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Summary: japanese language, english subtitles
Review: I would have never bought this movie, along with other movies by Hayao Miyazaki if I wasn't assured that the original Japanese language with English subtitles option was available. Listening to the English dubbed version is painful. Just as people make fun of badly dubbed kung-fu martial arts movies, English dubbed anime is just as bad, and I don't care what big American star provided the voice-overs. It just isn't the same. Therefore, three cheers to the distributors (Disney?) who decided to not cut corners and make the Japanese language versions available. Let's hope more distributors will decide to release other Miyazaki movies not previously available, such as the Red Pig ("Porco Rosso"), definitely one of Miyazaki's very best, as well as re-release Totoro in the Japanese language version. Any of the Rupan series would also be fabulous.
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Summary: Reviews by FreaK
Review: I watched this movie a few nights ago. I walked upstairs and my mom asked me how it was...and I was speechless. One word came out of me....wow....I have seen Princess Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service...well, lets just say almost all of the movies made by Hayao Miyazaki. This one is one of the best. It had a very original storyline, but still reminded me a bit of Alice in Wonderland....a very demented version of it. I'll tell you, I about cried at the end. Why? I have no clue. You should definately see this movie...but it may be a bit scary for smaller children. There are some creepy things in it ^_______~
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Summary: Spirited Imagination
Review: This is a terrific movie for viewers of any age. What I like best about it is that it will work the imagination of the youngsters who view it as well as the adults. The "spirit" of a young girl is captured just right. The voices are fine and the music enhances the visuals. This is worth owning. It's not a movie you'll want to put on right away after viewing it, but you will want to see it again. There's a lot going on!
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Summary: Enjoy it for what it is...don't overanalyze.
Review: This isn't a movie the way we are used to movies. It's Alice In Wonderland-esque, granted, but it surpases it. It doesn't have a story in which every detail is explained away until there is no mystery or wonder left in it, which would be tragic, this being a story about wonder and mystery. It presents itself in simple, elegant and poetic form and allows you to simply accept everything as it comes. The characters are strange but well-balanced and memorable. The story is far from preachy and doesn't try to ram a moral down your throat. It is just told. When it's all over it will leave you in a good mood, which is the best that can be said of any story of its kind. Try to watch the japanese version with english subtitles if you can. It makes the characters, and consequently the entire story, somehow more believeable. Enjoy.
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Summary: The Emperor's New Clothes?
Review: This movie had the critics falling all over one another to trumpet how fantastic it was, and I'm sure few want to disagree and be perceived as cultural barbarians. Well, here's one voice to say loud and clear that this emperor isn't wearing anything!! I had never really watched a full length anime feature before, though I always felt the human images were rather disturbingly robotic. Yet I was prepared for greatness after reading all the gushing reviews. What a disappointment! Yes, the animation is attractive and the characters visually original and bizarre. But the narrative is just so weak. One strange, disconnected occurrence after another, some completely inexplicable (at least to the Western mind), odd gaps in logic and continuity, characters who switch pointlessly from brusque to warm, from irritable to hospitable. What in heaven's name is the point of it all? (I suppose you could also say there is no point to the string of adventures and characters that comprise Alice in Wonderland, but at least they are clever and funny, and the wordsmithing is a joy.) My 11-year-old daughter and I kept giggling at the dopiness and arbitrariness of "Spirited Away", and I nearly fell asleep as it dragged into the second hour. I don't recall this being a hit in the theaters, and I think its audience in the DVD arena will be limited to anime [fans]. I certainly can't imagine any child under 9 or 10 having the patience to last for more than 30 minutes of the movie.
