A fantastic animated film that will delight children and fascinate everyone.

Rating: 10/10 (12 June 2012)

Spirited Away, otherwise known as the movie that catapulted Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki to international fame, is a terrific viewing experience. While I enjoyed the excellent Princess Mononoke more, I can easily say that this is the better movie.
This movie is about a young, slightly spoiled girl called Chihiro. While driving to her new house, her father accidentally turns down the wrong road. They come to a strange tunnel built into the hillside, and despite Chihiro's protests, both her parents decide to have a look. On the other side of the hill, they come across a strange looking town with no one in sight. Chihiro's father realizes it's an abandoned amusement park, and they begin to explore, although Chihiro herself wants to turn back. While in the amusement park, Chihiro's parents discover a large table set with delicious food, which they immediately start to eat, gorging on it. Chihiro wanders off alone, but then is approached by a young, handsome boy who warns her to leave. She returns to her parents, but is horrified to discover they have been turned into pigs. She is whisked away by the young boy (named Haku), who explains that after dark, the abandoned theme park turns into a refuge and bathhouse for spirits. At his advice, she gets a job in the lively bathhouse under the command of Ubaba, the boss of the house. Ubaba turned Chihiro's parents into pigs because they had gorged on a feast for the spirits. Chihiro begins working in the bathhouse, hopeful that her parents will be turned back into humans before it's too late.
Spirited Away won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film and it's not hard to see why. Every frame is filled with color and life and the characters are ones that you'll remember for a long time. As always with Studio Ghibli movies, the music is brilliant, with wonderfully beautiful songs like the piano solo "Inochi No Namae" (The Name Of Life) and "Always With Me", which is played during the end credits. A common theme that runs through Studio Ghibli movies is that of a strong female character. It's refreshing to see an anime girl that isn't loud and annoying. Chihiro is a great character: she's brave, smart and likable, with lots of life and spirit.
Spirited Away is (in my opinion) one of the greatest animated films ever made. Children will watch it for the vibrant color and animation, and adults will watch it for the compelling storyline. Whatever your age, you are sure to love this movie.