This is a wonderful film for adults and children.

Rating: 10/10 (6 March 2007)

This movie is one of the best animated films I've ever seen. I was impressed with not only the creativity it must have taken to make this film, but also the strength of the female protagonist. The little girl Chihiro is the hero of the story (a modern fairy tale), and she must rescue her parents, who have been magically transformed into pigs due to their gluttony. Interestingly, and in contrast to many traditional fairy tales, none of the "evil" characters is completely evil - each character has at least one redeemable quality (even Yubaba, the "evil" sorceress, is nurturing toward her baby), making the film seem more believable and natural. The overall themes of the movie appear to be ecological awareness, identity (remaining true to oneself), kindness, moderation (avoidance of excess consumption), nourishing one's spirit, and resilience (persistence in the face of adversity). I came away from this film feeling inspired and refreshed.