Rating: 
Summary: Glad I took a chance.
Review: I had no knowledge of this film until I heard that it was nominated for an Academy Award. I made a mental note to rent it when it was released on DVD, thinking it might be worthwhile to just check it out. I had to pay late fees because I had to watch it over again; I was completely blown away.First of all, the animation is flawless. It's a vivid, kid-friendly style (no harsh lines, gloomy palettes, or hi-tech backdrops.) What really impressed me was the deftness of the creator's hand at telling a story with or without dialogue. In fact, some of the most poignant moments in the film are completely dialogue-free - some of the No-Face scenes, the shot of a blazing Yubaba discovering her child is missing, and one of my favorites - the scene in the boiler room where the ash creatures and the transformed mouse and bird reenact Chihiro's recovery of the gold seal - I burst out laughing every time I see it. The train ride sequence is another visual that's quietly breathtaking. I admit that I wasn't able to completely follow some of the details of the story (I have a feeling that there was a lot of symbolism that just went over my head as a Westerner unfamiliar with a lot of Asian culture.) That in no way affected my enjoyment of the film. The main plotline(s) are obvious, and easy to follow; it's some of the smaller portions of the overall story that might be a little obscure. This just means that it's well worth watching again just to pay more attention to those little spots where you might be confused. There are a few scary bits in the film (heck, I'm approaching 30, and a couple of the scenes with the transformed No-Face made ME jump!) and there is a short sequence with a wounded character bleeding. The rating really does say it all; if your child wants to see it, you should probably watch it with them in case they get a little scared. Overall, the frightening bits aren't much worse than anything you might read in Grimm's Fairy Tales. Bottom line; I bought this DVD because I love the film. The bonus items are great, but not necessary. Do not hesitate to grab this up.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely another masterpiece from Hayao Miyazaki
Review: I saw this new release at early April, since then, I've decided to put it into my personal DVD collection... As a long term Hayao Miyazaki fan, this new film didn't let me down; a warm humanity emits throughout the movie, the vivid protrait of every characters, well organized plots, mixed with exotic Japanese mythology, and universal understandable humours...the young girl's spirited away is the Japanese equivalent of ours "Alice's wonderland". A good pick for adult audience, and even better choice for those who want to have imtimate, quality good times with their kids, a good material to teach kids to learn about integrity and good behaviors. For those who have extra budget allowance, you should consider put these titles into your collections: Excellent for kids (with cheerful aura, happy endings, and of course the nice humanity, and genius imaginations - trademarks of Miyazaki's films...)
1. My neighbor Totoro, 2. Kiki's delivery service, 3. The castle in the sky. For adult or more matured audience: Grave of the Fireflies (an great anti-war epic, through the eyes of two Japanese kids-a boy and his young sister- at the close of the WW II with a sad, sad ending.) Trust me, these are masterpieces; and if I were you, I will choice original Japanese soundtracks with English captions. (of course, this recommendation is for adult audience.)
Rating:
Summary: Very Creative
Review: Spirited Away is a very creative and imaginitive movie. It still has the basic story but the ending is a little depressing. Maybe that's just me saying that cause I cried at the end but you have to see it for yourself. Well like I said before it's a very creative movie for children who want science-fiction and action and suspence and romance all at once!
Rating: 
Summary: How can you see such crap?
Review: I was realy disapointed when I heard that this bad graffic childish fairytale won an Oscar. What is wrong with all of you, haven't you have enough from all this Japan made crap?
Rating:
Summary: A great movie!!, but is it a childs film?
Review: I have to start off saying that that my friend recomended this film to me and I went to the rental store to rent it, but to my surprise, it was all out, and would be rented out for 5 months! I was shocked to think that a Disney film could bring so much attention to itself. So I went and bought it. I went home and watched it on my laptop and was comepletely blown away by it. The visuals are so amusing and colorful, there is nothing like it. I am not a huge fan of anime or cartoons for that matter (except the rare watching of Cowboy Bebop on Cartoon Network :) but this was very different. On the other hand, this is not really a film for screaming, bleeding, throwing-up kids (like me). For example, there is a smoking frog and a big scene of blood splattering all over the place, not to mention the "fruit" that made a character throw up. I loved this movie. Go rent it or something. It is really good and inventive. I wish I could put 10 [stars!!!]
