Solving problems without violence

Rating: 10/10 (29 August 2002)

Spirited Away is the latest in a string of incredible animated films by Hayao Miyazaki, the most renowned animator in Japanese history and most say in the best in world. He takes a couple steps close to the best in the world title with this film.
It's the story of Chihiro as she is caught in a world where humans are not allowed: a world of magic, gods and a Japanese bathhouse. As we meet Chihiro we realize that she is a bit spoiled and has never done anything for herself. As her adventures progress, she matures in ways that she doesn't even realize. This is a journey of self-discovery and a study in forced independence.
Many have compared it to Alice In Wonderland, but where Alice, I thought, was a two-dimensional character going from adventure to adventure, Chihiro is well rounded. She figures out how to be adaptable to an ever-changing world and discovers how to solve her problems instead of running away from them. She is a `real' girl shoved into a world of Japanese mythology where she is ignorant of the rules.
And her problem solving is the best part of the film and the reason I liked this one better then Princess Mononoke. Chihiro uses her kindness, courage and courtesy as her weapons. Even when violence erupts all around her, she relies on her wit and intelligence instead of magic, swords or arrows. These are lessons that children should be exposed to instead of explosions and gore that make up a lot of cinema. If I had kids, you bet I'd be taking them to see this one.
But don't get me wrong; this film is able to thrill adults, too. It is so full of imagination the film seems barely able to contain itself. While it is not as lush as Mononoke (it may have been the print I saw), Spirited Away is gorgeously animated and the dubbing work is almost perfectly synched. In fact, after Chihiro is whisked away I didn't even notice anything out of place.
There were; however, about three scenes that I remember thinking that the score seemed out of place and became distracting, but that's my only complaint. I can easily see why this is Japan's biggest moneymaking film of all time. It's a story well told with visuals beautiful to behold. It's simply timeless.