Rating: 
Summary: Miyazaki's Waking Dream
Review: After grossing more than $250 million in its native Japan and enthralling the anime fan community in the United States, "Spirited Away" has been released both theatrically and in a well-assembled English/Japanese hybrid DVD to great critical and popular acclaim. Winning the 2002 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature didn't hurt, either, and now people are finally beginning to discover what makes Hayao Miyazaki one of the most widely-celebrated directors in the world. Even if he's never made a film with a single living actor on screen.What makes the movie so special is not just the beauty and gidy strangeness of the images, but because it is at core a grand and well-told story. People who hate animation find themselves captivated after only a few minutes, probably because the story starts on such specific, realistic terms and only gradually branches into fantasy. By the time we're neck-deep in it, so to speak, there's no turning back. "Spirited Away" gives us Chihiro (Rumi Hiiragi in Japanese, and an excellent Daveigh Chase in English), a sullen and dispirited ten-year-old traveling with her parents to their new home in the suburbs. Chihiro has not wanted to move, and resents her mother and father for being forced to leave her old life behind -- much as any ten-year-old would -- and her parents are blithely indifferent to her annoyance. She'll get over it, they seem to be thinking. Their car takes a wrong turn and winds up being stopped near what looks like a theme park. "They built a lot of these in the Nineties, before the economy went bad," her father says, "so you tend to find them just sort of standing around, falling apart." That doesn't make the place any less creepy, and Chihiro's preternatural unease only increases when her parents find a buffet table heaped with fresh food and begin digging in, despite no one else being in sight. Before she realizes what's going on, her parents have changed into pigs (Miyazaki's earlier Porco Rosso was also about a man changed into a pig), and she's running through the park scared out of her mind. Somehow Chihiro has crossed over into a parallel world of sorts, one where the park is very much alive, and catering vigorously as a kind of vacation resort to the "Eight Million Gods." In a scene worthy of Kurosawa, Chihiro watches open-mouthed as a giant paddle-wheel steamboat docks and disgorges an apparently endless procession of spirits, all lining up for a fancy meal and soak in the hot springs. She also befriends (somewhat by accident) a young boy, Haku, who works in the resort and gives Chihiro tips on how to be employed there by the owners. There is also something strangely familiar about him, which becomes of paramount importance in the movie's closing scenes, but the less said about that the better. The movie has the feel of a dream, and that is, I suspect, something that threw people off -- they were expecting something more conventionally Disneyfied, and not something that had strong roots in surreal / fantastic art. That to me makes it all the more valuable: this isn't something that was thrown together to sell some action figures, but is a communication from one soul to many. And at the end, when the dream is over, we realize what we've seen has been in its own way as adventurous and thought-provoking as anything by David Lynch. PIXAR CEO John Lasseter personally took the reins to bring this film to American audiences, and did it with love and care. The English dub is never distracting, although if you like the movie it's worth watching again in Japanese to see how little (or how much) was actually changed. Very little has been arbitrarily rewritten, and the voice actors all give a great deal of gusto with their performances. Disney's presentation has been lavish -- two discs, with the movie isolated on one disc and sporting both English and Japanese audio. Some seamless-branching work has been done to the titles, which may glitch on some players (it was OK on my PC, but twitched slightly on my standalone Sony DVD player), but the whole package is quite effective. The 2nd disc also features a storyboard-to-film comparison that students of the production will find endlessly enthralling.
