Rating: 
Summary: Spirited Away "WOW"
Review: This is the best movie iv'e ever seen and nothing can top it, ever. I saw the average rating, it was 4 stars and a half. That's nuts. This movie has the greatest art work, plot, characters and dialouge. This is simply the best. You have to give it 5 stars. I thank the director, Hayao Miyazaki for a wonderful experience in japanese animation.
Rating:
Summary: Not Miyazaki's best
Review: Let me start by saying that this by FAR not Miyazaki Hayao's best film. It won't touch you as My Neighbor Totoro will, nor will it amaze you as Kiki's Delivery Service will. BUT what it will do is take you to a fantasy world. And what wonderful world it is. The film shows the sheer artistic genius that is Miyazaki. This film seems like an explosion of his imagination, from Yuubaba to No Face. Spirited Away is a film about growing up, finding your place in this world. Chihiro is actually based on a real ten-year-old, she is one of Miyazaki's friend's daughter. He (Miyazaki) wanted to ask people that "she is very happy right now, but as she grows up, will she be able to withstand the pressure the world gives?" Yes, this is NOT Miyazaki's best, yet it deserves the title to be the highest grossing film in Japan, and the Oscar. As a magazine said, "if Spirited Away didn't win the Oscar, they might as well erase the category Best Animated Film altogether." SIDE NOTE: If anyone cares, there are rumors that Spirited Away was made because of one song (the ending song, I couldn't remember the name right now) sung by fan, also an unknown musician. The funny thing is, the song was actually submitted for another movie! It was submitted for... uh, my memory has somehow gone blank right now, so I can't remember the film... Something like _name_, The Chimney Cleaner or Chimney Boy or...
Rating:
Summary: It IS anime!
Review: People can say that SA is not an anime all they want, that doesn't make it so. Hayao Miyazaki-san created it and it IS anime. Miyazaki-san said that he produced it through Disney b/c they promised that they wouldn't dub anything out. So, just b/c it says Disney on it, doesn't mean it's not anime. On a sidenote: Pokemon is anime (ick), but SA outclasses it 100 to 1.
Rating: 
Summary: An Ok Movie. Don't believe the hype
Review: I bought this after all the hype surrounding it post oscar award. everyone raved and raved about this movie.. It's an OK fairy tale with some semi-scary elements for small children. I wasn't really pumped by this one. It just kind was 'eh' once I was done.
Rating: 
Summary: Visually striking, imaginative anime
Review: This visually beautiful, oddball-entertaining animated film is one of Miyazaki's most interesting, although perhaps not his best. The images are so wonderful that the quirks of the plot don't matter. The heroine, a sulky, typically bored preteen named Chihiro, finds herself trapped in the world of the spirits. Her parents have been turned into pigs (because of their greed), and she herself has to take a job working in a bath-house run by the witch Yubaba (whose name means roughly "hot-water old woman"). The bath-house clientele consists of spirits, and it is delightful to see how Miyazaki gave form to them--nature gods and spirits have been around in Japan since ancient, pre-Buddhist times. Chihiro finds the strength of will and character to survive in this confusing world, and becomes more confident and mature during her stay there. With the assistance of a mysterious boy named Haku, she manages to extricate herself and her parents from Yubaba's realm, and helps Haku to throw off Yubaba's control of his memory as well. There is one slightly violent scene, complete with flying drops of blood, but this shouldn't be particularly disturbing to children over the age of 10. This film is highly recommended, for both adults and children of middle-school age and above.
Rating:
Summary: Not like other anime
Review: After dealing with my little brother's obsession with the Pokemon TV show and movies, as well as the Yugioh TV show, I had worked up a pretty thorough dislike of Japanese anime.
But when my brother got sick and had already watched several hours of meaningless cartoons, I thought he should at least watch a movie, even if it was anime. And, kind, devoted sister that I am, I watched with him.
Well, to say the least I was surprised. Although a little slow to capture my interest, Spirited Away proved to be interesting and unique. The main character was likable and interesting, and we watched as she matured from a scared little girl ( her entire dialogue throughout the first 20 minutes of the film is basically "whine" "whimper" and "exclaim!") to a brave, mature little girl. Another plus was that Spirited Away didn't have the classic Disney ending, and in fact I thought the ending was bittersweet, something that doesn't often happen in children's movies.
A unique plot, if not an especially well-developed one, and good supporting characters (especially Haku) help set this movie above other anime.
Rating:
Summary: Easily one of the best animated films ever!
Review: So imaginative and inventive, it paints it's own world. Just perfect. Reminds me of Bill Peet when I was little.
Rating:
Summary: Mesmerizing and Hypnotic
Review: Visually distinctive . . . an engaging story, 'Spirited Away' is a great choice for adventurous kids and their parents. Hayao Miyazaki's best release to date.
Rating:
Summary: 'Loses something in the "translation", though
Review: The reviews title in no way is meant to degrade this fine film. With superb animation, a wondrous score, and a fascinating story, "Spirited Away" deserved its Oscar. However, there are elements of the story that can be better appreciated by one slightly more familiar with Japanese culture. It appears as though the "dialog" was altered to accomodate American audiences. Perhaps, the version with subtitles, maintaining the original's integrity, would be preferable to this version featuring dubbed in performances from "Anglo" actors.
Rating:
Summary: Spirit yourself away to see this film
Review: This film works great in English, but if you can understand Japanese, you HAVE to watch it in its original language. Some things just don't have the greatest translatability into English, unfortunately. As a person who grew up in Japan, many of the sensibilities of the film are intimately familiar with me, and the in-jokes that Miyazaki plays in Spirited Away makes the story more touching than the script and animation alone can convey. At any price, this movie is a steal!
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