Spirited Away Review

Spirited Away


Release Date: 12th December 2002 - Australia


Production Companies
Studio Ghibli
Nippon Television Network (NTV)
DENTSU Music and Entertainment
Tokuma Shoten
Buena Vista International (English Dub)
Tohokushinsha Film
Mitsubishi Commercial Affairs

Distribution
Madman Entertainment (all-media)


Genre: Animation

Rating: PG

Runtime: 125 minutes

Budget: ¥1,900,000,000

Box Office Gross: $355,467,076 (Worldwide - figure subject to change)


Plot Summary

A ten-year old girl named Chihiro is moving to a new town with her family when they come across a seemingly abandoned amusement park. Despite the warnings of Chihiro about its haunted little town, her parents began eating some strange food which causes them to get turned into pigs and she discovers that the place is inhabited by supernatural beings that she encounters and is ruled by an evil sorceress. However, Chihiro is not alone, she must rely on a mysterious boy named Haku who will help her free herself and her family from the spell of this world that she had stumbled upon.

Voice Cast (English Version)
Daveigh Chase - Chihiro Ogino

Jason Marsden - Haku
Suzanne Pleshette - Yubaba/

Zeniba
David Ogden Stiers - Kamaji
Bob Bergen - No-Face/Frog
Susan Egan - Lin
Tara Strong - Boh
John Ratzenberger - Aniyaku
Michael Chiklis - Akio Ogino
Lauren Holly - Yuko Ogino

Crew
Writer/Director - Hayao Miyazaki
Director (English Version) - Kirk Wise
Adaptation: English Version - Cindy Davis Hewitt & Donald H. Hewitt
Chief Executive Producer - Yasuyoshi Tokuma
Executive Producers - Hironori Aihara, Koji Hoshino, Takeyoshi Matsushita, Yutaka Nurita, Banjiro Uemura, Seiichiro Ujiie & John Lasseter (English Version)
Producers - Toshio Suzuki &
Donald W. Ernst (English Version)
Production Designer - Norobu Yoshida
Art Director - Yoji Takeshige
Color Designer - Michiyo Yasuda
Animation Director - Masashi Ando
Cinematography - Atsushi Okui
Film Editors - Takeshi Seyama &
Rich Mackay (English Version)
Music - Joe Hisaishi


Awards

2003 Academy Awards
Best Animated Feature - Hayao Miyazaki (Won)


Review
'SPIRITED AWAY' is a beautiful and artistically produced anime movie that is brilliant. I positively review the direction by Hayao Miyazaki who made this film into a masterpiece that is so loved and well-acclaimed, as proven in his Academy Award win in 2003. I didn't know that the character of Chihiro sounded like the one out of 'Lilo & Stitch'. This is because the characters of both Chihiro and Lilo were voiced by Daveigh Chase. For those who are interested in anime or loved Miyazaki's work, 'SPIRITED AWAY' is not just the only anime film to win an Oscar for Best Animated Feature, but also the only 2D animated film to receive that award.

I can't say that I loved 'SPIRITED AWAY', but it is a great anime film for anyone who might want to experience it.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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