Rating:
Summary: Finally a True Masterpiece
Review: Miyazaki rules. I saw this film in a theatre and wanted right away to see it again. Rarely has a film grabbed me like this one. I saw it once more and then pre-ordered the DVD where it is now almost a permanent addition to my DVD player. Truly this film ranks as one the best films of all time. Others have given longer and more eloquent reviews so I won't copy them. If you want great characters, good writing and eye-popping animation, forget Disney, this is the film. Just get it and enjoy the journey.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely wonderful! (avoid the dub)
Review: To begin with, it is a beautifully drawn movie, and beyond the visuals, the imagination in the design of the characters is dazzling. I strongly recommend the purchase of the DVD for the special features, and beyond that, so you have the option of watching it in subbed and dubbed. For children, the dubbing is better because they will be better able to appreciate it as well as the jokes that Disney has thrown in. But for any person who wants to enjoy the film as it was intended to be enjoyed (and keep in mind this was the BEST film in Japan ever, so Disney has no right changing it) It must be watched in subtitles. I understand Japanese so I was able to check if the subtitles were accurate, and they were indeed. But the dubbing is not accurate. Japanese and English are such different languages that to get the lips to sync you have to change the dialogue entirely. Also, Disney altered the dialogue in some cases that is acutally changes the development of the characters. For example, in one case she says "what should I do" but in the dub it says "where are you haku." Also, beyond anything, the voice of that little girl in the dub is so irritating. The girl chosen for the original sounds much better, more mature. To conclude this ramble, This movie deserves twice what it costs, and beyond that, is a treasure that only comes around once every decade. This is truly what animation should be, much like many of the older disney films.
Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: I am a total animeeeee Freak! This is such an awesome movie. It is great for any one, any age.
The story is good but hard to explain in this review. The animation is good, really good.
It is a really good movie. Add it to your anime or dvd collection.
Rating:
Summary: This anime is every bit as wonderful as we heard that it was
Review: To say that "Spirited Away" is a Japanese anime that reminds you of "Alice in Wonderland" is very true but extremely simplistic. The literary reference is intended to emphasize the overwhelming creativity of creator Hayao Miyazaki ("Princess Mononoke," "Kiki's Delivery Service," "Castle in the Sky") and is not to suggest that this film is some sort of Japanese allegory of Lewis Carroll's surreal children's classic (not to say that you cannot find some intriguing parralels between the two). What I am and everybody else who makes this comparison is trying to convey to you is that the world to which 10-year-old Chirho (voiced by Rumi Hiiragi & Daveigh Chase) is as much a wonderland as what confronted Alice down the rabbit hole, even if it is just a bathhouse in this case. The story begins with a sullen Chirho moping about in the back of the family car as her parents take her to their new home in a new city. Then her father takes a fateful wrong turn and they discover what appears to be an abandoned theme park. But then her parents discover mountains of food, which they start greedily consuming. As Chirho explores the park things start to change and the spirits start to come out. Before she knows what has happened, her parents have been changed into pigs and Chirho finds herself in the land of the spirits. Her quest to rescue her parents and find her way home has begun. "Spirited Away" is not as rich of a visual feast as some classic examples of anime such as "Akira" and "Metropolis," in part because Miyazaki disdains computer animation in favor of traditional animated cels. Even if there is not the overwhelming visual display of these other films there is still the attention to detail. But ultimately the reason why this is the biggest money making film in the history of Japan is because of the story, which has almost as much emotional impact on the audience as "Grave of the Fireflies" (that is a mondo compliment from my perspective because "Grave" is the one anime that I decided to own and not just rent). Consequently, it is not surprising that this film took over the top spot in Japanese history from "Titanic," because they both combine emotional stories with compelling visuals. I have been waiting a long time for this movie to come out on DVD (What? This film come to the Zenith City? Are you joking?), and it was every bit as good as I could have ever hoped. The Japanese title "Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi" literally translates as "The Spiriting Away of Sen and Chihiro," which will make only partial sense to you after you see the film. I was not surprised that this film was nominated for an Oscar as the Best Animated Feature Film of the Year, but I was surprised, and gratified, that it won. I have been wondering what the current state of animated art would be in the world today if they had started giving this particular Oscar out a decade earlier and anime like "Akira," "Metropolis," and "Grave of the Fireflies" were receiving wider attention if not flat out winning the award. "Spirited Away" is just the latest opportunity to open the door to the wonders of anime for an even wider audience.
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT MOVIE!!![.]
Review: This movie is EXCELLENT! It has great animation and wonderful story line. The characters and the whole movie just take you to a magical place deep in your heart. I recommend this movie for everyone. You will LOVE this movie! I guarantee it!
