Spirited Away (2001)
Animation | Adventure | Family | Fantasy

"Spectacularly inventive." -- Jane Horwitz, Washington Post

From one of the most celebrated filmmakers in the history of animated cinema comes the most acclaimed film of 2002. Hayao Miyazaki's latest triumph, filled with astonishing animation and epic adventure, is a dazzling masterpiece for the ages. It's a "wonderfully welcoming work of art that's as funny and entertaining as it is brilliant, beautiful, and deep" (Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal).

Spirited Away is a wondrous fantasy about a young girl, Chihiro, trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free herself and return her family to the outside world. An unforgettable story brimming with creativity, Spirited Away will take you on a journey beyond your imagination. "To enter the world of Hayao Miyazaki is to experience a kind of lighthearted enchantment that is unique to the world of animation" (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times). It's a fantastic tale the whole family will want to experience over and over again.

This deluxe 2-disc set overflows with outstanding bonus features, including the Japanese television special about the making of the film, an inside view into the artistry of Miyazaki, and a storyboard-to-scene comparison. Spirited Away is a spectacular DVD the whole family will want to experience over and over again.

"A lovely, evocative tour de force." -- C.W. Nevius, San Francisco Chronicle

"One of world cinema's most wondrously gifted artists and storytellers." -- David Hunter, The Hollywood Reporter

"Spirited Away has the quality of a dream: It takes you places so foreign and fantastic you have no option but to yield completely to it and be spirited along." -- Don Irvine, Globe And Mail

"To enter the world of Hayao Miyazaki is to experience a kind of lighthearted enchantment that is unique to the world of animation." -- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times

"It's a beautiful experience, nearly perfect with a fragile flowing fluid score." -- Ross Anthony, Hollywood Report Card

"A masterpiece, pure and simple." -- The New York Times

Storyline: Chihiro and her parents are moving to a small Japanese town in the countryside, much to Chihiro's dismay. On the way to their new home, Chihiro's father makes a wrong turn and drives down a lonely one-lane road which dead-ends in front of a tunnel. Her parents decide to stop the car and explore the area. They go through the tunnel and find an abandoned amusement park on the other side, with its own little town. When her parents see a restaurant with great-smelling food but no staff, they decide to eat and pay later. However, Chihiro refuses to eat and decides to explore the theme park a bit more. She meets a boy named Haku who tells her that Chihiro and her parents are in danger, and they must leave immediately She runs to the restaurant and finds that her parents have turned into pigs. In addition, the theme park turns out to be a town inhabited by demons, spirits, and evil gods. At the center of the town is a bathhouse where these creatures go to relax. The owner of the bathhouse is... Written by Zachary Harper

User Comment: Jack Christal-Gattanella (Filmjack3) New Jersey • Spirited Away, the latest film from writer/director Hayao Miyazaki (a genius to Disney animators, such as to Toy Story director Lasseter who executive produced the film for the US), is a wonderful family film, that works on numerous levels for kids, not the least being the creative storyline, and for older kids and adults there are lavish backdrops and characters right out of, well, an anime movie. The storyline, by the way, follows a girl and how she finds herself in a fantasy world where her parents have been transformed into pigs and spirits and other strange creatures prowl the landscape, and she has to everything she can to stay human and get a way back home, thought she'll need help along the way.

A bit at times remeniscent of a Wizard of Oz or Alice In Wonderland in Japanese anime fashion doesn't dissapoint for a moment as a marvel of imagination. Even those strident fans of maturer anime pictures will want to look. Recomended indeed.

Summary: An anime treat.

--- JOYA ---

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