Miyazaki at his best

Rating: 10/10 (19 August 2011)

I've seen this movie a few times now and it never fails to entertain. In fact, I take something different out of it, or notice something I haven't noticed before each time. There is so much clever animation going on that it is visually a stunning movie to watch.
Miyazaki is renowned for his imagination, but what separates him from other animators and movie makers is that he doesn't invent for the sake of invention or to show off his intellect. There is real purpose to every scene, every character, every set and every bit of dialog.
As others have stated, there are a lot of parallels and commentary on pollution, social etiquette, greed and consumerism, but it's done in such a subtle and clever way that it never comes across as preaching.
The music is perfect and to get the real essence of the film, you have to watch it in Japanese with subtitles. The story, about a girl who goes in search of her missing parents only to end up in a bizarre spirit world, is simple yet brilliantly told.
Animation is superior to most of the CGI driven animations from Hollywood. The fact that Miyazaki insists on hand-drawn material for his movies really comes across in the characters. There is real depth to the sequences. This was my first Miyazaki film and I became an instant fan, having now watched a lot of Studio Ghibli titles.
Overall, the movie is fantastic, storyline simple but clever and the animation is absolutely mesmerising at times. Great for kids and adults, don't miss it.