La città incantata

Personally, I've never seen anything as original in an animated film as in this deeply mythical fairytale. What a surreal idea for a movie! It's hard to find an adequate description (because I also don't want to spoil this in the slightest way) but this film has a sense of "otherness" to it - for lack of a better word - like none I've ever seen. And the strange, mythical nature of this film - apart from the amazing artwork - is probably one of the main reasons for its appeal to me.

Maybe the themes of the story don't feel quite as strange to an eastern audience because they fit to a certain degree with some eastern/Asian mythologies - to me, this beautiful piece of wonder was something new. And a profoundly moving experience.

Outstanding animation; funny, weird, scary and touching at the same time, this unique work of art is one I can't recommend enough. 10 out of 10.

Favorite films: http://www.IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/

Lesser-known Masterpieces: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls075552387/

Favorite Low-Budget and B-Movies: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054808375/

Despite an overlong run time, Spirited Away is a visually stunning film filled with some of the most imaginative characters I've ever seen. In addition to the visuals, the music is beautiful, and the story has something for audience members of all ages.

There is simply no denying that Miyazaki is the Godfather of Japanese Animation, time and time again delivering works of such incredible beauty, such stunning visual and sensory delights, such mastery of storytelling, that one can only be left speechless. Overwhelmed. Intoxicated with wonder. Such is the magic of Spirited Away.

Much like Miyazaki's previous feature Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away is an epic fantasy that deserves no better medium than the stunning animation work of Studio Ghibli. This multiple award-winning masterpiece has grown to become the largest grossing film in Japanese history, and rightly so. From the moment our child heroine Chihiro enters the bath houses we are literally bombarded with an overwhelming sense of detail and rich, lavish colours rarely - if ever - seen in Western animation. Scenes such as Chihiro running through the field of flowers, the marvellous landscapes seen from the train, Haku and Chihiro soaring the skies above, and Chihiro running across the pipe to climb the walls of the bath house are nothing short of breathtaking, and undoubtably some of the most lavish animation ever to hit the screen.

The world of Spirited Away is bustling with life; unique, quirky, instantly lovable creatures jostling about their daily activities and tasks in the bath houses, dancing across the screen like leaves caught in a playful summer breeze. The inventiveness of Miyazaki's character designs is wonderful to behold, in fact not since classic tales like Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland and The Neverending Story have we been able to fall hopelessly in love with such original, quirky, magical, and fantastical characters. The viewer is plunged headfirst into another world for nearly two hours and one cannot help but be completely and utterly captivated.

The music and original score is stunningly beautiful, the original Japanese language track of such high quality that one wonders why someone could insult the work by producing a dub track at all. With a plot differing in its complexity on so many levels, from the basic storyline to the omnipresent universal themes, to the riddling of Japanese history and fable throughout, children and adults alike will be mesmerised from start to end. A magical, awe-inspiring, tearful, laughter-filled, heartfelt journey through a land of sweeping fantasy and dreams. Prepare to be Spirited Away......

I have seen many international films over the years and quite a few of these were Japanese. In addition, unlike many parents, I have seen a lot of anime that my kids have watched so at least I have some familiarity with the medium. Yet, with my background I still felt pretty confused and baffled by the strangeness of this movie. Now this isn't to say I didn't like it, but so many times I just couldn't understand exactly what was happening. Interestingly, when I saw the film again, I understood it much better and appreciated it much more. And this may be exactly how you might want to approach the film unless you already are a die-hard anime fan. See it, but be willing to see it without trying to think out the odd plot too much or even try seeing it several times. I know that each time I did, the film became more and more enjoyable and I began to notice so many cultural references. Now, several years after I first saw it in the theater, I have seen a lot more Japanese anime and films and it's practically second-nature to follow the film. So, for adults and those unfamiliar with the medium, this movie might take a bit of effort to fully enjoy, though with more and more children being familiar with and loving anime, it's very likely your kids will love it and will then be able to explain it to you!! As for the film, the animation is the best I have seen in any Miyazaki film, the story deep and fascinating and it's full of cute and endearing little touches that make the movie magical. See this with an open mind, please.

I really enjoyed this film-everything about it glows and shines in a gentle luminosity. This film, if you have seen some of Miyazaki's other work, is quite light. The characters are beautifully and lovingly created and the colouring and setting of this film is absolutely superb. This is a beautiful little film and I can't wait for the next feature from Hayao Miyazaki-he is better than Walt Disney.

Miyazaki blends the characters and the environment very well together, and I can see that this would be enjoyed for people at many different levels. Miyazaki enjoys creating female heroines and I was pleased that Chihiro lived up to the expression and beauty of her predecessors-like Nausicaa from the Valley of the Wind. This is beautiful and I would advise anyone to take a look at it's scope and serenity, along with it's fast paced plot and of course, the dreamlike settings that make it truly wonderful.