Life beyond Pixar

Rating: 9/10 (29 January 2004)

There's no doubt that Pixar Animation Studio is the greatest thing on animation in modern times. I use to love any effort by them, being Monsters, Inc. my all-time favorite so far. However, yesterday I rented this movie 'cause I've been hearing some great things about it, and after watching it, I just have to say that Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi it is not just a great movie, this adjective is almost insulting: it's awesome, it is spectacular, it is mind and sight challenging, and is a round film from wherever point you wanna see it. Said in a few words, it's a masterpiece of modern times, which spends most of his time in a parallel (and surreal) world of ancient Japan. Sen to Chihiro... has so many powerful stuff to stand out for. It has one of the strongest imagination I've seen in my entire life on animation, and also there's a lot of inventiveness, believable profiles on characters (and they're animated!), perfect on detail drawing (yes, hand made, traditional drawing), pulse accelerating action, humor, an outstanding and subtle soundtrack, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Even the closing song is not less than beautiful.
As much as I love and respect Pixar, this one blew me away enough to place it on the same level as the films made by the most popular animation studio. I just couldn't believe my eyes as I was watching it. Is that simple. This experience is magical, involving, marvelous, and one more great thing about it is that you don't have to be a manga fan manga to truly enjoy the trip; just have to be an animation lover. Well done animation. And that doesn't happen much; it did to me with The iron giant, but that was some time ago.

Mr. Miyazaki, I knew nothing about you or your work before Chihiro, but, from this point on, you have become my hero and I can't wait to have on my DVD player any other piece of animated heaven you've created.