Spirited Away
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Movie Reviews of Spirited Away
Movie Review: Spellbinding
Summary: 5 Stars
Spellbinding tail By a Master storyteller and Artist! This film elevates Animation to a true ART FORM. Miyazaki has now become a "Living National Treasure" for Japan. This film is The Winner at the Berlin Film Festival and the all time, top Grossing film in Japan. This has to be the pinnacle of achievement in a lifetime of producing masterworks. I can only pray Miyazaki Sama is well aware of this and will banish any thought of retirement.I watched the Japanese region 2 DVD in both Japanese and French with the English Subtitles.
The Animation is wonderful, the facial expressions and body language of Chihero/Sen, are exceptional. The Color is outstanding, the scenery is as usual captivating. The music and sound track are wonderful. The "camera work" rivals Kurosawa's. The "Sets" are filled with astonishing detail; each re-viewing allowing new delightful discoveries, such as a framed picture in the cottage at the end of the film which is obviously "Kiki" in the style of a Whitman sampler box. (or the credits of the film Nausicać) The film seems much shorter than it is, the dubbed version should be well tolerated by youngsters.
The whole effect is Fanciful and should be amazing to all viewers; even Japanese have told me that the "Bathhouse of the Gods " looked strangely Korean to them. The inhabitants of the bathhouse however, look to be straight from Hokusai's Manga. You see? I am spellbound.
Miyazaki has remained true to himself, this is again, a film which delights and warms the heart of both adults and children.
BTW: The Male lead is a "River Boy" or Kappa, so well known, he is hardly viewed as mythological.
Update/Edit: I have since viewed this Film at the Baxter Ave. CiniPlex in Louisville. This is a very nice "Art House" theater complex. Viewing Spirited Away in this theater was in itself a treat.
Acting: I have to give credit to the voice acting for Chihiro and "big sister" Lin; it is very well done. I found the "little girl" voice of sen charming. The music was excellent, and matched the mood and action well for my sensibilities. Viewing on a large screen was another treat. See if you can spot the zipper in the father's fly! Also watch Chihiro's fluid movements as she skips down the last three steps to the door of the Boiler room, and her movements on inside to see Kamaji, the boiler man.
The name of the Bath House seems to be Abura-ya as stated over the main door. This, I am told, is a reference to old time places of entertainment identified by the paper oil lanterns hanging outside.
The shops in the street have names ... one, passed by the "stink monster" is called "Fairy Soup Counter" The characters on the ground floor elevator door reads "Upper" the next one "second heaven" and the top floor reads "Heaven"
I viewed the film twice, once alone and then with my elevenyear old Niece; for full enjoyment always view a Miyazaki film with a child in accompaniment.
DEVI****
Movie Review: Magical!
Summary: 5 Stars
Until this movie came out, I had never seen an anime cartoon in my life. Even when the movie released in the theatres I didn't pay much attention to it. In 2003, I was watching the Oscars, and I discovered this movie won an award for the best animated feature. Curious to find out more about this movie, I decided to rent it and take a look at it. After watching "Spirited Away", I was in complete awe. This was one of the best animated movies that I had even seen!
"Spirited Away" is the story about a young girl Chihiro, who is moving to a new home with her parents. However, her father takes a `short-cut' during the trip, and somehow they end up in an abandoned theme park. While strolling through the park, Chihiro's parents smell something delicious, and find out that the restaurants in the parks are filled with mouth-watering food. They start gobbling up the food, while Chihiro gets worried, thinking that they are in big trouble. Soon the weather starts changing and Chihiro starts seeing apparitions walking around the park. Terrified, Chihiro runs to her parents to get out of the place, but is horrified to see that they have turned into pigs. She soon finds that she is now in a completely different world where the spirits walk the Earth, and through the help of her new found friend Haku, she has to survive in this strange land.
