Spirited Away

I caught this at AMC Theatres (went by myself).

Anyway... the critics are spot on here...

Personally, I’d rank it slightly below Princess Mononoke, but it's miles
away from those recent Hollywood animated flops.

The characters are incredibly vivid, and there are so many of them.

Bottom line: GO WATCH IT. You won't regret it.

irontiger25 said:In my opinion, it doesn't quite hit the heights of Princess Mononoke, but it’s still miles ahead of most other stuff out there.
It’s just such a long way to go...

Princess Mononoke is probably one of the worst movies Hayao Miyazaki has ever made, at least when you look at the plot. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but it feels way too "Americanized" and commercialized for my taste.

I know, I know—it might not look that way at first glance because the animation and production quality are honestly top-tier. But if you actually sit down and compare it to his other work, you can tell it’s just not quite on that level. I guess it works fine as a gateway drug for newbies who haven't seen much and just need an introduction to the world of anime, but once you dig deeper, there are definitely better things out there to watch.

On the other hand, I guess you could argue that Spirited Away is easily one of his greatest hits. It definitely stands out as one of Hayao Miyazaki's most iconic works, right up there with Nausicaä and Totoro.

irontiger25 said:I guess we could talk about some of the more recent animated stuff coming out of Hollywood.

I haven't seen a single American animated movie that actually beats Spirited Away, and honestly, I doubt I ever will.

irontiger25 said:The characters they throw into this story are just incredibly fleshed out, and honestly, there are so many of them.

When it comes to the character lineup, we’ve basically got this massive crossover cast pulled from old Studio Ghibli classics, mixed in with various bits of Japanese mythology and just pure Hayao Miyazaki imagination.

irontiger25 said:Seriously, just go watch it. You won't regret it.

Definitely...👍

Adam Wright56 said:I get it—at first glance, the animation and production quality look top-tier, but when you stack it up against his other work, it doesn't feel quite as groundbreaking. It’s a solid entry point for newbies who haven't explored much of the genre yet, but there is definitely better stuff waiting for them down the road.

I can vouch for that, since it was actually the first anime I ever watched. I’ve never regretted it once. It's an absolute classic in my book!

On the flip side, Spirited Away is undoubtedly one of his greatest achievements and stands alongside masterpieces like Nausicaä and Totoro.

Saw "Spirited Away" at AMC Theatres. It is totally weird and I absolutely love it. One of my favorite little details (out of many) is that lamp on the post with the little hopping foot at the bottom. ^_^

casualotter21 said:I can back that up since it was actually the first anime I ever watched. And honestly? No regrets. It's an absolute classic to me.

MH was my first introduction to Hayao Miyazaki too, and after finishing it, I was just... well, wow.

The thing is, once you move on to other stuff—like his earlier films—you kind of realize the foundation was already there. You see that those themes existed all along, maybe even with a tighter plot, better atmosphere, and being about half an hour shorter.😁

Anyway... I'm just waiting for Spirited Away to drop on DVD so I can finally grab an officially licensed version to add to my collection, alongside the mountain of Divxev and Fansubbers I've got sitting around the house.😁

This movie is incredible. It’s basically the Japanese take on Alice in Wonderland. Definitely worth checking out...👍

Chihiro's rule; the whole world is just completely flipped upside down—totally weird and unpredictable 👍

irontiger25 said:Personally, I think it's weaker than Princess Mononoke, but it's still miles
ahead of anything Hollywood has put out lately in animation.

Hmm. 🤔 Not for me. Actually, I dig it more.

Definitely one of the most beautiful and bizarre animated fairy tales ever made... 👍 👍 👍

Carol Jackson45 said:It’s honestly one of the most beautiful and bizarre animated fairy tales ever made... 👍 👍 👍

Maybe go watch "Pom Poko," which is also from Studio Ghibli, before you call this one "bizarre."😁

Just kidding... I guess it isn't actually *that* weird...😉

If I actually sat down to list everything I love about "Spirited Away," I probably wouldn't be finished until sunrise... so I won't even bother. 😁

But anyway, I was at AMC Theatres today and noticed they scheduled a screening for 7:00 PM. 👍

glupinickname said:I can definitely vouch for that—it was actually the very first anime I ever watched.

