Beware! Not a movie for a child under 9!

Rating: Null/10 (17 October 2002)

I took my son to see this movie a few days ago, as the coming attractions looked innocuous enough (hey, it's distributed by Disney, right?). Little did I know that the images would be so frightening and grotesque. Don't get me wrong, animation was GORGEOUS, right down to the rippling water in the stream, although Chihiro looked more like your standard anime character than did her parents.
I would not recommend this for a child under 9 years old (my son is 7), as the images and theme are a bit overwhelming. After a bathroom break, my son told me he didn't want to watch the movie. Mommy Dearest that I am, I made him go back in, reminding him that it was a fantasy and that everything would work out in the end. He said he enjoyed it, but last night came in to my bedroom at 3:30am, saying he had a nightmare that included one of the characters in the film.
You've been warned!