The main reasons why I liked this movie is because of:
i) (M)iyazaki's wonderful story: I would have never been introduced to watching Miyazaki's other movies if I had not seen this.
ii) (A)dventure: From cleaning the stinking River God, and taking care of `No Face', to her train journey in the end, this movie was filled with excitement and adventure.
iii) (G)reat Story: In a way, this movie is like `Alice in Wonderland'. Both the movies talk about a depressed and bored girl, who is suddenly transported into this strange fantasy world, where everything is different, and tries to find their way back. However, even though there are some similarities, I wouldn't call one a copy of another, because `Spirited Away' has a completely different charm to it, and is unique in its own way.
iv) (I)ntrigue: The story of this movie is very surreal, revolving around strange and mysterious characters (such as No Face) that keep us entertained.
v) (C)olorful: The animation for this movie is wonderful. It is like a breath of fresh air from other animated movies.
vi) (A)dequate Translation: I saw the English version of the movie, and didn't find it too bad. Daveigh Chase did a good job of giving voice to Chihiro, as did Suzanne Pleshette, Susan Egan and Jason Marsden for the other characters
vii) (L)ovely Background Score: Music plays an integral part in any movie, and the score for this movie is amazing.
The first letter of the above 7 points describes the whole movie in one word: MAGICAL (which it is). Therefore, for those who have not seen this movie as of yet, get it now and see it!
Movie Review: Academy Award-winning for a reason!
Summary: 5 Stars
At the time of this review's writing, Spirited Away just won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, beating out Lilo & Stitch, Treasure Planet, Spirit, and Ice Age. It also bears the distinction of being the first Japanese animation to win the award. I say, there was no contest.Spirited Away is a fantastic and deep movie, with characters that feel very much alive, even though they're obviously animated drawings. Miyazaki, the director, deliberately instructed his animators to focus on the tiny human details of everyday actions, such as eating. The animators were actually in the studio's cafeteria, filming their coworkers. This attention to detail is what makes the movie come alive. Chihiro sits down and carefully inches her way down a steep stairway on the outside of a building. Chihiro's mother bites a strip of meat off a cooked bird, and pulls sideways with her jaw, not straight out. (The meat doesn't streeeeetch and pop, either.) It just seems REAL.
And then, of course, the movie really begins and things get somewhat surreal. The parade of creatures crossing the bridge is just the beginning: Robed figures wearing masks and holding fans in front of their faces, creatures that appear to be giant chickadees, weird monster-like creatures with tusks and horns and green hair. And they're being welcomed by humanish frogs. And that's just the beginning of the movie.
But, at the same time, with all these fantastic spirits and creatures, the movie maintains its human element: Chihiro. She is the only real human in most of the movie, and it is her ability to adapt, and to care, that propels the story. Chiriho grows. She learns that she has to make it on her own initiative if she wants to get what she needs.
If you're still with me, hopefully you're not of the mind that cartoons are just for kids. This movie has a PG rating for a reason. It's not for young children. There is some blood, and a few moments that would probably scare anyone under the age of 8 or so. However, this movie is for kids and adults not because of that, but because of how deep and meaningful its story is. Months after seeing it in theatres, I was still picking out pieces of theme from the film. There is a lot in here: Themes of identity and names, friendship, giving, family, greed, love, bravery, survival, maturity, and self-sacrifice.
Miyazaki also gave the story another aspect of realism: There is no clearly-defined "good" and "bad" guy. The heroine (Chihiro) is not perfect, though she tries hard to be strong. The 'villain' has a warm, caring side that she reserves for only one person. The mysterious character with unclear motives takes an unexpected turn. Miyazaki refuses to paint the story in extremes of black and white. What does this mean? He writes the story with all the detail and care it deserves, knowing you'll have to be paying attention.
All of this to say, watch this movie. I believe you'll thank me for it.
Movie Review: One INCREDIBLE Journey that is Worth Taking...
Summary: 5 Stars
There's a reason why so many people are in awe of this animated film, and it is because it's SPECTACULAR. I had no idea what I was in for when I picked up "Spirited Away." I only knew that it was loved by so many different people, including my friends. So, I decided to take the trip and see what it was all about. I have to say that this is a stunning Anime that is larger-than-life.
