Rating: 
Summary: Why 4 stars and not 5?
Review: This is, without a doubt, a 5 star film. And it should be purchased by one and all, the storytelling and animation are THAT good.But the diminished rating is due to the scenes from the original Japanese version that Disney removed from the film. These scenes show Sen changing from an immature girl who can barely wash the floor (which we do see in this version), to an increasingly talented worker. I know because I watched the original while living in Japan. Since there were no subtitles and I understood the dialogue mostly through wispers to my ear, I was particularly transfixed by the visual narrative. I don't know why this part was removed, and I think it's a loss because it's an important part of that narrative. Yet it's a narrative so spectacular that taking a few slices here and there doesn't destroy it. Disney has made similar errors of judgement with their release of Miyazaki's _My Neighbor Totoro_ without an original Japanese audio track. So I think that _Spirited Away_ should be purchased. BUY IT NOW. It is a masterpiece. But Disney, while doing a great service by making these titles available, should be encouraged to stop slicing these highly original works of art. But wait, there is GOOD news along with the bad. The second DVD includes a fascinating TV documentary shot at Miyazaki's studio and offers a rare glimpse at the lifestyle of the workaholic animators who created this masterpiece and the Japanese work ethic.
Rating: 
Summary: Animation Embraced as High Art
Review: What a glorious, glorious labour of love. After watching it, I felt like hugging myself. Calling this film an 'animation' and thus lumping it together with the childish fantasies turned out by lesser talents doesn't do it justice, for this work of art deserves comparison to the best in any genre. This is a film that has complex imperfect heroes, no villains, trials more internal than external, a world more vibrant than our own, a spirituality so deep as to reach the metaphysical, and yet will delight a girl of ten as much as a lifelong moviegoer of ninety. It is also surreal in tone, lyrical in composition, invokes tension and suspense without malevolence, and the filmmaker achieves all of this in an animated cartoon. 'Spirited Away' is a work of sheer genius. This film has pity and compassion, love and redemption, hidden strength and discovered courage, turbulence harnessed to an inner harmony; but it never strikes a false note nor succumbs to maudlin sentiment. Through gentle humour and understated dignity, it shows so much respect for the intelligence of its audience that I wanted to kiss the director's hand. Calling this film a fairy tale just won't do. Unlike western animation, its magic is deep down, at the very roots of its make-believe world, so deep that it is worked into the very fabric of the story. There is no faerie flying around sprinkling pixie dust, no bubbling cauldrons, no evil-incarnate stepmother and no goodness-personified prince charming; nothing so obvious or so crass. Instead, the world of spirits into which our little heroine lands is as natural as breathing. In this world, humans are the intruders, and as gross material entities, it is we who bring disorder and upset to their realm. It is not easy describing what makes this film so special, because the reasons range from the very small to the very large. At the small end, the film's eye for detail is simply marvellous. Even the act of a little girl putting on her shoes is given such character that we pause to admire the filmmakers' respect for children. At the large end, this film shares with us a journey of spiritual awakening. Our little heroine grows over the course of the film from a self-pitying self-absorbed little mouse into a loving openhearted daring soul. But a word of caution: this is not standard cartoon fare. It assumes an intelligent audience and therefore dispenses with a paint-by-numbers plotline. Indeed, it isn't even about plot but about character, places, feelings, moods, and most of all, themes. For example, a recurring theme is that of purging. Various characters throw up throughout the film and this may disturb the fainthearted. But, if one is familiar with oriental thought, expelling poison to cleanse oneself is a common cultural theme and does not provoke the same disgust that it does in occidental cultures. Indeed, after our little heroine replenishes the river spirit, his gift to her is the medicine of purging. Later in the story, she saves a number of her friends by putting it to good use. Obviously, this is a film that must be approached with some thought. Unlike most western animations, one cannot view it while idling in neutral. It has much that is beautiful and transcendent, but it also has terror and pain, and it demands our most careful consideration. Those unwilling to invest the required effort will get nothing out of it and had best stick with Bambi. Yet, for all its demands, this is a film that remains accessible even to children. Younger viewers may even have an advantage over their parents because they will approach it with open minds unconstrained by western styles and conventions. For them, the film's symbolism may not be apparent, but the filmmakers have applied such symbolism so gracefully that it will still be felt if not noticed, and this will be all that matters. This film rewards open minds. To fully appreciate it, one must cast away ones preconceptions about animation. Western practice and tradition has sadly fenced animation into a marginal niche by considering it children's fare that is incapable of higher artistic expression. 'Spirited Away' is Hayao Miyazaki's exuberant response. It deserves the same consideration and accolades that we habitually heap on 'real' films and is frankly so far above the excrement endlessly churned out by Hollywood that it inhabits a different plane. This film deserved the Oscar in 2001, not for 'Best Animated Film', but for 'Best Picture'. It really is that good.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best Miyazaki
Review: Although I enjoy Miyazaki's work, I cannot say that this is his best in my opinion. I believe that those who have problems with this movie are limited to being Disney-fied throughout their childhood. Spirited Away doesn't have a traditional U.S. plot progression and that will throw some people off from what they are used to. Good! Storytelling shouldn't be confined to Hollywood's predictable timing and blaring plot points. Miyazaki is a great director that will take you on a true adventure where you DON'T know what's going to happen next. I could continue on with the many good points of the movie: the animation, imagination, and plot. However, I find that critiques are only valuable for the criticisms (we all know this movie isn't going to fall below 4 stars on Amazon). The main problem I have with this movie is that there are so many imaginative plot points, they become forgetable. It seems to plateau rather than build. It's great to see it revealed layer by layer in an Alice in Wonderland fashion, but people have their favorite parts and forget other parts of that story as well. Next criticism is the spiritual/environmental message. To me it feels trite and somewhat crammed down the viewers' throat. You might argue that it is only a cartoon and it is meant for children anyway, but let's face it, Miyazaki knows that his audience is primarily adults--which is true. The premise wears thin by the end. For this reason I give it 4 stars, only in relation to his other movies. Compared to many Hollywood flicks, this rates a 5. Princess Mononoke and Kiki's Delivery Service are still two of my favorites.