I felt the exact same way. To be honest, I was feeling pretty cynical about Japanese animation in general because of some of the more grating stuff out there—like Pokémon, for instance. But Little Chihira's Adventure completely blew me away. And, just like Abraxas mentioned, it really does have those dreamy, surreal vibes reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.

I honestly think this movie is just awesome.

It seems like it's pretty common for Japanese creators to make these super psychedelic and bizarre animated films, I guess.😁

I was watching this movie at AMC Theatres about two months ago, and get this—I had the entire theater to myself. Unbelievable.😲 😲 It was the first time I’ve ever watched an anime, and honestly? It blew everything else out of the water. It’s miles ahead of those loud, obnoxious Pixar movies from Hollywood; I don't even need to waste my breath explaining why. Watching it was a total shock to the system. A completely new experience... the animation was gorgeous, the characters were incredibly imaginative, and the story was packed with these weird, surreal details. Just perfect. I'm obsessed.🙂 Does anyone know if there are any Miyazaki films available on streaming or Blu-ray? This guy is a straight-up genius.

Well, you’ve got Princess Mononoke...

The film is nothing short of a masterpiece... though I simply have to take a moment to mention the absolutely brilliant score composed by Joe Hisaishi, who remains my absolute favorite composer from the era of Takeshi Kitano's films—he actually scored nearly all of them, if you don't count Zatoichi. 👍
p.s. And if I recall correctly, he also did the music for Princess Mononoke.

Abraxas said:This movie is amazing. It’s basically the Japanese take on Alice in Wonderland. Definitely worth checking out.👍

Personally, I think The Cat Returns is a much better "adaptation" of Alice in Wonderland.
Maybe we'll finally get a theatrical release here in the States one day.
Or at least see it pop up on Blu-ray.

Robert Cooper41 said:The movie is pure genius... but I have to give a shout-out to the incredible score by Joe Hisaishi. He's my absolute favorite composer from the Takeshi Kitano era (he scored almost everything he did... except for Zatoichi)👍
p.s. Pretty sure he did the music for Princess Mononoke, too.

Exactly. Joe actually composed the soundtrack for
Princess Mononoke. But honestly, he’s done the music for most of the Ghibli
films as well.

Not gonna lie, just reading the title made me think this was some trashy teen flick.😂 😂 😂

D Evil or not to be said:Exactly. Joe Hisaishi did the score for
P.M., but he also worked on most of the Ghibli
films too.

Yeah... I guess Hisaishi to Miyazaki is kind of like Danny Elfman is to Tim Burton. 😉

He also scored Laputa, Kiki, Pig, and that Princess Mononoke movie I mentioned earlier. (I don't think he did Totoro, 🤔 ) Personally, though, I think his best work is the Nausicaä soundtrack. 🙏

This animation really pushes the boundaries; it’s a complete departure from the typical style you see being produced here in the States, but man, it is absolutely brilliant, fun, and bursting with imagination. It’s just so playful. You can practically feel the original ideas pouring out of every frame, capturing all that lush, sweeping beauty of the world through the eyes of a little girl.

I seriously couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that horse tool just... swallowing everything up...

Oops, was that from some little Spirited Away adventure? 😳 😳

Nah, I've seen Spirited Away—that's more like, an adult cartoon if you ask me... 😳 😳

Willard said:The guy I work with saw the movie title and honestly thought it was some low-budget teen porn.😂 😂 😂

Yeah, well, that’s just one more gem you’d find on those lists of terrible movie title translations.

Whenever US distributors have a choice between several possible titles, they somehow always manage to pick the absolute worst, most inaccurate option. 🙄 👎

I guess even if they had gone with "Alice in Wonderland" (as an allusion to Alice) it would have been better, and arguably more accurate, than this mess. 😉