Bright colors, hype, and magic do not make a movie

Rating: Null/10 (28 October 2004)

I did not hate Spirited Away. But I have to be honest, if I was given the choice between this or Ghost in the Shell 2, I'd say Ghost in the Shell 2. I use that as an example to sort of obscure what people think my view on anime is.
But I am actually very knowledgeable. Spirited Away is one of those movies that is so loaded up with magic that it cannot be good for your health. Unfortunately, amidst this magic something is lacking. This film picks at environmental issues, but does not have any real insight. It has little real insight on anything.
Eye candy is great for some, but I was hoping to come out of the movie the same way I did when I saw Princess Mononoke: Awestruck, Trying to keep track of the numerous themes of the movie.
The story of Spirited Away is all there really is. Chihiro, a bratty young girl, is moving into a new town. Her parents take a 'shortcut' (people should stop doing that in movies) and end up at a Buffet table. They eat. Become pigs. Good for them. Now, Chihiro finds herself working at a bath house for spirits, where she must work until the witch who runs the bathhouse frees her parents. And of course, we get memorable characters. Not nearly as memorably as those from Miyazaki's earlier pig Film Porco Rosso.
Its a good family film, but those who wish for something more will ultimately find it unsatisfying. **1/2/****