Rating: 
Summary: complaint of the seller
Review: As yet I have not been able to review this film. I ordered it in July and when it arrived it was damaged. I sent it back to the seller who claim they never received it. They said they would have their supplier send me another one...at their expense...as of this date 10/15/03 I have neither received a replacement nor have I been reimbursed. I do not rate this seller as being anyone I would recommend for future purchases.
Rating: 
Summary: You must see this
Review: "Spirited Away" is a masterpiece, there's no other way to describe it. Miyzaki has created a unique, bizarre, slightly disturbing, always charming and fascinating animated world unlike any you've ever seen.I'm not much into Japanese anime, and I haven't seen any of Miyazaki's other films, but "Spirited Away" puts to shame many of Disney's more recent movies ... as a matter of fact, I like it more than "Finding Nemo," which is saying something. What a magical movie. It is completely unpredictable, but once you get started watching it, I challenge you to walk away. The animation is at once startlingly realistic and beautifully surreal. You are inside an environment that feels both ancient and brand-new. It tells the classic hero story, populating it with characters that are fresh and interesting, and there's no shortage of insight into human behavior, something the very best "cartoons" are careful to include. My favorite characters are, of course Chihiro, the little girl who changes from a whiney, self-centered, materialistic brat into a more mature person capable of caring for others and taking responsibility for herself; Yubaba, the amusingly large-headed witch who runs a bathhouse for disembodied spirits and is by turns villainous and sympathetic; and No-Face, the mysterious apparition whose timid behavior masks a monsterous appetite for affection. I also love Yubaba's "bodyguards," three freakish green heads that literally tumble about muttering "oy, oy," and ... well, all of the characters are wonderful. See the movie and you'll understand. "Spirited Away" overflows with glorious imagination, rivaling "Lion King" for the top spot as my favorite animated film. My point is this: see this movie! You'll be glad you did.
Rating:
Summary: "Spirit of Wonders" Miyazaki Does it Again
Review: Hayao Miyazaki has had it rough with American audiences. The master director has only been glimpsed briefly by American movie-watchers once or twice in the nineties. However, he did manage to secure a somewhat small stateside followings with the releases of "Princess Mononoke," "My Neighbor Totoro," and "Kiki's Delivery Service" speckled throughout the nineties. Finally, he has received the ultimate recognition that he has had coming in "Spirited Away."
Now, for those of yout oo lazy to read the back of the DVD here's how the story goes. Chihiro is a little girl who is at a very odd point in her life; her family is moving to a new town. On the way, her family decides to take a detour and winds up in a strange land that her father dimisses as an amusement park gone under. However, night falls and the place comes to life. Spirits of all shapes and sizes start emerging from the woodwork. Chihiro is frightened for her life, tires to get away, but can't when she realizes her parents have been turned to pigs. A benevolent spirit, Haku, helps her out by getting her into the Bath House of the Gods, the property of one evil witch named Yu-Baba. She gives Chihiro a job, but takes her name as colateral, giving her the suffix "Sen." From here she learns about herself in an alien, yet familiar, world populated by gods. The story is very much similar to the works of Lewis Carrol, but works on a more Eastern way of thinking. The spirits presented here are mainstays in Shinto folklore. In this, Miyazaki provides the viewer with a world so far into the imagination yet at the same time, hitting close to home. It's a sense of creativity in something that has been around for eons that makes them wonderous. The spirits/gods/kame are infinitely more enjoyable than any deity that has come across Western screens. From the spider-like Kamaji, to the inky No-Face, and (my personal favorite) the oozing Mud God. The characters are much like Miyazaki's other movies. His traditional heroine who grows strong through out the movie, and the wonderous side characters that support her. Each character is used for all intents and purposes. Not a single character wastes screen time. If you've ever seen a Miyazaki film, you know these characters are easy to relate to and fun to love. The music is everything I would expect from a Ghibli film. Hisaishi Joe has been conducting for twenty years and shows no sign of losing his touch. His melodies are a mix of emotions that add onto the action on screen. The animation is gorgeous. There is no doubt about that, Miyazaki's films always have an aura of perfection, especially in the art and animation department. Even his older works like "Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro" and "Future Boy Conan" age better than most anime their time period. The whole world in "Spirited Away" looks like one gigantic, colorful portrait. Key word; Beautiful. In the end, I really can't stop praising this film enough. The fact that it garnered the 2003 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature should do more service to the film than I could. I can finalize this all by saying that "Spirited Away" is the best film you can buy for yourself, your loved one, or your whole family. With something for everyone this film proves once and for all, Hayao Miyazaki is truly a master of anime. -RW
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful!
