”—not in the morbid sense typical of Western mythology, but a beautiful realm where spirits migrate between planes of existence. From there he finds himself embarking on an adventure deeper into the world of dreams and death, where he ultimately learns to come to terms with the loss of his mother.

Like the greatest fairytales and childhood fantasies, The Boy and The Heron navigates its mythological story with a dream-logic familiar to anyone who’s plumbed the landscapes found in the deepest sleep.

What sets this film apart from similar narratives—in addition to its uniquely Shintoist approach to mythology—is the masterful cinematography and animation displayed across every frame

From beginning to end, this film showcases a master and his team working at the peak of their craft. It’s a childhood adventure on par with other classics in the genre, sure to take audiences of all ages on a journey they won’t soon forget, and one that begs for a second viewing by the time the credits roll.

About our Admit One Author

Isaac Frankel is a freelance writer and content creator specializing in reviews and analysis of cinema, interactive media, and mythological storytelling. He was raised in Prescott, AZ, wrote his first non-fiction book in 2013 after graduating from Tribeca Flashpoint College with a degree in Game & Interactive Media Design, and currently produces content for the YouTube channel: Off Screen.

More of his work and current projects can be found at www.isaacafrankel.com.

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Kevin Costner is finally, albeit reluctantly, shedding light on his “Yellowstone” exit.

Costner, who portrayed Montana rancher John Dutton III in the first four and a half seasons of the Emmy-nominated drama, officially announced last week on Instagram that he would not be returning for Season 5, Part 2 of the series — more than a year after reports of his departure first dropped.

Now, as the Golden Globe-winning actor-director promotes “Horizon” — his newly released western epic over 30 years in the making — he’s being pressed about the details of his widely mourned “Yellowstone” exit. That includes whether clashes with the series’ creator and director Taylor Sheridan caused it.

“People say this about the two of you: both big egos, both very powerful, both at the top of their game, and that right now, maybe the two of you are playing a game of ‘Whose is bigger?’” “CBS Mornings” host Gayle King said to Costner on Thursday. “Do you see it that way?”

Costner countered, saying that he “loved the show before anybody” and that, in the beginning, “It was Taylor and myself.”

But King pressed further, asking if the collaborators were on good terms. “Why can’t the two of you be able to work it out?” she said.

“Well, this isn’t therapy, Gayle. We’re not going to discuss this on the show,” Costner fired back. “I’ve conducted my life in a pretty straightforward way. I’ve never missed any obligations in my entire career.”

As for the true reason for his departure, Costner suggested that the writing on the show had ceased to move him. It was a stance he had taken in his recent People cover story: “The scripts weren’t there.”

Earlier in the “CBS Mornings” interview, Costner also disputed claims made last year by Sheridan that “Horizon” became the actor’s “priority” and that he wanted to “shift focus.”

“I sure hope [the movie is] worth it — and that it’s a good one,” Sheridan told the Hollywood Reporter.

“‘Horizon’ didn’t cause problems for me,” Costner told King. “I wanted to work more than once a year, and it was important that I made room for ‘Yellowstone’ and made room for ‘Horizon,’ but we just — people ran through deadlines, they were busy, they had a lot to do. But ‘Horizon’ was secondary to ‘Yellowstone.’

“But it still had to line up,” he continued. “I had 400 people waiting for me, so I did things in a very limited amount of time.”

Costner added that whereas his Academy Award-winning directorial debut, “Dances With Wolves,” took 106 days, “Horizon” was shot in just 52.

“Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1,” the first installment in a proposed four-part film series, was released in theaters Friday. Costner has been pushing the project since 1988.

“I thought it was good, but no one would make it,” he said on “CBS Mornings.” “I thought, well then, I’ll write four more, see how they like those.”

Costner said no one liked those either, “but I did, and I couldn’t forget [‘Horizon’]. I fell in love with it.”

During a Thursday panel discussion for Josh Horowitz’s “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, Costner said, “I felt like I had a secret for you in this movie,” adding that his faith in the project has grown with the cast’s. “I turned the script over to these actors, and one by one, as they read it, they said they wanted to be a part of it.

“I knew we had something,” he said.

“Horizon” brought in just $800,000 from more than 3,000 locations Thursday, according to studio estimates — a soft start on its projected opening weekend box office take of $10 million to $12 million in the United States and Canada. Filmmakers and studios remain hopeful that Costner’s fan base will deliver over the weekend.

“Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2” arrives in theaters Aug. 16.

Meanwhile, the final six episodes of “Yellowstone” are well into production and slated to air Nov. 10. The first half of “Yellowstone” Season 5 aired between November 2022 and January 2023.

Boom. Crack. Crunch. That’s the nature of Trigger Warning, starring an in-form Jessica Alba as an active-duty Special Forces commando, Parker, who comes to her hometown after her father’s demise. Alba performs throat-slashing, bone-crunching stunts in some supremely well-executed action sequences. In one scene, after saving her male friend, Spider (Tone Bell), she quips, “Sup! Damsel in distress.” There is a lot to like in this action thriller, even though it occasionally suffers from some convenient writing and perhaps has a protagonist who’s almost invincible.

Director: Mouly Surya

Cast: Jessica Alba, Anthony Michael Hall, Mark Webber, Jake Weary, Gabriel Basso

Streamer: Netflix

We first see Alba’s character, Parker, as she is in mid-combat, trying to take down terrorists. Parker, who has an espionage background, suspects that there might be foul play around her father’s death. The truth about it unravels around all the mayhem. The violence is not all about the gun. In an impactful stunt scene, after her rifle is knocked down, she coolly grabs a knife and stabs him in the heart. Soon enough, we understand where she got the knife from, and why there’s some poetic justice being dispensed as she wields it to threaten intruders, slash tyres, and more. For the first half hour, the film maintains an aura of suspense about the protagonist’s personality and motives, but once the cat gets out of the bag, the rest of the film, even if with enterprising stunt scenes, turns into a routine revenge thriller.

Once perpetrators get identified around the halfway mark, it’s just a matter of scores being settled. It’s here that the convenient writing proves to be a bit of a dampener. We learn early on that Spider is good at cyber-hacking, but later, how this skill comes in handy isn’t exactly a great moment. A bigger issue perhaps is how Parker is invincible. Even when unarmed and handcuffed, no enemy can truly dominate her. This means that when she does slide out of tough spots, it’s not exactly a surprise.

All said, Trigger Warning does have quite a bit going for it. The writing, for instance, ensures that Parker isn’t just fighting a personal battle. Her resistance is also for the greater good of the country, resonating with her values as a soldier. So, even if it’s a film with flaws, Jessica Alba’s stunt dynamism is eye-catching. If you are considering checking this film out, just remember that it’s about a protagonist that shoots first and asks questions later.