Rating: 
Summary: Is this a joke???
Review: This film was, without a doubt, the worst film I have ever seen. For one, the animation is crappy -- what happened to the inbetweeners? For two,the film goes on and on and on and makes no sense throughout! For three, the girl is just stupid. Half of her lines in the film are to scream and run forward. Then don't get me started on the mud bath sequence! What was the point of this film anyways!
Rating:
Summary: a dancing breeze
Review: spirited away, despite being anime (one of my pet hates), is a great movie. filled with childish charm, its gives you warm-fuzzies without disney sentimentality
Rating:
Summary: A great film... THAT IS WELL WORTH THE MONEY.
Review: This is definately my favorite movie of all times and will probely remain that way. It has beautiful animation, characters, a nice plot, and more.
In this, a girl named Chihiro and her family accidently end up in the spirit world where Chihiro's parents are turned into pigs. Now Chihiro must face different obstacles in the world of spirits and save herself and her parents.
However, it is rated PG for some good reasons. It has some scary moments, mild blood in a particular part{however, the blood doesn't come from any violence}, and the look of the spirits could scare some little kids.
The animation is A++ 110%
Hayao Miyazaki really emphasized what spirits should look like, and he drew the characters really well.
The music is A 100%
The music goes with the parts well. Too bad the ending song is in Japanese though.
Voices A+ 105%
The voices fit the characters well {unlike in Cardcraptors} and don't make them sound too young or too old.
Plot A 100%
It's a movie that has a simple yet nice plot that doesn't involve anything mean that teenagers would watch, which is why parents would like it.
If you like movies about the girl being tha main character, helping to save others in a strange world with obsticles to overcome, then this movie is for you. If you are 8 and under, you should be supervised with an adult.Overall, a VERY great movie.Highly Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: An epic adventure of finding one's courage
Review: "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.
Rating:
Summary: Exquisite art direction and brilliant storyline
Review: Historically I've had a bit of a hard time digesting Japanese anime movies. At times I can't quite make what it is they're trying to convey, with a whole mithology and a world of its own that I have a hard time relating with. Therefore, though I'd only heard great things said about "Spirited Away" (and read about the many awards it had won) I was still worried that it'd have that I-don't-know-what that had characterized most animes I'd seen. I was gladly surprised, and fortunately I was wrong. With its exquisite art direction and brilliant storyline, this animated movie falls in a category somewhere between "Never Ending Story" and "The Matrix". The similarity to "Never Ending Story" is because of the fantastic elements (actually there's a dragon, not unlike the eighties' classic!), the story of a brave little kid (a girl, Chihiro, in this case) battling courageously, though is somewhat more "terrestrial" conditions (working hard in bathhouse to to maintain her integrity, and be able to save her parents) and the abundance of spells and magic in the story. As for the parallel I see with "The Matrix", it has to do with the parallel "world" in which the spirits of the movie inhabit, by night: a supra-world, you might call it; one where they rule and admit no actual humans (I guess it's not the best comparison, but you get the idea... I hope!) The movie as a whole is not a typical Sunday afternoon popcorn-in-the-couch flic: it is a story that departs from conventions. But it constantly rewars you with a clever and adorable storyline that is not short of funny moments. In the end, you get a very refreshing feeling deep inside. I, for one, have become very interested in Miyasaki's work. Will continue to check out his other movies.
Rating:
Summary: Ugh!
Review: Ummm, whatever you want to say, this is probably one of the worst movies I have ever seen! The plot was confusing throughout the film, the characters were stupid, and the movie had no point! The only element that redeemed this picture in my eyes was the boy who helped the idiotic girl try to rescue her idiotic parents so they could go back to their idiotic world! Don't waste your time.
Rating:
Summary: A faulous story and a crowning achievement in animation
Review: This is an amazingly beautiful movie. The story captures the flavor of a ten year old's life with its use of fantasy blended into reality. Chihiro doesn't want to move, feels her parents don't understand or pay attention, and wishes she were somewhere else. She ends up in a magical world full of strange and fantastic beings. Of course, she ends up facing dangers and has an opportunity to become the hero, which teaches her more about herself and amazes everyone else. It is a well done story. I don't want to trivialize it by saying the plot points we know. It is how those plot points are worked out that is fresh and inspiring. The movie is peopled by characters that range from beautiful to frightening, from mundane to so weird you wonder about the mind that could conceive of such a thing. The animation is the best yet from Studio Ghibli. I simply was stunned by what I was seeing on the screen. Where do you come up with creatures like these? And where do you get the time and patience to draw such detailed and beautiful things. I wish I could get prints of some of the images and hang them on my walls. And while I love the movie a great deal, my kids loved it even more. My own ten year old says it is the best movie ever. What better endorsement is there than that? There is also a very nice short on the making of the movie - especially bringing it to America including some of the cultural difficulties in translation. And I also enjoyed turning on the Japanese original voices and reading the English subtitles, which have some subtle differences in the dialogue from the dubbed English. Just a great movie and a great disk.
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