An extraordinary achievement of animation, perhaps the best ever made

Rating: 10/10 (27 February 2005)

Upon hearing that this became Japan's highest grossing film ever, I went out of my way to look for a theater that had this movie here in the states. I traveled some, paid top dollar for the ticket, and, after seeing it, was totally blown away by the experience I had. I had no doubt in my mind that I have seen the best movie of the year, and quite possibly the best animated movie I have EVER seen.
The story starts with a young girl named Chihiro, and her family, moving to a new place. When they wander into what seems like an abandoned theme park and her parents start to eat prepared food (but with no one around to attend them), they turn into pigs. Chihiro runs and encounters a bathhouse for the gods and spirits. With the help of a young boy named Haku, Chihiro learns that in order to reverse the effects of her parents dilemma, she must work in the bathhouse. Life isn't easy, not even for the gods. She'll come across bizarre creatures & places. She will learn hard work, the sense of loss, greed, & the importance of friendship and love.
It's dreamy-like quality, it gorgeous scenes, and it's incredible list of characters (frogs that talk, a dragon, a baby that is 12 feet tall, a multi-armed boiler-room man) will keep you glued to the story.
Children will love this film, yet it is sophisticated enough for adults to enjoy and relish in it's beauty. It does have it's scary bits and images, however, so very young children may be frightened. But this is still the type of movie that you go out and buy, even if you don't have children. So imaginative is the world that Chihiro falls in, thoughts of 'Alice in Wonderland' & 'The Wizard of Oz' may come to mind. But 'Spirited Away' ends up with it's own originality. It's a timeless piece, and will eventually be a classic that will no doubt be shown to generations.
In the DVD, Disney made sure that the voice acting for the English version is top-notch, but, even if you don't liked dubbing, you have the option to switch to Japanese with subtitles.
How could 'Spirited Away' become the first anime film to be nominated for, AND WIN an Academy Award? How did it gross $200 million before it even came to the states? The answer lies in mastermind creator Hayao Miyazaki. So well known in Japan, he is now getting the recognition he deserves internationally. With past hits like Princess Mononoke, Miyazaki and his studio, Ghibli, have created outstanding features that very few animation studios can even match. Their movies are hand-drawn, without all the CGI that many studios are using. Amid the fact that Disney has distributed these treasures, I would say that there isn't much in the Disney vaults that can even come close to matching what Miyazaki and his studio have produced.
Do not hesitate to watch this magical, enchanting, and rare gem that we have the privilege to see. And if you have seen it, go out of your way to view the rest of Miyazaki's films, like 'Nausicaa', 'Castle in the Sky', & 'Kiki's Delivery Service'.
Undeniably a perfect 10 out of 10