Rating:
Summary: Miyazaki's Masterpiece
Review: I am gratified to see that Spirited Away is finally getting the attention in this country that it has long deserved. Buried by Disney until the Academy Awards, the latest creation of Japan's animation guru is simply stunning -- the best animated feature since Snow White. You've read the plot summaries and perhaps the idea of a Japanese film about a 10-year old girl who gets trapped in the spirit world sounds strange. But this picture has universal appeal. I'm an 30-year old white American male and I love this movie. The (mostly) hand-drawn animation is lush, gorgeous and incredibly dynamic. And how nice is it to see 3-dimensional characters in a complex touching story that goes in unexpected directions every chance it gets? It leaves anything produced by Disney/Pixar in the dust. Disney has done an excellent job of bringing this movie to America. The copy is crisp and clear -- although obviously not as magnificent as on the big screen. The voice-dubbing is very good, matching the character's mouths without losing content. I had a slight problem with Princess Mononoke's dubbing because some of the celebrity voices (especially Thornton and Anderson) were distracting. That's not the case here. The english voices are perfectly cast (especially Suzanne Pleshette as Yubaba/Zeniba). A few notes on the DVD. The extras are OK with the exception of an outstanding Japanese TV special on the making of Spirited Away. Rather than focus on the technical aspects, it focuses on Miyazaki himself and his uber-talented group of artists at Studio Ghibli. It's definitely worth your time. Also, some comments have unfavorably compared this version to the Japanese version. For the record, Disney is contractually forbidden from changing a single frame of the movie -- not one frame. Period. There *are* some differences in dialogue but you can watch in Japanese with more literally translated subtitles (subtitle track 2) if you prefer. Final comment: this movie may not be suitable for very young children as it has some scary sequences and is over two hours long. But for everyone else, this is an incredible movie. And for animation fans, it's a must-have.
Rating:
Summary: Must Have In Every Home
Review: Spirited Away is a recent adition to my dvd collection and one that I am very pleased to have recieved. If the beautiful animation and amazing detail doesn't blow you away the story will.Miyazaki's careful attention to expressions, gestures and everyday activites evolves these characters from simple two dimensional drawings to real people. This movie made an impression on me where so many before it had failed. A must see for everyone, whether they be adult or child.
Rating:
Summary: See it again!
Review: The other night, my girlfriend and I are heading to the theatre to see Spirited Away. Yes, it's still playing in some theatres. We saw the film when it first came out, and it was her first introduction to the worlds of Hayao Miyazaki. She had no idea what I was taking her to see at the time, she just had to trust me. In fact, I had no idea either; all I knew was that I saw there was a new Miyazaki film and it was playing in theatres. Of course she liked it. Is it possible to not like this film? But anyway, as we were going to see it again, I kept thinking to myself how you can never fully appreciate a Miyazaki film until you've seen it at least twice. Spirited Away was the only film of his I've seen once. I own this film on DVD, but I've only seen the special features because we just went to see it on the big screen. Funny thing is, it cost more for us to go to the theatre the other night than it did to buy the DVD. How many films would you do that for? It's that good! I'll spare you a synopsis as they are over abundant. Instead, let me just tell you this film is a bit bizaar. People compare this film to Alice in Wonderland because it has that same bizaar quality to the setting that could only seem to make sense in a dream. If you are unprepared, it can make the film harder to digest, but I assure you it doesn't take away from the story at all. The first time I saw this film, I thought it was good, but not the best of Miyazaki's films. Seeing it again, makes me doubt that assessment. Miyazaki's films are so full of details and nuances that you easily miss many of them the first time around especially as you are distracted by his wild imagination on screen. I wish I could put into words how magnificent this film is. You simply must see it, and see it again! Keep in mind the film's PG rating. It may not be suitable for young children. Disney may be the one distributing the film, but it is not a Disney film. In other words, don't just shop for this film for your kids. Get it for yourself.
Rating: 
Summary: Great movie, bad dvd
Review: I loved this movie. Hayao Miyazaki is one of my favourite animators. But if it wasn't for this dvd I would have given this 5 stars. You see, when you view the movie in original japanese dd5.1 audio track there is... GASP! no japanese title! This is worse than that red tint from the japanese dvd.
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