"Finish what you started, Human."

Rating: 7/10 (15 August 2012)

Quite often I'll use the IMDb reviews and ratings to recommend a film, and that was the case here. With a ranking in the Top #50 as I write this I was anticipating something really special but was left somewhat disillusioned when it was all over. Probably the biggest disappointment for me was the lack of a coherent story line, or more specifically, the way the story veered off in completely different directions as if it was being written while the filming was already in progress. Story continuity seemed unimportant, one such example would be Master Haku's insistence with Chihiro that she must persist in getting a job from Kamajii the Boiler Man and refuse to take no for an answer. Failing to do so so would put her in jeopardy with Yubaba, but Kamajii simply recommends that Chihiro request a job from Yubaba directly, which she does.
There's also the instance when Chihiro, now Sen, recognizes the bloody dragon serpent as Haku. How did she know that, and more importantly, how does the viewer come to that same conclusion, other than Sen's say so? There was enough of this kind of stuff to bother me in terms of effective story telling.
I would surmise that Japanese anime is directed specifically at teenagers and young adults, and that's OK, just as it was back in the Fifties and Sixties with the explosion of monster films a la Mothra, Rodan and Godzilla. But to elevate "Spirited Away" to the level of masterpiece as some would suggest is carrying things a bit far to my mind. Perhaps in terms of technical achievement, one would have a point. The film is beautifully made and quite colorful, and some of the concepts seem original like the bathhouse for the spirits, but overall I was left unimpressed. Perhaps this is an acquired taste or maybe I'm too old to appreciate the genre, but this film didn't really do it for me. But you know what, I watched "Grave of the Fireflies" and I thought that was more thoughtful and insightful, so I'm not closed minded about the whole thing. I guess I'll have to try some other titles to see what works for me.