Ashitaka the last prince of his tribe, fights with a demon boar which was once a god. During the battle Ashitaka is wounded in the arm, he takes it to the wise woman, and she tells him its a curse that will spread through him and kill him. Ashitaka goes west with his red elk Yakul. Upon departure he cuts his hair which represents permanent leave of his home, he take a metal ball with him which was lodge in the boar.
Ashitaka finds meets up a with a greedy monk Jigo, which helps him buy rice telling the people the gold he had was worth 3 or 4 bags of rice. The gold attracts thieves, making Ashitaka have to defend himself, Ashitaka finds out his demon arm causes super strength decapitating the thieves with arrows going faster than normal.
Iron town a town nearby clears forest to make coal for melting down there iron. The town is attacked by wolf gods and their adopted human girl San, repeatedly trying to get the humans to leave. Many humans die a couple are injured falling to what seems their deaths.
Ashitaka finds these men and carries them to there home, which he gets a warm welcome from the women(ex prostitutes saved from brothels). Ashitaka meets Lady Eboshi the leader of the town and finds out its there iron bullets that drove the boar god crazy. Ashitaka is barely able to control the demon arm from the rage he felt, then and there the wolf girl San tries to kill Lady Eboshi. Ashitaka stops both of them and goes with San to the forest to meet the God of life and death (The Forest Spirit).
Ashitaka finds out outside humans are going to kill the god for its head, the boar gods enraged are going to attack the city, and the iron town is preparing for war. This is the second Miyazaki film I seen; and has great emotional depth, i'd definitely add this to your collection of family films. You may want to watch it first before letting your kids watch it because of the violence.