This fantasy epic is about a little girl named, Chihiro. She gets separated from her parents when they visit a strange place that turns out to be a spirit world; a world that doesn't take too kindly to humans. When her parents transforms into pigs as punishment, Chihiro is forced to take a journey into the unknown and find the courage that is buried deep within herself. As she meets strange and magical creatures, both good and bad, Chihiro starts to realize all of the things she had once taken for granted. The lessons she learns will determine the success of her accomplishments--and will also determine the fate of her parents and herself.
It's hard to put into words of what I experienced when I was watching this breath-taking film, but I can tell you that taking the ride is well worth it. "Spirited Away" is a pure and energetic example of how powerful the art of animation can be when it comes to story-telling. This movie is everything a mystical journey should consist of. There's danger, and yet, there is also heart--and a lot of it. This would not have been as successful had it been filmed in a live-action movie. The art and scenery that we are presented with really goes beyond imagination. The creative mind of Hayao Miyazaki really snaps into action as he brings this powerful and unique story to life. The film also has some magnificent characters and themes.
There are some cool things that this 2-disc DVD set has to offer. First of all, the picture and sound quality is really superb. You can either watch it with an English audio track or the original Japanese track. They did a really good job of dubbing it in English, as I have a hard time trying to read subtitles and keeping up with what's going on at the same time; so there, I benefited a great deal. Others might prefer the original Japanese track, which is why it's great that the DVD offers both. Extras include numerous featurettes on the making of the movie and the thought process behind it.
I really loved "Spirited Away." It surprised me so many times throughout, and I was never once disappointed with the results. If you're looking for a great journey to take in the world of Anime, then this is the ride to take. It's breath-taking, imaginative, and stunningly beautiful. Do not be turned off by the fact that this is an animated feature, otherwise you might end up missing the trip of a lifetime. It's a ride I enjoyed taking, and will continue to take again and again.
Movie Review: An epic adventure of finding one's courage
Summary: 5 Stars
"Spirited Away" was my welcome into anime, and a good one at that. Japanese animation is sometimes hard to follow and often confusing but this is very easy to understand. The creative works of Hayao Miyazaki previously include classics such as "Kiki's Delivery Service", "Castle In The Sky" and "Princess Mononoke", but "Spirited Away" is his latest and most acclaimed to date, winning countless awards and deservedly so. There's always been a certain magic to his movies and this is no exception. As a family becomes lost while looking for their new home, they stumble upon a train station that leads them to an old, abandoned theme park. The young girl Chihiro has an eerie feel about the place so she's reluctant to explore and begs to go back, but as her Mom and Dad become enticed with the smell of delicious food cooking from a distance, they ignore her pleas and venture further into the shops, leaving poor, frightened Chihiro with no choice but to follow.
Her parents eventually come across plates stacked of tasty eateries and indulge themselves in it. As they try to persuade Chihiro to join them, she briskly shakes her head and, frustrated, wanders off on her own. It's then when she notices a bath house and comes to meet a mysterious boy named Haku who warns her to get out of there. As he pushes her away, darkness descends and the place no longer seems abandoned as the lights flicker on and the night comes alive with black ghosts (or spirits). As she runs back to her parents, what she finds instead are her Mom and Dad transformed into pigs. Confused and scared, she races back to the entrance only to realize that it's covered with deep waters now as a boat arrives with masked figures cloaked in drapes. As she tries to convince herself that this is all just a dream as she struggles to wake up, Haku (an oddly familiar soul) returns to her side, giving her substance so she doesn't fade and become invisible. In time she learns to trust him and he promises to assist in getting her parents back so she can leave this place and return home. But first she must blend in and demand work from the boilerman, whom happens to have legs and arms like a spider, to escape the greed that could trap her in this strange world forever. Through a series of events she eventually becomes suspicious of Haku's motives but has no other options in saving her parents. Along the way she makes new friends, becomes a stronger person, and faces challenges that help unearth the courage from within herself.
"Spirited Away" has everything you'd expect from a fantasy movie, such as a dragon that reminds me of "A Neverending Story" and a witch named Yubaba (with a very big head and an even bigger baby, mind you), but the imagination and storytelling are truly original and you never know what's going to happen next. It's a real joy to watch and the dreamy animation is beautifully realized as it's brought to life.