Japanimation at its best

Rating: Null/10 (2 June 2003)

Films from Japan never lack in creativity. `Spirited Away' is certainly no exception. It's a movie fit for kids that even adults can appreciate in that this film uses creative muscles you thought never existed.

`Spirited Away' came to U.S. shores thanks to a deal with Disney. Thought the original version of the film was in Japanese, fear not, because Disney handymen did an excellent job of removing the seams from the overdubs.
The movie is a modern interpretation of an Alice-in-Wonderland-type adventure of young Chihiro (voice of Daveigh Chase), who finds herself in the land of the spirits when a family trip turns awry. She desperately searches for a way out of the zany underworld. In order to do that, and save her parents that had turned into gargantuan pigs, she took up employment at a bathhouse for affluent ghosts. There, she meets a troop of unlikely friends eager to help her out of her predicament-including a mysterious boy named Haku (voice of Jason Marsden).
The movie slides into a roller coaster of strange characters and unbelievable twists; it keeps you guessing what could possibly happen next. Woven into the story are dragons, body-less heads, mystical dragons and magical spells. No fantasy, myth or eastern spirituality is spared.
The film blends a well-animated backdrop of colorful creatures and splashing scenes together, complete with pre-Meiji architecture. In other words, the city of the spirits conjures up memories of traditional Japan. People look like typical Japanamation characters: enormous round eyes and small features. Throw in some walking sludge piles and an elderly witch with a protruding beak for a nose and you have a recipe for intrigue.

The character development was a bit weak, considering the number of incredulous situations Chihiro manages to get herself into and the strange creatures she meets. She seems remarkably calm in the face of the barrage of hideous creatures, including a ghoul with an appetite for anything on two legs. Also, the voice of Chihiro is unusually whiny-even for a kid.
These small tidbits did not stop director/screenwriter Hayao Miyazaki from lining his shelves with trophies for the movie. The film received awards everywhere from the Berlin Film Festival to the New York Film Critics Circle for both best animated film and best foreign film.
At any rate, this film will be a winner for any kid looking for a different type of film. It ties together influences from The Neverending Story and the Wizzard of Oz in a completely new perspective. Granted, Disney movies-backed with plenty of corporate advertising-usually take home the more money. However, this film-available now on video-delivers an imaginative script and a vivacious palette of hues and scenery.