Movie Review: Spirited Away

   I finally got my hands on the movie "Spirited Away". I've been waiting for years to see this movie, is it worth the hype? Let's find out!

   Released in 2001, Spirited away is about a girl named Chihiro, and her family, who is moving to a new home in a new town. On their way to their house, they stop by this strange structure with a long tunnel. On the end of the tunnel, they arrive in a huge grassy field with some abandoned structures they thought was an old "amusement park". Exploring around and following their noses, they stop by a food stand with steamy hot food, with no one around at all. The parents take part in the bounty, and while Chihiro, being the scardy cat she is, explore the abandoned structures and scenery around her, because she doesn't want to eat the food. She ends up in front of a huge bath house and meets Haku. Haku warns Chihiro about the impending night and advises her to leave before the torches are lit. She hurries back to her parents too late and discovers they have been turned into pigs and the abandoned structures are actually a refuge for the spirits, who loves taking baths for some reason. With the help of Haku, and the other friends she meets along the way, She summons up the courage she never knew she had, to find her way home while trying to save her parents from being eaten by these spirits.

•    First and foremost, this movie is beautiful. Everything is rich, vibrant, and is basically, food for your eyes. I still get a warm feeling inside when I think about it.
•    The characters are full of personality and character. I like that diversity in the movie, it made it funny, serious, and magical. I think it definitely gave this movie some depth.
• No problems with the voice acting and dubbing, Pixar/Disney did a great job with this one.
• I would've loved to see more character or plot development, It felt a bit rushed with that. Even though it was like that, you are still not missing much from the story.
• This is a pretty long movie. It felt a little dragged out near the end, but then when I thought I had enough, the credits rolled. This movie originally was supposed to be longer, and I credit Miyazaki for shortening this film. Even though it would be interesting to see the parts he cut out from the story.

   I didn't think much of this movie when I first was watching, to be honest, I find any fantasy thing to be a little weird. I've learned with these type of movies, you have to get past the weird to see the greatness within, and this is no exception. Looking back at this film, it was a wild journey, but a fantastic one. This movie has hit something deep inside me with its beauty and raw magic, that it just keeps me speechless and feeling warm inside, thinking about this movie. This movie has won several awards, and I can now see why. This movie will be on my top 10 list of greatest movies ever, and I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a unique, fun adventure. It's also a no brainer for any anime or movie fan. If you excuse me, I have some shopping to do on amazon!

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