Rating: 
Summary: Disney stomped on this one...
Review: This is the Disney-ized USA release of the original Japanese version. For comparison I have viewed a probably gray-market DVD of the original Japanese version with English subtitles.Every time I watch the original, it transports me to a refreshingly different, non-Western, faraway mind-state; quite unexpected at first, but eerily enjoyable. The artwork is lush and layered with detail that emerges only with repeated viewings. BUT... After a second viewing of the US theatrical release, I found myself increasingly disliking Disney's treatment. Chihiro's blossoming strength and courage (the whole point of the movie!) becomes inexplicable, for Disney has her now constantly mooning over Haku, and being mother-henned by Lin. Entire plot elements and dialog are unnecessarily messed with, and cheap shots, insults and inappropriate humor are added. Disney is determined that Chihiro/Sen stay a dependent kid in the Bathhouse, rather than become a peer to her coworkers, and who can hold her own in a strange world. As for Disney's releasing it as "Miyazaki's Spirited Away", are Uncle Walt's kids proclaiming their pride in presenting a work by animation's true Grand Master, or are they hastily disclaiming responsibility for such an alien, un-Disney oddity? I think it would be a tragic mistake for Disney to step on any more Miyazaki works as badly as they did this one. Perhaps Miyazaki-san might reconsider his deal with Disney... I'd encourage viewers to gain access to the Japanese original with directly translated subtitles (not the "dubtitles" that no doubt will accompany the US/Disney DVD), and compare for themselves. They just aren't the same story. I regret that I had to come back to change my review and downrate it. I just really hate what happened to Miyazaki's story.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Quite Princess Mononoke ...
Review: but engaging, imaginative, stylish, and inventive. Spirited Away gets off to a rather slow start, and the pace increases in fits and starts. The story line is sufficiently incoherent that it never grabs in the way that a great movie might, and you find yourself engaged in smaller episodes of the plot, rather than in one great story. Is that a flaw? In the end, I think it is. Episodic storytelling within a larger film is fine, but would be even greater were the larger tale gripping in its own right. It just isn't here, and it's hard to put a finger on why. Part of it, it seems, is its inability to land on being either chilling or silly, and its lack of passion--in comparison to Mononoke--is self-evident. In addition, the main character, as cute as she is, just isn't that engaging ... again, relatively speaking. But, I still enjoyed this movie immensely. Why? Startling and visually stunning creatures, eccentric and exotic stories and settings, real warmth (not the manufactured Disney-esque stuff), and a unique voice. Now, this is far closer to Disney than the director's earlier works. There is no undercurrent of unease or unrest here, or of a universe in which things might not be as comforting as we'd like. Perhaps that was part of an effort to make a movie more appealing to western sentiments. Watching Spirited Away is like visiting a culture both alien and familiar at the same time, with a reckless (in a good sense) creativity that one rarely sees in mainstream movies. The art is gorgeous, the curiousities compelling. Not a 5, but pretty darn close.
Rating: 
Summary: This is a great film, but not a "Disney" film
Review: I recommend this film very highly, but as a fair warning to parents with small children: this is not a "Disney" style film although it is an animated film repackaged by Disney for American audiences. 8 years old might be a minimum age for scenes in this film not to upset them; 10 years old and up (all the way to adult) is ideal.
Rating:
Summary: Unquestionably one of the great achievements of animation
Review: Seeing this SPIRITED AWAY was, for me, an almost transcendent experience. There are moments when encountering great art, where you feel completely taken out of yourself, and you seem to become a part of the world the artist is asking you to explore with him or her. Seeing this film was one of those moments. Miyazaki's vision was so vivid and compelling, that I found myself pulled into it as fully as I was into Narnia when reading C. S. Lewis's stories years ago or when first reading ALICE IN WONDERLAND. I believe this is one of the most remarkable animated feature films ever made. Unlike the Disney studios, Miyazaki never uses a classic but recycled tale, but always uses original stories. But also unlike the Disney movies, his supporting characters never seem to be stock or formulaic: they seem to flow of necessity from the stories themselves. This is especially true of SPIRITED AWAY. The beauty of this film can scarcely be exaggerated. As usual, Miyazaki eschews computer animation for sketching by hand. And unlike most other animators, who primarily function as overseers of other animators, Miyazaki contributed, as always, a huge number of the drawings in the film. More than any great animator in cinema history, Miyazaki has most contributed to the actual drawing of the images onscreen. The variety of colors and textures in this film are beyond description. They have to be seen to be appreciated. From beginning to end, this film will dazzle the eyes. As the single father of a daughter, I have always been conscious of films that make girls feel empowered. When my daughter was very young, she watched and rewatched the badly butchered though still watchable English language version of Miyazaki's WARRIORS OF THE WIND. She was utterly obsessed with the idea that a young girl could be a hero, and a very great hero as well. In this film, Chihiro is a young girl who is hardly the stuff of an epic hero, but I think any young child will be thrilled by this young, terrified, vulnerable girl forced to act bravely and heroically, and will find it easy to identify with her. This comes out magnificently in a scene where she has to walk down an enormous staircase. Each step seems as ponderous as someone attempting to mount the summit of Everest, but she keeps on going. Some have complained that the movie is too frightening for some small children, and that is perhaps true in some instances. I will add that one five year old boy I know who is a typical kid in his fears and phobias has seen the film twice. I do think that if one takes a child to this movie, they need to stay to the end. I find it almost impossible to recommend this movie too highly. Each person will have their own taste, but this may be my favorite animated movie ever. I certainly prefer it to anything Disney has produced, ever. And it is probably my own personal favorite of all of Miyazaki's films. If I like this as much as I do now upon a second viewing, I might even be willing to log my vote for SPIRITED AWAY as the best animated feature film ever made.
