Spirited Away- A masterpiece!

[Nick]

PeacefulWarrior,

Thanks for writing such a thoughtful review. I've written down the name and will look for it the next time I rent a DVD.

Very best,

[PeacefulWarrior]

Hey, no problem!  I hope you like it.

The film is just so magical that it reminds me of something in the astral...I wonder if the director has ever had an OBE.

[sublime]

I definitely agree, that movie was amazing. It was also really really weird but in a good way. I felt like I was in another world and because of that, i wasnt able to stop watching it.

[Fat_Turkey]

I'm a huge anime fan and I sooo wanted to see it in the cinemas, poor me [].

Nice review there.

BUT! I have to disagree with you on the fact that it's not the "typical" anime type. Anime is Japan's equivalent of Hollywood in America. They have all sorts of genres, ranging from the superviolent and I think retarded DBZ to the amazing works of Neon Genesis Evangelion and of course, Spirited Away.

There really isn't any typical anime out there. There's all sorts of styles![|)]

Later
-FT

[Athios]

Btw, if you like this movie, then you should definitely check out Princess Mononoke as well...   [|)]

[bomohwkl]

I watched that!

[PeacefulWarrior]

Thanks for the info!  I definetly don't pretend to know much about anime, the point I was making is that Sprited Away is definetly much different than most of the animated films that released here in the USA.  

I will check out that other film, the "princess" one.  Is it similar?

[Athios]

Yeah, it's also a fantasy type movie, and involves nature's spirits and stuff like that.

But of course, the same as I'd say for ALL movies I know I'm going to watch, it's best to know as little as possible beforehand, so you can just enjoy and explore the world portrayed by the movie.  []

Btw, both of these are made by Studio Ghibli. So if you like them, you can check out their other works...

[Fat_Turkey]

Studio GHIBLI??? Wow, they made Laputa, which I personally didn't really like. Princess Mononoke...damn I still have to see that one.

Later
-FT

[PeacefulWarrior]

I haven't even finished watching this amazing animated film, but I can wholeheartedly recommend it to you all.  This is a Japenese film but it's not the regular "anime" type...it's, well, wonderful.  It is full of enchanting visuals and an amazing narrative.  To tell you the truth it reminds me of an OBE or LUCID DREAM.  In fact there are more than a few allusions to these things (see through hands, chakra points illuminating, flying, spirits, etc.)

I am going to post some info, reviews and pics.  I hope at least a few of you check it out (it's avail on DVD and VHS for rent/purchase).  The Pixar animators say this is better work then they have done but it's too bad that US crowds didn't like it more...what can I say, most of us American's a culturally ignorant! []

SPIRITED AWAY
Hayao Miyazaki

ACADEMY AWARDS HISTORY
This is the first Academy Award nomination for Hayao Miyazaki.
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Country: Japan - 2002, 124 min.

Voices: Daveigh Chase, Rumi Hiragi, Miyu Irino, Suzanne Pleshette (Dubbed into English)

Rated: Parental Guidance. Not recommended for young children.

Awards & nominations:

2002 BERLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - won Golden Berlin Bear
2002 AWARDS OF THE JAPANESE ACADEMY - won Best Picture
2002 HONG KONG FILM AWARDS - won Best Asian Film

Synopsis: Miyazaki's SPIRITED AWAY is the latest cinematic triumph from Japan's most renowned filmmaker, Hayao Miyazaki. Adding to his impressive body of work, which includes such remarkable animated features as "Princess Mononoke" and "My Neighbor Totoro," this exciting new film is a wondrous fantasy about a ten-year-old girl named Chihiro, who is whisked away to a spirit world and must learn to overcome her fears and face unique challenges in order to save her parents and herself.

The most successful film ever to play in Japan, SPIRITED AWAY became the first animated feature in fifty years to win the coveted Golden Bear Award at the 2002 Berlin Film Festival.

Set in rural Japan, SPIRITED AWAY opens with ten-year-old Chihiro and her parents on their way to a new home in the suburbs. Having taken a wrong turn, the family arrives at what they believe to be an abandoned amusement park. Chihiro's parents are soon tempted by a buffet of irresistible food, which nearly consumes them as they consume it. They are quickly transformed into large squealing pigs.

When Chihiro searches for help, she finds a friend in Haku, a mysterious boy with magical powers. He introduces her to the spirits that inhabit the amusement park at night. Chihiro must go to work for Yubaba, a fierce old woman with a huge head and short body, who runs a hot springs resort for all manner of fantastic creatures and gods. Her experiences with these spirits, monsters and beings from ancient legends, lead to a series of extraordinary and entertaining adventures beyond her wildest imagination.

Review:  "Miyazaki's drawing style, which descends from the classical Japanese graphic artists, is a pleasure to regard, with its subtle use of colors, clear lines, rich detail and its realistic depiction of fantastical elements. He suggests not just the appearances of his characters, but their natures. Apart from the stories and dialogue, SPIRITED AWAY is a pleasure to regard just for itself. This is one of the year's best films." -- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
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SYNOPSIS

Directed by animation legend Hayao Miyazaki, SPIRITED AWAY is the tale of Chihiro (voiced by Daveigh Chase), a young girl who is taken down an unusual road by her parents while moving to a new home in an unfamiliar town. The curiosity of Chihiro's mother (Lauren Holly) and father (Michael Chiklis) leads the reluctant child into what appears to be an abandoned amusement park. Soon her parents are greedily feasting on various delights from an enticing food stand and are literally turned into pigs. The frightened and bewildered girl then encounters a young man named Haku (Jason Marsden), who explains what she must do to navigate this strange and magical realm. Finding employment in a bathhouse for spirits and other odd characters--including kimono-wearing frogs, lumbering tentacled monsters, and a mysterious apparition named No Face--Chihiro attempts to figure out how she can free her parents from the clutches of the resort's owner, a powerful witch named Yubaba (Suzanne Pleshette). In the process, she makes some very eccentric friends--and has to deal with some notoriously stinky customers.

A surreal adventure reminiscent of Lewis Carroll's ALICE IN WONDERLAND, SPIRITED AWAY continues Miyazaki's streak of groundbreaking animated films that also includes PRINCESS MONONOKE and MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO. Succeeding MONONOKE as the most successful film in Japanese cinema history, this charming movie follows its own bizarre yet engaging logic as it reveals a cast of fascinating characters and jaw-dropping settings through stunningly beautiful hand-crafted animation. A movie experience like no other, SPIRITED AWAY is sure to enchant audiences of all ages, leaving viewers grinning with a giddy sense of wonderment.


Theatrical release: September 20, 2002