Reel News - Spirited Away

Reviewed by Justin Colburn

The highest grossing film in Japanese box-office history (more than $234 million), Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away (Sen To Chihiro Kamikakushi) is a dazzling film that reasserts the power of drawn animation to create fantasy worlds. Like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and Lewis Carroll's Alice, Chihiro (voice by Daveigh Chase--Lilo in Disney's Lilo & Stitch) plunges into an alternate reality. On the way to their new home, the petulant adolescent and her parents find what they think is a deserted amusement park. Her parents stuff themselves until they turn into pigs, and Chihiro discovers they're trapped in a resort for traditional Japanese gods and spirits. An oddly familiar boy named Haku (Jason Marsden) instructs Chihiro to request a job from Yubaba (Suzanne Pleshette), the greedy witch who rules the spa. As she works, Chihiro's untapped qualities keep her from being corrupted by the greed that pervades Yubaba's mini-empire. In a series of fantastic adventures, she purges a river god suffering from human pollution, rescues the mysterious No-Face, and befriends Yubaba's kindly twin, Zeniba (Pleshette again). The resolve, bravery, and love Chihiro discovers within herself enables her to aid Haku and save her parents. The result is a moving and magical journey, told with consummate skill by one of the masters of contemporary animation. MPAA Rated: PG ("Some scary moments") --Charles Solomon, Amazon.com

Much to my amazement Spirited Away has come to Cape Girardeau. When it was initially released for American audiences back in September I thought there was no way either movie house in Cape would get it, but for whatever reason (Hell freezing over, full moon, the apocalypse, etc...) Spirited Away is here.

When Princess Mononoke was released in theaters a couple of years ago my friends and I all put off going to see it until it was too late. Fearful that we would squander another opportunity to see anime on the big screen, my friend Tim and I loaded into the car and made our way to the cultural Mecca (well at least by comparison) that is St. Louis. It was a weekday afternoon and the theater was practically empty, by the time the film started it was just the two of us sharing the theater with a mother and her young daughter.

Spirited Away isn't your average animated flick, in many ways I think it is too dark and overall strange (not to mention the cultural differences between Japan and America) for younger children. The characters and setting within the spirit world are so strange it helps you identify with Chihiro's position and sympathize with her situation. One of my favorite things about Miyazaki's storytelling is the clumsiness of his characters. It's a little thing, but there's something about watching Chihiro working as hard as she can, despite her natural clumsiness, to save her parents. It adds an element of realism to the film.

You should go see this movie two reasons: 1) it's anime on the big screen in Cape Girardeau; and 2) it's a great movie. Of course you'll have to act fast because it'll probably get canned after two weeks. Then again it is scheduled for release on DVD April 15, which will only be a week and a half after it leaves theaters. Either way, whether you rent it or see it on the big screen Spirited Away is worth the time. There have been very few movies that have literally left me speechless and none that have done so as effectively as Spirited Away.

If you see the movie and are interested in other work by Hayao Miyazaki I strongly recommend the following titles.

My Neighbor Totoro

Princess Mononoke

Kiki's Delivery Service

Castle of Caglistro

As well as the Nausicaa and the Valley of Wind manga.