Rating:
Summary: great watch over and over movie
Review: i think kids and adults can totally dig this movie over and over again. i enjoyed it a lot, saw it twice. have the dvd the making of the movie was interesting also. princess mononoke was very good, too, same guy. great artwork. interesting things to look at and figure out.
Rating: 
Summary: An Unforgettable And Quietly Haunting Adventure...
Review: Miyazaki's 'Spirited Away' is without a doubt his best work, which is no small feat when looking at the man's filmography. 'Castle In The Sky,' 'Kiki's Delivery Service,' etc...All of Hayao's films emanate with a sense of sheer wonder and pure magic, as if the master animator has secret powers no one else has been able to tap into.... The plot in brief: Chihiro is a somewhat bratty young girl moving to another house with her mom and dad. They get sidetracked and end up wandering into a mystical resort/spa for Japanese gods and spirits and the like. Hijinks do not ensue. Instead, we get a captivating and hypnotizing journey into a very weird otherworld as Chihiro fights to save her parents and along the way becomes a better person through the unshakable morals that she never knew she had. The animation in 'Spirited Away' is fluid and disjointed all at once, making for a hypnotizing and captivating film experience. Colors and shadows frequently intermix, leaving us with a feeling that this world (odd as it is) seems somewhat more realistic than even ours. There are so many strange and wonderful creatures and characters in the film that you'll be scratching your head as to how they even thought some of them up. Three bouncing green heads that only speak in grunts, a gigantic, fat talking baby, a spider-like old man with impossibly long arms, living coal dust, and the list goes on and on... There is one scene towards the end of the film featuring Chihiro and some of her 'companions' on a lonely train headed to an unknown destination in that forgotten alternate world that comes off as so haunting and touching that I felt it was one of the most memorable sequences in recent film memory; nothing major happens and no words are even spoken, it's just an example of why Miyazaki is the greatest animation storyteller ever. Bottom Line: 'Spirited Away' is arguably the best animated film of all time. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is that the narrative lags here and there in a few parts, which may turn the average moviegoer off. With that aside, this is a marvelous and wonderfully sentimental adventure/fantasy that will be remembered as long we walk this earth. Maybe even beyond that...
Rating:
Summary: Took My Breath Away...
Review: This has become my favorite movie. I rented Sprited Away on thursday evening, watched it, with great amazement at today's advanced animation technology. I couldn't get it out of my head all week, untill I finally bought it.
The animation is superb, the characters really grow on you ( Chihiro is adorable, as she grws greatly as a person, alongside with a bunch of whacky characters that make you laugh and cry at the same time)I loved the lenght of this movie, so anyone who thinks that 125 minutes of pure bliss is intimidating, really shouldnt think that.
This is a true work of art, worthy it's oscar time a hundread and I cannot stop watching it. Great stuff.
Rating: 
Summary: Spirited Asway
Review: This may be one of the most over rated films in recent memory. I cannot believe the hype and hoopla touted by the higher ups about this inferior piece of mediocrity. Something is inheritedly wrong with A.M.P.A.S. when only three films are nominated for best achievement in an amimated feature and this truly inferior film wins. The animation was not as 'smooth' or as "animated" as any of the other nominees. It's just a case of "The Emperor's New Clothes." Someone decided that this ws a great film and got all the rest of us excited about it, expecting something ephemeral and grand. Yet what we got was mediocre and banal. What a rip-off! I tried to watch this movie with a open mind on more than three occassions and each time the result was the same: I could not compel myself to stay awake. I am of the opinion that a film doesn't necesarilly have to be a bad film just because I don't like it, and vice versa, that just because like a film doesn't necessarilly mean it is a good film. But, I do pride myself on being fair and objective. That being said I am just sadenned by how a poor excuse for a "great film" can receive such acclaim. It's as if the critics were feigning a great love of this movie just so the they could appear more sensative in order to impress the "classy girl" in a college philosophy class. What a waste.
Rating:
Summary: Not just for kids
Review: Typical Miyazaki film, as I watched the movie .. I just kept getting the feeling I would be seeing action figure toys and cute little fad items in the futures. Just like Princess Mononoke had its cute Tree Spirits. Visuals is certainly amazing and the story line is very entertaining for all ages. The movie goes through the entire emotional range, from some very startling moments, to teary, to humorous and to down right stupid. The only gripe I had was having a 10 year old girl in a "love" story, which is highly unplausible. Otherwise, this one is a classic for the ages.
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