A masterpiece in every meaning of the word!

Rating: 10/10 (11 April 2008)

~Potential Spoilers below~ As you probably have read/heard, millions of people around the world are raving about Spirited Away. They ought to, since it is most certainly a masterpiece that will remain as such for many years to come.
When I first saw this movie, it was on a TV airing and it was right in the middle. I only watched for a bit, but the stunning animation made me come back for more. I rented the film, and I was completely amazed. The best way to describe this film is that of a dream sequence, with seamless transitions, gentle rolling musical tones, and perfect visuals. The imagination of Miyazaki apparently knows no bounds, as the array of spirits and characters shown in the film put Alice in Wonderland to shame.
The main plot of this film involves the 10-year old girl Chihiro moving to a new house with her parents. Along the way, they find an "abandoned theme park" and investigate. However, things are not as they seem when Chihiro's parents get turned into pigs for eating the food of the spirits and Chihiro herself is trapped in the spirit world and is completely alone. In order to survive, she must get a job in the spirit bath house, ruled by the witch Yubaba. From that point, she must demonstrate her inner strength and flexibility in order to survive and rescue her parents.
By far, my favorite part of the movie is the first quarter of it, the introduction of Chihiro to the Spirit World. The main reason is that it is a perfectly presented transition of a girl who lives in OUR world (as evidenced by the Audi her father drives) to the bizarre spirit world. Her reactions, emotions, and the subtle yet important contributions of characters like Lin and Haku just resonate within the viewer. Simply plugging yourself into Chihiro's shoes can let you feel an eerie connection with the emotions presented in the film.
After countless viewings of this film, I continue to be enthralled by the subtleties in the animation by Studio Ghibli. Some may say that the characters have the lesser amount of detail compared to the agreed-upon majesty of the backgrounds, but I disagree. Every emotion on Chihiro was captured, whether it is the nervous jitters you can see on her shoulders when asking Yubaba for a job, or the way she grabs her shirt when anxious. Every aspect combines to create a sort of realism that is no different than live-action films. The fact that most of it was hand-drawn is also amazing. In terms of story, the deep moral growth that Chihiro demonstrates and the various underlying morals injected by Miyazaki help to make this film a feel-good story for sure. I myself feel extremely at peace when watching this film. It is that good!
The main debate that goes on over fanatics of the film is whether or not to watch the English dub. Personally, I can agree on some levels that Daveigh Chase's voice can be irritating, but she also captured the emotions very well in my opinion, which is what counts. Also, her voice sounds much more appropriate given Chihiro's age, rather than Japanese VA Rumi's obviously older tones. The other main problem is the changing of certain dialog between the 2 versions. This is certainly evident, but I think it is mostly beneficial and helps to give a tad more explanation in certain places when needed, except with the final added line, "I think I can handle it" (This contradicts the statement by Miyazaki that Chihiro doesn't directly remember her experience at the end). I enjoy the Japanese version with subtitles as well, but it is more difficult to concentrate on the visuals of the film with the subtitles in the way...I say, enjoy both versions, and don't worry about it!
Don't get left out-watch this film. It may take a few viewings, but it is a true blessing to be able to understand its deeper meanings!