I really wanted to like this movie more.

Rating: 5/10 (26 May 2003)

I can count on one hand the number of animated films I thought achieved the potential of the medium. I am almost always disappointed by them; so much so that I've started to actively dislike the genre. After hearing all the praise for this movie, I really, really wanted to be proved wrong. Even though I found myself admiring some of the artistry in Spirited Away, overall I felt very letdown. First, like during almost every animated film that I see, I got a bad headache while watching it (if this always happens to anybody else, please contact me). Second, the main characters look far too cartoony compared to the lavishness of the background scenes. If someone can enlighten me as to *why* animators, from an artistic point of view, not pragmatic, choose to do this, let me know. Third, why do animated characters always have to be so clumsy? Here, it was part of Sen's development, but animated characters are always dropping things, slipping here, fumbling there. Sure, it can be used to convey dynamicism to the inanimate drawings but, for me, it is at the expense of realism. Lastly, besides the most trite of statements (e.g., pollution is bad, whining is bad, gluttony is bad, greed is bad, etc.), I find the movie without a deeper message. Or, among the messages it does hold, I find none of them presented movingly enough such that offenders would change their lifestyle. I did like the music and some of the comedy. And I admit that many of the visuals will stick with me for a long time. My favorite moment (no real spoiler) is when the hamster interacts with the footprint and the sootballs. What's puzzling about this little scene is that it is completely unnecessary and even detracts from the storytelling; yet it works. I gave the movie 5/10.