| . |
Spirited Away
(Reviewed August 26, 2002)
-
As of August 26, this animated Japanese fantasy is my favorite movie of 2002. The plot is deceptively simple--a little girl journeys to a spirit world--but the execution is incredibly imaginative, surreal,
surprisingly touching and hauntingly beautiful. Many of the images in this film are truly stunning, ranging from the elaborate and action-packed to the transcendentally serene, and the characters are both
odd and fascinating. Director/writer Hayao Miyazaki has created a masterpiece that is a genuine classic for all ages. (I'm embarrassed to admit that this is the first of his films I have seen--but now I
definitely want to check out his previous works, which include "Princess Mononoke," "Kiki's Delivery Service" and "My Neighbor Totoro.")
In the first few minutes of "Spirited Away," you will think you know exactly where things are headed. Boy, will you ever be wrong. Many of the twists and turns in the plot and the characters
Chihiro meets are truly bizarre. And even with a running time of more than two hours, the movie seems to end too soon--like a wonderfully strange, other-worldly dream from which you don't want to
wake.
Already the highest-grossing film ever in Japan (beating out "Titanic" there), the US version has been dubbed into English by voice actors including Daveigh Chase (Lilo of Disney's "Lilo &
Stitch"), who does an excellent job. It also boasts a terrific, frequently moving score by Joe Hisaishi.
I absolutely loved this movie, and I can't wait to see it again.
Back Row Grade: A+
(Return to index by closing this window)
|
. |