Initially seems like a Through the Looking-Glass fantasy, but rapidly picks up a resonance, weight and complexity that make it all but Shakespearean.
Comment
06/24/06
Spirited Away (2002)
97
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:154
Fresh:150
Rotten:4
Average Rating:8.5/10
Consensus: Hayao Miyazaki's dazzling, enchanting Spirited Away takes viewers, young and old alike, through the looking glass.
Runtime: 2 hrs 12 mins
Genre: Childrens
Synopsis: Directed by animation legend Hayao Miyazaki, SPIRITED AWAY is the tale of Chihiro (voiced by Daveigh Chase), a young girl who is taken down an unusual road by her parents while moving to a new home... [More]
Starring: Daveigh Chase, Jason Marsden, Michael Chiklis, Susan Egan
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Reviews for Spirited Away
Top CriticI could hardly wait for the next plot twist or astonishing set piece, not to mention what visual magic Miyazaki still had up his sleeve (and he has plenty!).
04/13/03
Spirited Away is wonderful.
09/03/08
Top CriticEven if CG cartoons come to dominate Japan as they do much of the world, there's a corner of the animation field that will be forever Miyazaki.
09/03/03
Despite a dip midway through, this is a captivating fantasy that sets a new benchmark for animation.
12/30/06
Top CriticOne of the most impressive animated features of this year, or any other.
09/03/03
Top CriticA genuinely magical experience that both adults and children will enjoy. See it -- you’ll be glad you did.
08/17/03
Miyazaki understands the magic Disney intended, and he elevates it to a higher realm of dreamy, worldly mysticism that is appealing to children of all ages and temperaments.
09/21/02
Miyazaki has created such a vibrant, colorful world, it's almost impossible not to be swept away by the sheer beauty of his images.
09/26/02
An animation landmark as monumental as Disney's 1937 breakthrough Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
09/20/02
It's a beautiful experience, nearly perfect with a fragile flowing fluid score.
09/19/02
I struggled to find the source of imperfection in this film
09/20/05
The spark of special anime magic here is unmistakable and hard to resist.
09/19/02
Kudos to the most enchanting film of the year.
09/17/02
'Mostrando un profundo respeto por el mundo espiritual, Miyazaki logra una verdadera joya de la animación que a veces raya en lo poético'
01/09/04
Steeped in lore and unabashedly surreal, the film is just charming enough for children and just bizarre enough for adults -- a perfect balance.
09/25/02
Miyazaki has provided another triumph, and, in the midst of the quality fall-off of Disney's in-house animated projects, a reason for animation-lovers to rejoice.
09/22/02
This gorgeous epic is guaranteed to lift the spirits of the whole family.
10/17/02
It races along with the speed of a bullet train, visiting weird, enchanted places the likes of which have never been seen before.
10/28/03
Something akin to a Japanese Alice Through the Looking Glass, except that it seems to take itself far more seriously.
09/25/02
Latest News for Spirited Away
September 24, 2008:
Get Drawn to RT's Best Animated Films!
Animated films: they ain't just cartoons anymore. Nor have they been for quite some time. RT celebrates the imaginative, dazzling world of animation with out countdown of the... More...
August 21, 2008:
Japanese Audiences Flocking to Miyazaki's Latest 
He delighted audiences with Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle -- and now director Hayao Miyazaki is doing it all over again with his latest film, Ponyo on the Cliff by the... More...
March 20, 2007:
Will Miyazaki's Next Film Be His Last?
It's been speculated that legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki will retire after the release of his next film, "Ponyo on a Cliff," but now it looks like we'll have at... More...
October 03, 2006:
Miyazaki Prepares Next Animation Classic
Let's face it: When the director of "Spirited Away," "Princess Mononoke," and a whole bunch of other brilliant pieces of animation announces that he's about... More...
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