Spirited Away

Review by Clint Morris

Destined to be one of animated cinema’s high points, Hayao Miyazaki’s anime sparkler Spirited Away first came to form as a Japanese film.

But, auspiciously realising the wide audience appeal of this and other Miyazaki classics, Disney bought the rights and hired Pixar’s John Lasseter and Disney’s Kirk Wise to administer an English language version.

And you’ll be glad to hear nothing is lost in the process and now, I’m certain, more audiences will discover what could be the most wondrous animated-family film in years.

Spirited Away is quite disparate from any other animated or family film on the market.

It’s narrative is unexplainable; it’s course not only volatile but ingeniously outlandish. Yes folks, finally an animated magnum opus where the story comes before the ink.

A 10 year-old girl, Chihiro (voiced by Daveigh Chase) accompanied by her parents, ventures through an opening that leads to the world of spirits.

After a witch, Yubaba (Suzanne Pleshette), turns Mom and Dad into pigs, Chihiro must find a alcove in the spirit world, where humans are not well thought-of, and figure out a way to sway Yubaba to change her parents back into humans and to send them all home.

With help from Haku (Jason Marsden), Yubaba’s boy novice, and Lin (Susan Egan), a “big sister” type, Chihiro gets a job at Yubaba’s bathhouse for sprits, and there her quest to abet her family begins.

Spirited Away, while almost beseeching for a live-action treatment, is so at home in the world of animation. It’s peculiar storyline and even stranger bunch of characters make it the perfect treat for lovers of all things toon.

There’s a lot more going on in the storyline that younger viewers mightn’t pick up on – but they’ll still merely be in awe at the extra detail that’s gone into crafting a divine looking and joyously pleasurable yarn.

The English version might even possess something the Japanese version doesn’t – the lovely, heart-pilfering Daveigh Chase (Lilo and Stitch) voicing the charming Chihiro. In addition, she’s backed by a slew of fittingly plucked tongues, giving much depth to a hodgepodge of memorable faces.

Suffice to say, Spirited Away is a film not to miss. Move over Harry Potter, this is where the real magic’s at.

4 out of 5

Spirited Away
Australian release: Thursday December 12
Cast: Daveigh Chase, Jason Marsden, Suzanne Pleshette, Michael Chiklis, Susan Egan, Lauren Holly, John Ratzenberger, David Ogden Stiers.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki.
Website: Click here

Brought to you by MovieHole