"Spirited Away": Finally, a film title that speaks the truth

Rating: Null/10 (31 July 2003)

While I personally have doubts over whether "Spirited Away" deserved the animated picture Oscar nod over "Ice Age," there's definitely no doubt that it's a mesmerizing work in its own right and easily puts the overblown "Princess Mononoke" to shame. This flawlessly dubbed (courtesy of Pixar, no less) version of Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece will draw you in and leave you breathless by the time the closing credits roll. From the foreboding environment of a haunted bathhouse and the imagery of twisted characters such as No-Face, Yubaba, and her Andre the Giant-sized offspring, to the heroine Chihiro (voiced brilliantly by "The Ring's" Daveigh Chase) and her courageous struggle to rescue her captive parents, it's near impossible to find anything here to criticize, but at just over two hours, it runs a tad too long and sometimes suffers from slow pacing. "Spirited Away" is more captivating than entertaining (which is not necessarily a bad thing), and is one of those rare movies that will stick to the subconscious for a long time. If this is the last anime film I ever see in my lifetime, I'll be more than satisfied. Disney continues to excel with animated films that aren't theirs. 8/10