Review: I'm putting this as one of the best movies on my anime list! Hayao Miyazaki's "Sprited Away" is an enchanting tale that will appeal to both kids and adults alike. Smooth animation that goes WAY beyond Disney's standards, gorgeous backgrounds, and a beautiful soundtrack! Based off the popular manga, the story concerns young Chihiro, a girl who ends up in a magical, far off land. (similar to that of "The Wizard Of Oz" & "Alice In Wonderland") Without doubt, this is the best anime film of all time and is sure to be enjoyed for generations and generations to come! I wasn't disappointed when I first saw this film, but considering it was DISNEY who was doing the dubbing, I didn't find too much interest at first. However, all the voices and the acting are very well done compared to other poorly dubbed animes that I've seen such as DBZ etc. The storyline will keep you glued to the seat once you watch and you'll want to watch again and again! PURE GOLD! Hayao Miyazaki is the master artist of them all and American animation is just miles behind from the Japanese! This is an instant classic and deserves to be the masterpiece it's cut out to be! The #1 family film EVER!!! Don't miss it!!
Rating:
Summary: Not at all as entertaining as Kiki's Delivery Service...
Review: No matter how many times I watch this movie, I never get whats it about...When I recieved this as birthday gift last year, I didn't have either high or low expectations... All I know is that when I recieved Kiki's Delivery Service the year before, I didn't think it would be any good, but when I actually watched it, I LOVED it. So, since this was by the same creator, I thought I'd give it a chance...And, well, I was a little bored. First of all, im not really sure this has any plot. It really just felt like watching a chain of un-realated events. Secondly, I didn't find the charectors as likeable as those in Kiki's...Chihiro is a kind of annoying. So is her freind, Lynn. And third, it felt like a waste of time and money (spent by the gift-giver). I had the>ehem<Pleasure of having to watch it about 5 times in my Visual Arts class...Overall,im probably never going to watch it again. As for Kikis Delivery Service, I just popped it in this very morning...
Rating:
Summary: SUPER EXCELLENT
Review: Ok, if any of you haven't seen this movie yet, you have GOT to, no matter how old you are. I expected this movie to be pretty good (since it is directed by Miyazaki), but it was probably the BEST anime movie I have ever seen in my life,and I have seen quite a bit of anime. I think that if this movie were any better, it would just explode. It has something for everyone, lots of adventure, a bit of romance, some drama, comedy, and magic, all rolled up into this super movie. Plus, the music is just enchanting, I was spellbound by it at once, especially "Always With Me". The beginning of the flick is a bit boring, but as the plot unfolds, you find yourself mesmerized by the whole thing, and you feel as the characters would feel. I'm just rambling on, and on, but this has hardly even begun to tell about how great this movie is. Bottom line: SEE THIS MOVIE!!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful and enthralling
Review: Previous to seeing "Spirited Away," the only experience I had had with Japanese animation was with those cheesy soap opera-ish television shows such as "Dragonball-Z" and the like. The name Miyazaki was totally new to me; and, as a result, I had never been able to see the Animé medium really developed as an art form. This film blew me away as one that did, and it is one of the most striking films I have seen in quite a while. "Spirited Away" is beautifully done, with its eye-popping animation backdrops and fantastical characters. The visuals are vast and colorful. The music, too, is appealing in its simplicity (often nothing more than stereotypical light piano melodies), and works very well in context. As one reviewer mentioned, there is not really a "plot": random devices from Japanese folklore (at least, I'm guessing!) seem to be thrown in here and there, which leads to a film based more on its color (elements) than its line (plot). Among the many fantastical characters, including a many-legged boilerman, a mysterious spirit named No-Face who corrupts the bathhouse with gold, and a boy who turns into a dragon, it is easy to lose the main storyline, which involves a girl entering servitude to try and save her parents. There's even a melodramatic love plot thrown in, which somehow works to tie everything together-Chihiro, the protagonist, must save Haku, the mysterious boy who shows up to try and save her. Unfortunately, the film suffers from some tackiness, especially in the dubbed dialogue: in many places, words are spoken very fast because it apparently takes more English words to cover what a few Japanese words said. I don't see the problem with subtitling an animated film, especially with a film like this whose target audience is (hopefully) literate...why hasn't anyone caught on yet? Also, the actual animation, while often beautiful, is at times rigid and hacked, as though from a cheap Saturday morning action cartoon. "Spirited Away" is a thrill to watch, and the enthralling storytelling swept me off my feet. It may be appreciated more by adults and open-minded adolescents (like myself) than to the average 11-year-old, though everyone is sure to find it at least entertaining. I, for one, look forward to adding "Spirited Away" to my own DVD collection.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Fabulous!