Rating: 
Summary: I *really* wanted to like this movie more
Review: I can't quite figure this one out.. Sure, there are some interesting allegorical elements to this film.. Sure, it is very imaginative at times. Sure, it held my interest for the most part.. But I just can't figure out why people are raving about it so excessively. I don't see anything that makes this a great film. At the best, it compares favorably to the average Disney release. Here are some of the problems I have with this movie. 1) The soundtrack is lousy.. My friend whom I saw the movie with said it best: it sounds like bad John Tesh music (is that redundant?). Some of the incidental music was passable, but the main themes were amateurish. 2) Many of the fantasy elements didn't seem convinving enough. This is a crucial element for me in an animation movie. 3) There didn't seem to be much of a point. I caught on to the anti-Western metaphors at the beginning: the amusement park in decay; the parents' gluttony and greed turning them into pigs; Chehiro's absence of greed (traditional Japanese virtue) being her saving grace. But these seemed forced and cliched, and anyways they were of secondary importance to the meat of the film -- slime, mud, morphing, derivative silliness, etc. (For a literary examination of the effects of Westernism in Japan, read Yukio Mishima.) Some things I did like about the film included the scenery (but I wasn't crazy about the way some of the characters were drawn), the soot critters, and the fluidity of the characters' personalities. The Yubaba/Zeniba dichotomy at first seemed ridiculous (oh great, a twin.. how original), but the way in which Chehiro begin to merge them in her own mind was very interesting. This might be a great movie for kids.. I went with a group of highly-educated adults who are particularly interested in the arts, and all of us came out bewildered by our disappointment in this movie. This movie came very highly recommended, and it failed to live up to the expectations.
Rating:
Summary: if you have small kids -- READ THIS!!
Review: I don't think I need to say anything from a critical or analytical standpoint -- it's all here already. Rather, I'm responding to those who feel it is too "scary" or "disturbing" for younger children. I can happily report that we took our 3-year old son to see it and he sat through the whole thing and is JUST FINE. Sure, he went "AAHHH" at a few parts, but laughed and/or clapped his hands at several more. (We are talking, incedentally, about a kid who who had to cover his eyes during "Monsters Inc." and "Jimmy Neutron.") It certainly seems far less scary than "Harry Potter." And it should be noted that "Spirited Away" is much less VIOLENT than many Disney animated features. Unlike "Lion King," "Beauty and the Beast," "Pocahontas," etc, etc., NO ONE DIES in this movie. Not even the "villian!!!" I recommend that if your kid gets too freaked out, just go with him or her to the lobby and get popcorn. The most intense moments are near the beginning of the film. **And of course, from an adult viewer's standpoint, I can only say that I found it to be as thought provoking as ANY live-action grown-up type movie. This is a REAALY great piece of cinematic art, up there with the best of Kurosawa, Bergman, Spielberg, et al.**
Rating:
Summary: Anime crossing over!
Review: This is a very good anime movie and I hope it starts a trend. Its interesting to me that Disney backed the dubbed anime but if it starts a trend I will be so very happy *crosses fingers* Now....back to the movie. This movie has amazing animation and a interesting plot. The plot has twists and turns and I think that it incorporates non-human characters much better then most american plots. This movie has okay dubbing, although the girl's (Sen, Chihiro) voice eventually grated on my nerves. I do think the voice actors were well cast tho'. I really enjoyed the entire movie, especially the ending, even if I might have hoped for a bit more closure. Overall it was a wonderful movie and I am very seriously debating buying it, this is a amazing thing for me considering my normal lack of money.
Rating:
Summary: A reason to go out to the movies
Review: I'd been hearing about this movie for quite a while, so when
I was in New York for my brother's wedding I took an afternoon
to go see it...and it was absolutely amazing. I saw the subbed
version (sorry...too many bad dub experiences to try that first, though others report the dub is well done). The story is a fairy tale, full of eye-popping imagery and twists on reality. Miyazaki did a beautiful job of capturing the surreal and blending it with the everyday. Even if you know the storyline, you can be dazzled by the way the images are brought to life on screen. The Ghibli animation is not just detailed rendering and fluid action, there is a great ingenuity in the way characters are drawn and presented and how scenes are laid out for the Spirited Away. Even if you never understood a word of the spoken dialog, there would be the eye-candy aspect of just seeing the images. Even scenes where no action is happening are full of sweep and scale. The world created for this movie seems lush and vibrant. Animation alone makes the film notable, but Miyazaki's work is also strong on story and characters. I love the way Chihiro is presented. She evolves from a moody/petulent child into the central heroine of the story. As she grows into the role she brings the audience over to her side. This film deserves the praise given it from critics. Hopefully it will draw crowds outside of the anime fandom. Spirited Away can hold its own against the best Disney offerings and maybe provide a few pointers for a studio that sometimes seems to be dumbing down productions in recent years. It may be straight out of Japan, but I think audiences from anywhere can be identify with the story and appreciate the artistry. Go see.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful experience
Review: Spirited away is truly a wonderful movie-going experience. The quality of the animation is much more evocative than those produced by the American animation juggernaut. The story truly stretches the imagination. One of a kind.
Rating:
Summary: Find this film and give it your support!!!
Review: This is truely one of the best films of the year, and the greatest family films of all time. A purely magical experience for all ages. It's not playing at every multiplex, but it's worth tracking down. You will not forget the experience that is Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro No Kamikakushi). You will need to see it more then once to take in all the beautiful images on screen. This is also a must for the big screen.
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