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Summary: 'Nuff said
Review: Just wanted to throw in my 2-cents worth. This anime is everything evrybody else says it is: intriging, exciting, and wildly imaginative. I took my 7-yr old step-daughter to see this at the theatre with the hope it would fire her imagination and show her something ultimately different from the animated drivel that is produced here in the US (ironically by Disney, of whom distributed Spirited Away for American audiences). Just a few of the scenes/characters of note that displayed wild imagination:
Kamaji the boiler-keeper of the many arms, Yubaba the witch as she transformed into her hunting persona, the mysterious No-Face, the stink god and his glorious transformation at the spa-house, the flying killer paper dolls, the radish spirit, the 3 rolling grunting green heads, the shadow-folk riding the train, and so many more that are too numerous to mention. This anime will ignite the imagination in a young mind like no other that I can think of. Do your kids a favor and let them them savor this in all it's imaginative glory.
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Summary: Holy peanuts! Hiyao Miyazaki is awesome!
Review: Okay I'm alittle biased. I love Hiyao Miyazaki. He's a genius. I've loved his work since My neibor Totoro. This wonderfull movie will keep you jaw open staring at the screen. It's wonderfull. If you haven't seen his other movies i suggest strongly that you find a friend,rent them, buy them whatever you gotta do. But watch this one first. Then go back....wow
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Summary: One of the best animated movies I've seen!
Review: Wow. This one word basically sums up Miyazaki's Spirited Away. This movie has a little bit of everything: drama, suspense, action, romance, etc. It's about a girl named Chihiro who's parents get turned into pigs(!)when they visit an old theme park.Chihiro tries to get away from the odd place, but finds she is stuck there. On the road to rescuing her mom and dad, she meets many characters, some friendly, and some [bad]. Despite this movie's PG rating, there are some moments that may scare younger audiences, and in one scene there is a fair amount of blood. Ultimately, this is my favorite movie right now. I suggest this to anyone who is even slightly interested in an adventure/fantasy movies. SPIRITED AWAY is another Miyazaki masterpiece.
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Summary: A Giant among all Anime
Review: Hayao Miyazaki is a giant among anime; writing, producing, and directing such films as "Kiki's Delivery Service", "Castle In The Sky", and "Princess Mononoke". In "Spirited Away", Miyazaki shows his full potential and charms audiences both young and old. "Spirited Away" starts with a young girl, Chihiro, moving with her family to a rural environment. She is not happy of her family moving her away from her friends to a new school. Her family stops at what they assume is a closed down amusement park. Chihiro's parents find a food stand and start to eat. Chihiro leaves them to look around the amusement park. As the sun descends into the horizon, Chihiro frantically searches for her parents, only to find they had been transformed into pigs. Chihiro later finds out that the "amusement park" is actually a bath house for spirits. She is helped by a young boy with the ability to transform into a dragon. He helps her get a job at the bath house so she will not be captured and turned into an animal. She then has to toughen up and start working so she can try to save her parents. This movie has paid large amounts of care in making every scene look true to life. Miyazaki makes every movement of every character look as realistic as possible. Every hair that falls, and every drop of water hitting a puddle look as if they were taken from a live action drama. The attention to detail makes this magical tale even more believable. The writing in "Spirited Away" is a masterpiece. Every sly remark from Chihiro sounds as if it was straight from the mouth of a ten year old girl. This real-to-life writing is just another piece of the perfection that is "Spirited Away". In conclusion, if there is any movie worthy of being purchased to be viewed multiple times and enjoyed over and over again, tis is it.
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Summary: Beautiful.
Review: I enjoy some Japanese animation, but I think I do a pretty good job of remaining unbiased--it's not always good just because it comes from Japan. I must say that this is one of the most enjoyable movies I've seen in a long time. The story is dream-like as it progresses; we're introduced to many memorable characters, it's heartwarming, it doesn't take itself too seriously (a pitfall of many anime films), and it's pretty to look at! You can't ask for much more in a film. A word of warning: Be prepared to suspend your disbelief. Don't start off with the "that doesn't make sense" mentality. Sure it doesn't make sense for Chihiro's (the main character) parents to walk into an abandoned amusement park and eat food hapharzardly laying on a counter. Sure it's kinda silly for spirits and gods to be obsessed with gold (where would they spend it?). Just go with the flow. You'll enjoy it a lot more.
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