Half of a great film

Rating: 6/10 (19 December 2004)

A truly bizarre film (whose English title, Spirited Away, perfectly sums up the film) about a little girls adventures in a bath house for gods and demons. There isn't much in the way of plot, but it sure makes for some interesting viewing.
It really feels like stepping into someone's dreams (or rather, nightmares). The film had a kind of warped sense of humour that I really enjoyed. Sadly, it also has some elements that left me completely in the dark. If this is due to the fact that I'm not used to this kind of films and mythology, or if things just get lost in translation, I'm not sure. But the first hour is really good, while the second one drags on forever and loses much of the charm of the earlier bits.
The animation takes a little time getting used to. At first, I thought it looked pretty crappy (growing up with Disney and 3D-animation will do that to you), but after a while I could thoroughly enjoy the movie. The animation on the film's heroine Chihrio is especially amazing. All in all, I wasn't blown away by it, but it was still much more entertaining than expected. [6/10]