A story of incredible imagination that is filled with amusing and intriguing characters.

Rating: 8/10 (22 May 2003)

Hayao Miyazaki, the writer/director of 1999s hit anime, `Princess Mononoke,' now brings us `Spirited Away,' the Academy Award winner for Best Animated Feature 2002. `Spirited Away' presents an interesting blend of traditional Japanese anime and computer animation with a fantastic story that is well drawn out. When broken down, the film resembles traditional mythology that has been handed down from generations and adds colorful characters full of wit and charm. The end result is a dazzling animated feature that not only entertains, but also gives the same morals that all classic fairy tales do.
The story follows that of Chihiro, a young girl who is traveling with her parents to their new home, when they stumble across an abandoned theme park. When inside, her parents are transformed into pigs after eating freshly prepared foods set out in the park. Little do they know that they have entered a realm in which the unimaginable is possible. With the help of magical friends that she makes along the way, Chihiro has to find a way to transform her parents back into human form and ultimately save herself and her new friends from the clutches of vile Yubaba, a witch that Chihiro is forced to work for in the realm of the spirits.	`Spirited Away' is filled with imagination that is reflected through its lively characters. Haku, a boy that aids Chihiro against the Yubaba, is able to transform himself into a dragon. Kamaji, a boiler room supervisor, has several arms that enable him to do several jobs at once. And Yubaba, a witch who is the boss of a bathhouse where spirits work, is a withered old lady whom although human in appearance, is much larger than any ordinary human.
The most notable part of `Spirited Away' was the relationship that it has with other classic fairy tales-most notably, the stories of `Pinocchio,' and `Alice In Wonderland.' First off, Chihiro's parents are transformed into pigs while eating food in a disgusting manor. As was the case in `Pinocchio' in which runaway boys have their fill of fun at a secret amusement park called Pleasure Island, where after words, the boys become donkeys. The idea being that if you are going to act like an ass, you become it. As reflected in `Spirited Away,' if you're going to act like a pig, you become it. Secondly, the film is similar to the story of `Alice In Wonderland,' in that a little girl finds herself in an unusual world filled with strange creatures, and all she wants to do is find a way home.
With its relationships to classic myths and fairy tales of yesteryear, `Spirited Away' is just as ground breaking as the original `Star Wars,' `The Lord Of the Rings,' and even `The Matrix,' in that all four of these films are representations of classic mythology and the fight of good conquering evil. The only difference between these films is the setting and characters, which is the reason that these stories can be made over and over again in film; there is an inherent fascination in people to discover new stories of heroes and villains.	In the end, `Spirited Away' proves to be a story of incredible imagination that is filled with amusing and intriguing characters. ***