Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful and accessible
Review: I am not a fan of Japanese animation. The films I've genuinely enjoyed I can count on the fingers of one hand, and they're "Kiki's Delivery Service" and this gem, "Spirited Away."The quality of the animation in this film, as with all of Miyazaki's work, is top-notch. The difference between this one and, say, "Mononoke Hime," is that the storytelling is also excellent here. The plot is fairly simple and familiar: young girl whisked away to unfamiliar (and sometimes sinister) magical world. The story is what really makes this movie work, as we watch young Chihiro tap resources of courage she didn't know she had and become much more confident and mature. Miyazaki populates the world with wonderful, extraordinary fantasy creatures, and we discover them along with Chihiro, sharing her fascination or revulsion as she meets them. And the story winds down to a well-crafted ending, something that is pretty rare across the board these days. While I wish this film had gotten a wider release, I can't really blame Disney for their anemic marketing campaign. They tried to push "Mononoke Hime" a couple years back and got a tepid response from the public (though critics loved it, as they did "Spirited Away"). I think "Spirited Away" would have been a better film for them to push, but I'm just not sure there's a big mainstream audience for Japanese animation here in the States. I'm grateful that Disney brought this movie over at all, and that they put the effort into doing a terrific English-language track for it. If you missed this movie in theaters, at least rent the DVD and give it a look. Even for someone who doesn't adore Japanese animation, it's a rewarding and beautiful experience.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible!
Review: I have seen most of Miyazaki's films, and this by far is the best to date! Ever see a film that you simply cannot stop thinking about? This film stayed with me for weeks afterward, it kept me thinking, it made me wish I was 10 again. I kept wondering why I was one of four people in our theatre -- what a waste! The world has missed out on this gem, don't pass up this DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: In one of the most engrossing cartoons of my lifetime, I was just wanting more. After seeing the film I wondered why it was such a limited release in theatres. Many of my friends who wanted to take their children could not as it was too far to see it. My children all loved the film and cannot wait till it comes to DVD.
Rating:
Summary: As good as it GETS!!...
Review: I'm not normally the kind of person who gives incredibly high ratings, but this is AWESOME! It's just one of those movies that when you see it, it hits something inside, you know? It's a classic tale of adventure, suspense, magic, and romance. This is a movie for all ages (about 5 to ...um....100!!...) Chihiro, a 10 year old girl, is thrown into the Sprit World, where she meets a strange boy, Haku, who helps her. She must work her way to gain her freedom from the Spirit World and display incredible kindness and courage to the least likely of "people." Also this movie has an incredible way of displaying that no one person can truely be all good or all bad (like in fairytales). With that real life spin on it to top it all off, you have one of the best pictures, nto of the year, but of all time!!... This is a definite must see!
Rating:
Summary: Spirited Away by "Spirited Away"
Review: If you liked Princess Mononoke, you will find this to be a rewarding feature to watch as well. I loved it! "Spirited Away" follows a young girl, Chihiro, who's family has moved into a new area. In the process of trying to find their new home, the family arrives at a secretive tunnel hidden away from the main road. Her adventurous father decides to investigate the tunnel, and leads his family into what he believes to be an abandoned amusement park, where, strangely enough, they find a single restaurant cooking up strange but tasty dishes. Still Suspicious, Chihiro wanders off while her parents dig in, and finds a hot springs bath house, where she meets a young boy called Haku. He warns her to leave, and in so doing, finds her Father and Mother turned into pigs by their gluttonous feeding frenzy! Needless to say, the young girl finds herself trapped in a strange place where 8 million gods come to relax at the hotsprings, where she ends up being employed to stay alive. Personally, I would rate this film PG-13 due to some graphic situations, but reccomend it for the entire family! This feature is full of beautiful imagery, timely action and the right touch of romance without being ground into the senses.
I found myself "spirited away" by "Spirited Away!" ^,^ |/,,
Rating:
Summary: I loved it but the kids around me didn't
Review: I love this movie when I saw it in the theaters and so did everyone I took with me. Spirited Away was playing in a select number of cities and theaters so when I saw a poster for it I jumped at the chance. I went to go see it in Japanese the first few times and all the otakus were there. The whole place was packed with adults who had Japanese dates of were wearing anime t-shirts. When I went to see it in English, however, there were kids that were 8 yrs old and below... mostly in the range age of 4-6. That was really bad. The first 30 min into the movie kids started to cry and go out of the theaters and start to talk. By the time the movie was over more than half the theater was empty. Now that might have been a freak event but I would not recomend this movies to yongsters...I dont think the little girls want to see a wolf-dragon snarling blood or a black ethareal body with a mask stare at an equally scared girl... So dont watch it with the kids watch it for yourself. Five stars for anyone 7 and up... dont let the young (5 and below) watch it because it might scare them!