Review: Really tremendous! The last time I saw characters THIS ORIGINAL in a children's movie, I was watching 'Fantasia'. It's a little too much for very small children because it gives a moral lesson using a theme, without being preachy. I especially recommend it if you're SICK TO DEATH OF DISNEY-FIED versions children's classics.
Rating:
Summary: WAY OVERRATED. Does NOT Deserve the Academy Award
Review: There is already much being said about this film that, and I may not be able to say anything that hasn't already been said before. Many give it praise for being a well animated "Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass" tale. It's good for children that can count their age on two hands because in Miyazaki movies, children are heroes. Kids will like Spirited Away and others such as Totoro for that. As for anyone who ever "was 10 years old" as Miyazaki says, be more wary. It is at heart a children's film that could have easily been produced by Disney. It's popularity perpetuates the myth that cartoons are for children, thereby making it difficult to take seriously (for most of the general public) to take as "higher art."
Rating:
Summary: an animated masterpiece
Review: For many years, Hayao Miyazaki has been regarded throughout the world as a visionary on par with Walt Disney. It is rather ironic that his presence in North America consists of a devoted cult following because his films have barely been shown here because of Disney. The studio has the distribution rights to all of Miyazaki's films on this continent and has sat on them for years or released them direct to video with little to no fanfare. This changed with Princess Mononoke which generated such a critical buzz that Disney ended up releasing it in a few theatres. It paved the way for Miyazaki's next effort, Spirited Away, which is the most successful film in Japanese history (it grossed over $200 million before it was shown in North America!). Despite Pixar's John Lasseter championing the film, Disney still gave it a limited theatrical release (compared to their own titles) here in North America. This made its surprise win at the 2002 Academy Awards for Best Animated Film all the more of an upset. Now, Spirited Away is out on DVD on a two-disc set. From the haunting image of a riverboat full of lights that drifts along the water at night to the amusing sight of little balls of soot dancing along the floor and carrying tiny lumps of coal, Spirited Away is full of images that are as stunning as anything this side of Disney. Characters flying gracefully through the air is but one of the many flights of fancy that populates Miyazaki's movie. It is this sense of wonderment and the feeling of experiencing a waking dream that recalls the original Fantasia. One of the most refreshing aspects about Spirited Away is its to appeal to people of all ages. It stresses character and story over merchandising, which is such a novel concept in this day and age. One really gets the feeling that this movie was made by a true artist who has something personal to say. Aside from the movie itself, the first disc also contains a superficial featurette entitled, "The Art of Spirited Away." John Lasseter and some of the American voice actors are interviewed and praise Miyazaki, however too much emphasis is placed on the English translation and not enough is spent examining the film. Disc two begins with "Behind the Microphone," a featurette on the American actors who provided the voices for the dubbed version of Spirited Away. This extra feels like Disney is patting itself on the back a little too much. "Select Storyboard-to-Scene Comparison" takes a few scenes and allows the viewer to go back forth from the storyboards to the final product. While this is a nice feature you cannot have both on screen at the same time for a true comparison. The strongest supplement is "Nippon Television Special," a fascinating look at Miyazaki and his crew making Spirited Away. It clocks in at 40 minutes and almost makes up for the superficiality of the other extras. The extras on these DVDs are obviously targeted towards newcomers to Miyazaki's world. This is fine but in the process, Disney is alienating his more devote fans. However, the stunning transfer and the option to enjoy the movie in its original Japanese with English subtitles, more than makes up for the lack of substantial supplemental material. This movie is required viewing not just for fans of animation but for film buffs in general. Spirited Away is an important film that is destined to be regarded as a classic in years to come.
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