Needs a better story

Rating: 6/10 (4 April 2013)

SPIRITED AWAY is a well-regarded Studio Ghibli animation about a young girl's adventures in a fantastic netherworld filled with all manner of strange and terrifying creations. While it packs more imagination into one movie than ten Disney cartoons, it feels a little aimless and meandering, in search of a decent storyline to go along with the madcap creations.
In terms of visual spectacle, at times this is as good as it gets for an anime: every scene features all kind of kooky, uniquely-crafted monsters and creatures. My favourite has to be the three bouncing heads. Unfortunately, the protagonist - a sullen little girl - turns out to be rather irritating and her journey to greater understanding is slow and over obvious.
I'm inclined to like these Ghibli movies, but SPIRITED AWAY is no classic; it starts well and tails off, with a stodgy middle and better ending. So far, my favourites are those that take place in the 'real' world - like GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES and PONYO - rather than those that exist in a fantasy landscape, like this and the overrated PRINCESS MONONOKE.