The most imaginative movie...ever?

Rating: 10/10 (5 October 2002)

On a purely plot-oriented basis, Spirited Away could go down as a classic fable that charmed and touched millions of people world wide. That's on a PURELY PLOT-oriented basis. In actuality, Spirited away is so much more that it's almost indescribable. Trying to encapsulate in words what this movie is would be impossible for any reviewer, but many, including myself, will try.
Spirited Away is a visual landmark, not only in animation, but in the entire realm of story-telling. Every scene is perfectly crafted. The imagination that oozes out of every cell of this hand drawn movie is mind boggling. Hayao Miyazaki, the creator of Spirited Away, is considered one of the greatest animators of all time and with good reason. His movies have charmed viewers in Japan and American anime fans, like myself, for years. Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke rank as the #1 and #3 grossing movies in Japan's history. Both were made by Miyazaki.
However, while Mononoke was a nature oriented war epic, Spirited Away is like a child's fairy tale. It tells the story of a young girl named Chihiro who must escape from a fantasy world after her parents and her get lost in an abandoned Amusement park...to say more would ruin the film. Just know that every scene, plot twist and character from that point forward is perfectly crafted. The uniqueness and beauty of EVERYTHING you will see is unparalleled in modern film making...and it is all held up by beautiful hand animation and a marvelously touching story that does not draw lines between good and evil, but shows you every character as he/she is and allows you to be the judge.
Believe me when I say that the best decision you could make this year regarding movies would be to see Spirited Away. Your eyes, ears, and heart will thank you.