7. Hayao Miyazaki
The rest of the world finally woke up to the genius of Hayao Miyazaki after the global and Oscar success of Spirited Away. By a long way, the worlds finest animator, Disney have nothing on Miyazaki and his Studio Ghibli. His broad and unmatched imagination creates entire new mystical worlds in which you lose yourself for two hours, and it never feels long enough. His attention to detail is exceptional, with every last colour and drawing treated with the same care and love. Like the best Disney and indeed childrens films, theyre as powerful for adults too. His masterpiece, Spirited Away deals with adult themes and is downright scary in parts. All his films are about children often not yet in their teens and more often than not females with strong wills and independence. The greatest director to come out of Japan not named Akira Kurosawa, and there is absolutely no shame in being second best to arguably the finest man to step behind a camera, Miyazaki is in a league of his own in terms of animation. Spirited Away is my favourite animated film and one of my favourite films of all time. Princess Mononoke is a complete epic of a film, exploring things never done before in animation and Ponyo is one of the most sweetly poetic films of recent years. Miyazaki is now into his sixties, but is still making completely compelling films that ripple from beneath the surface. He is animations emperor. Top 5 Films:
1. Spirited Away 2. Princess Mononoke 3. Ponyo 4. My Neighbour Totoro 5. Howls Moving Castle