Rating:
Summary: The greatest animated movie ever
Review: It's difficult to write anything that truly does justice to "Spirited Away"; it is one of the most beautiful and deeply moving films I have ever seen, animated or not. I've loved Miyazaki's work since I first saw "My Neighbor Totoro", and all of his films are magnificent; but "Spirited Away" is simply on a higher plane than any of them. From the visual splendor of the animation-- a blend of traditional hand-drawn characters and backgrounds with CG elements so seamless you'd never realize it was a fully digital production just from watching it-- to the inventive story and realistic portrayal of its heroine, everything about "Spirited Away" is an unqualified success. It's this last quality, the believability of Miyazaki's characters, that distinguishes his films from the more simplistic tales that tend to dominate American animation. Has there ever been a young girl as true to life as "Spirited Away"'s protagonist, Chihiro? She starts out as a sullen, whiny, and somewhat unlikeable child, unhappy about moving to a new home and leaving her old school and friends behind; but once her parents get turned into pigs and she has to go to work at the spirit bathhouse to save them, she gradually becomes a resourceful, courageous individual. And there's never a moment where the story becomes unbelievable, even when she's dealing with a gargantuan radish spirit or the mysterious, virtually non-verbal No Face. (It would be possible to write an entire essay on No Face alone-- he's a philosophical argument brought to life in the context of an animated fantasy, and how often do you see that?) I'd seen "Spirited Away" in its original Japanese version, on an import DVD, prior to its U.S. release, and wondered how it would be possible to translate it in a way that would make sense to an American audience. Fortunately, John Lasseter did a magnificent job with the dubbing-- this is the first time I've seen a dub that's every bit as good as the Japanese language soundtrack. In particular, Daveigh Chase gives what has to be the finest voice performance ever by a child actor as Chihiro. There are a few explanatory additions that purists might find annoying, and a couple of new lines added at the end, but the English language script is remarkably faithful to the original, and while I normally prefer to watch anime in Japanese with subtitles, with "Spirited Away" I actually enjoy the dubbed version even more. It's unfortunate that Disney didn't give "Spirited Away" a wider release; the audiences I viewed it with were mesmerized, especially the children, and I have no doubt it could've been a massive hit if it hadn't been treated as an art film (though it certainly is a work of art). I hope more people will discover it when the DVD comes out; but you really need to see it on a big screen to fully appreciate its visual majesty. I've seen it four times, and each time I discover something I hadn't noticed before. Most animated films are marketing-driven products; "Spirited Away" is a magical experience, as close to poetry as a movie could possibly be.
Rating:
Summary: Art, yes. Plot, no.
Review: I have to rate this five stars, despite the eco-babble plot, because the artistry is overwhelming. Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" is fine art. Disney's marketing strategy worked just fine, as far as I can tell -- that is, limited release, followed by limited release even unto Des Moines, Iowa, rewarding expected behavior by animeniacs, followed by release to DVD. Excellent. This is literally like owning an original Picasso, and as the shelf life of Disney's chosen DVD surface media gradually erodes over the next 0.5 decades or so, the few surviving copies may even accumulate fiduciary, as well as superbly aesthetic, value. The plot is typical Miyazaki ecology maunderings; if you could stand it in Mononoke Hime, you can stand it in Sen to Chihiro. It's a minor defect, what Hitchcock used to call the "McGuffin."
Rating:
Summary: :) This movie made me smile, cry, and laugh
Review: How can you not be pulled in by the wonder of a Miyazaki film? This movie took me on a wonderful adventure; he has created the best film I have seen thus far. The lessons for both adults and children alike in this creation can not be missed by either generation, for adults it will be deep and thought compelling, for children it will be their simple understanding that will pull it all together. Like ‘My Neighbor Totoro’, ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’, and ‘Princess Mononoke’ he as created another deep film that will take you somewhere you have never been before. How can you not give this film ***** 5 Stars?? This will be another film to be placed in my collection that will grow with my children, and theirs, do not think of this as just another Disney Classic this film and all others by this director are in a category all their own.
Rating:
Summary: Another masterpiece!
Review: I've loved Miyazaki's work for a long time. I had the special opportunity to meet and speak with him (thru my japanse girlfriend) opening night at the El Capitan Theater (Disney, Hollywood) during the filming of what we were told was to be included in the DVD Extras. If you love Totoro, Kiki, Mononoke, this one will top them all. The movie includes characters found in previous movies, but they do not make their presence obvious. The giant "Daikon Kami" is just a small representation of the imagination and brilliance of Miyazaki. This movie was originally produced for younger sub-teenage children, but as his previous works attest, a more mature audience can also appreciate the superb animation, voice talent, lip-to-speech calibration (for the english dubbed) and overall storyline. I have recommended numerous adult friends to go watch this in the theater, and none have come back with negative This one is not to be missed.
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