And it just did not live up to all the hype.
I was expecting a relevatory experience and what I got was a good movie with an intriguing take on the "coming of age" story.

Yes, it was odd.
Yes, it was original.

But... something about it left me a little cold. I think I'm going to try to see some of the bonus materials to see if I can glean anything new about it, but for now, my "rating" om a 10-point scale is: 7/10.

I'm curious to see what the rest of you thought about it.

Reminded me of Wizard Of Oz, which i guess puts it in good company.

Own it, love it, thought it was great.

Seriously, I really expected more out of you. What a disappointment.

9/10

I have no idea what you're talking about.
("edit" is a beautiful thing)

There are some hokey parts in Spirited Away (mainly the "river spirit" part near the end and the whole "grandma" thing with No-Face), but overall I love it.

It's mainly the character design and animation that I think are great, but the story is good enough. In itself it's nothing remarkable, but I thought it made a great vehicle for some imaginative animation.

That said, I think I like Princess Mononoke better.

i thought it absolutely lived up to the hype. its a 10/10 in my book. i think its a nice twist on a "coming of age story", not to mention the animation and backdrops are gorgeous. i know some of the critics think the english translation is good, but honestly i can't stand it. watch it with subtitles for a better appreciation of miyazaki's vision.

Just thought I'd mentioned that.

yeah, totoro is good too. not great, but decent enough...maybe cute is the best way to describe it.

PopTodd, try Miyazaki's '88 hit, "Grave of the Fireflies". It chronicles the survival of two newly orphaned boys in post-war Nagasaki. Very graphic images for (non-violent) manga, but an interesting take on war from a Japanese perspective. Although the content is depressing, the movie targets a younger audience, and I think your kids might enjoy it. Aside from the several characters huffing glue at an abandoned train station, it's an enlightening & educational film.

I saw 'Spirited Away' on the big screen, and although I enjoyed the story & animation, I couldn't wait to peel my ass of the seat to leave the theatre. I can only stand manga in small doses anymore. Unless it's Lupin the Third.

Wasn't that called Barefoot Gen? Or am I thinking of another post-Nagasaki anime movie?

I actually never saw Spirited Away, or Princess Mononoke. I've only seen My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service. Guess I should branch out.

i'd have to disagree with you there- i would not recommend this for kids. i mean, the mother dies in a pretty graphic way right in the beginning. i couldn't even finish it, it was so depressing. it was also very slow, so i doubt it could keep kids' attention.

[/quote]

Wasn't that called Barefoot Gen? Or am I thinking of another post-Nagasaki anime movie?[/quote]

You're thinking of something else, but you've piqued my interest. Do tell.

Gorgeous, surreal little movie. I like this director's quiet, pastoral moments.

Ignore hype. It's either good or it isn't.

Make sure you see Miyazaki's "Laputa- City in the Sky" too if you like Spirited Away.

Like I said, the movie was intended for a younger audience. My wife viewed this in elementary school. That is, in school during school hours. Just like you saw Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory in 3rd grade. Again, this touches on the phenomenom of ubiquitous sex/violence seen in Japanese video games, manga, and soap operas, yet there's relatively no crime, no violence in that country. Just bizarre, haphazard imagination. Maybe your skin is to thin for these kinds of themes, soreal. I don't know. About your attention span & manga, that might just be you. I found the picture to be riveting from start to finish. Same goes with certain individuals whose taste in film I respect. I hardly glanced away. [i'matool]Then again, I love Dragonball.[i'matool]

Did you find it educational at all, or were you too entirely disgusted by the cartoon gore?

Grave of Fireflies would be OK for middle-school-aged kids or older, but it really is very, very sad and kind of slow. It's a beautiful movie though, and I'd recommend it to anybody. Just be prepared.

I've seen lots of people cite this as the saddest movie they've ever seen.

Also, Japanese animation = "anime" and Japanese (and other Asian) comic books = "manga" or derivations of that word.

you're jumping to conclusions a bit there, moxie.

many reviews i've read do not suggest this as a movie for kids. i believe poptodd's kids are pretty young too (around 5 if i'm not mistaken), and this movie would require alot of explaining, as it addresses difficult concepts.

i agree that it is educational, but it is tough. i don't think of myself as having 'thin skin' and 'cartoon gore' does not disgust me. it is widely agreed upon that there are some very difficult, emotionally wrenching scenes in this movie. that is why i couldn't get through it.

Pardon. You're absolutely right.

Saddest movie ever? Now, that's depressing.

Don't get me wrong, I've watched movies that made me feel way worse, but none where you really believe the victims are truly innocent. I don't think I've seen a movie that focused on that so specifically and powerfully even with all of the other WWII/ Holocaust movies out there.

I mean Lar Von Trier, Robert Atlman, Todd Solondz (sp?), etc. can really make you feel like shit, but it isn't quite the same.

Fair enough, age 5 might be too young to comprehend WWII & all its splendor. I thought they were older. Still, I'm standing by my guns. (And I phoned my wife to double-check facts.) Grammar school children grades 5-6 are indeed familiar with Hiroshima & Nagasaki, but not Nan King (which is entirely ugly argument altogether), and usually view this movie during those formative years. I don't know if this is nationwide, but it was made available at her Tokyo school.

I know most of you aren't privy to Japanese programming, but believe you me, there are several cartoons over there that the FCC would deem unwatchable for adults. And we all know the FCC is right.

Anyway, thanks for making this an interesting morning. Now, I'm off to Vegas for five days on business. Kill me, please.

Loved it, could be my favourite movie from that year (not sure what the competition was, but it's definitely one I saw the most). Three thumbs up from me (on a scale of zero to three).

It's one of those universal movies that you can recommend to just about anyone. Drinky Cow -- how can you say that parts were hokey, and still like Mononoke -- that whole decapitated beasty thingy was basically just an acid trip to me, completely abstract.

hokey in different ways, I guess

grave of the fireflies is a great movie.

xiu xiu the sent down girl is a pretty fucking depressing movie too.