Mary and the Witch's Flower

Hiromasa Yonebayashi, director of “The Secret World of Arriety” and “When Marnie Was There,” left Studio Ghibli to start his own animation studio called Studio Ponoc. “Mary and the Witch’s Flower,” released in 2018, is Studio Ponoc’s first film. Based on a 1971 children’s novel The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart, “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” is about an everyday red-haired girl named Mary, voiced by Ruby Barnhill. She lives with her Great-Aunt Charlotte, voiced by Lynda Baron, and really wants to help and be useful, but easily makes things worse when that is not her intention. Thinking that she’s helpless, Mary follows two cats into the forest and finds a shiny blue flower called a “fly-by-night” or The Witch’s Flower and instantly Mary finds more excitement than before.

Chris Sawin said in his review, “With a Winter 2017 release looming closer and an English voice cast that includes Kate Winslet and Jim Broadbent, Mary and the Witch’s Flower is a gloriously impressive and gorgeously animated debut for Studio Ponoc. The film is going to remind you of a ton of films included in the Studio Ghibli back catalog and a few influences found outside the anime genre. Mary and the Witch’s Flower plunges itself down the rabbit hole much like Spirited Away or Alice in Wonderland while Endor College reminds you of Hogwarts and the spells involved within the witchcraft of the film would fit quite well in any Harry Potter film.”

Despite Yonebayashi’s directorial debut combining so many famous elements from similar animated films, “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” is also its own film. Sawin said, “The animation is absolutely stunning and seems to frolic happily in the fantasy genre residing somewhere between fanciful and whimsical.” You also have to love most of the characters. Mary always wanting to find a use for herself sees growing in a way that will have everyone think back to their own childhood. A great part of the film is that Mary isn’t some kid that needs to be rescued and is actually in every way the hero of the movie because she is the one who has to save a boy around her age named Peter, voiced by Louis Ashbourne Serkis. The two cats in this film, Tib and Gib, show more personality than everyone else in the film even though they are only animals that cannot have any dialogue. Sawin admitted, “A personal favorite is Flanagan who looks like a bearded fox with a Dick Dastardly curly mustache and seems to be dressed as a gnome.” Flanagan, voiced by Ewen Bremner, is basically Mary’s guide when she shows up at Endor College and has a certain talent for reminding everyone how awful they are at taking care of their broomsticks.

Sawin noted, “The unusual aspect of Mary and the Witch’s Flower is that it not only acknowledges science and magic coexisting with one another, but they’re actually integrated together to create spells and technology only the merging of the two could generate. Doctor Dee’s inventions are uniquely intricate and function differently than you’re probably expecting. Doctor Dee (Jim Broadbent) could easily pass for a brother or cousin of Dr. Finkelstein from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Madam Mumblechook (Kate Winslet) is the head of the school as her ideas and costume choices seem to be directly lifted from the mind of Dr. Seuss with vibrant colors and characteristically defining loops. Their hunt for the Witch’s Flower is inspired and even directly referenced as The Philosopher’s Stone, which has been featured in the Harry Potter franchise and was a key component to the Fullmetal Alchemist anime franchise.”

With great music to match its amazing atmosphere, “Mary and Witch’s Flower” drives itself in Studio Ghibli expertise of imagination, beautiful color, likeable characters, and eye-adoring animation for a film that is creatively fascinating to audiences of all ages.

I was thinking that this was going to be the next Studio Ghibli movie, but I was wrong. It can be confused for one, but you can’t blame someone for categorizing this film in the wrong company because the animation style is very similar to Studio Ghibli’s animation. Still, you should see this film because it is a great movie with a great story. Just don’t bash it because the voice actors are all British actors. They still do a good job voicing all of these likable characters. Definitely give this film a watch.

Check in next week for the finale of “Anime Month.”