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Movies / On DVD / Spirited Away
Spirited Away

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Spirited Away (2002)

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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... 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 in an unfamiliar town. The curiosity of Chihiro's mother (Lauren Holly) and father (Michael Chiklis) leads the reluctant child into what appears to be an abandoned amusement park. Soon her parents are greedily feasting on various delights from an enticing food stand and are literally turned into pigs. The frightened and bewildered girl then encounters a young man named Haku (Jason Marsden), who explains what she must do to navigate this strange and magical realm. Finding employment in a bathhouse for spirits and other odd characters--including kimono-wearing frogs, lumbering tentacled monsters, and a mysterious apparition named No Face--Chihiro attempts to figure out how she can free her parents from the clutches of the resort's owner, a powerful witch named Yubaba (Suzanne Pleshette). In the process, she makes some very eccentric friends--and has to deal with some notoriously stinky customers. A surreal adventure reminiscent of Lewis Carroll's ALICE IN WONDERLAND, SPIRITED AWAY continues Miyazaki's streak of groundbreaking animated films that also includes PRINCESS MONONOKE and MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO. Succeeding MONONOKE as the most successful film in Japanese cinema history, this charming movie follows its own bizarre yet engaging logic as it reveals a cast of fascinating characters and jaw-dropping settings through stunningly beautiful hand-crafted animation. A movie experience like no other, SPIRITED AWAY is sure to enchant audiences of all ages, leaving viewers grinning with a giddy sense of wonderment. [More]

Starring: Daveigh Chase, Jason Marsden, Michael Chiklis, Susan Egan

Starring: Daveigh Chase, Jason Marsden, Michael Chiklis, Susan Egan, Lauren Holly, Suzanne Pleshette, David Ogden Stiers, John Ratzenberger

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Screenwriter: Hayao Miyazaki
Composer: Joe Hisaishi
Studio: Buena Vista Pictures

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for Spirited Away

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141 - 155 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

A movie full of bewitching images and timeless fun and beauty.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
09/19/02
Michael Wilmington
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune

I might as well just come out and say it: Spirited Away is the best movie I've seen all year.

Full Review Source: Dallas Observer | comment Comment
09/19/02
Luke Y. Thompson
Luke Y. Thompson
Dallas Observer

Nothing short of wonderful with its ten-year-old female protagonist and its steadfast refusal to set up a dualistic battle between good and evil.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
09/19/02
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

Not as visually awesome as 'Princess Mononoke,' but more appealing to youngsters. A wonderful combination of simplicity and spectacle.

Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
09/19/02
Betty Jo Tucker
Betty Jo Tucker
ReelTalk Movie Reviews

It's a beautiful experience, nearly perfect with a fragile flowing fluid score.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Report Card | comment Comment
09/19/02
Ross Anthony
Ross Anthony
Hollywood Report Card

A triumph of psychological depth and artistic brilliance.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
09/19/02
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly

An epic film of very bizarre proportions... kinda like a Japanese acid trip, but without the drugs.

Full Review Source: JoBlo's Movie Emporium | comment Comment
09/18/02
JoBlo
JoBlo
JoBlo's Movie Emporium

Kudos to the most enchanting film of the year.

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
09/17/02
Jeanne Aufmuth
Jeanne Aufmuth
Palo Alto Weekly

When animators go to animator heaven, they will probably view drawings of the caliber of those in Sprited Away.

Full Review Source: Internet Reviews | comment 1 Comment
09/17/02
Steve Rhodes
Steve Rhodes
Internet Reviews

An amazing piece of work.

Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment Comment
09/16/02
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper

It's easy to give this one credit for the mind-blowing creativity, but I can't recommend this to anyone who's not already a fan of Miyazaki or mind-expanding drugs...it's just not going to translate.

Full Review Source: Supercala.com | comment Comment
09/13/02
John Venable
John Venable
Supercala.com

Combines some wonderfully imaginative visuals with a plot that, to put it charitably, will seem loony to most American viewers.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
09/12/02
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

Plot here takes a backseat to set pieces that flow into each other like a glorious stream of consciousness.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
08/29/02
Ed Gonzalez
Ed Gonzalez
Slant Magazine

Wow.

Full Review Source: FilmJerk.com | comment Comment
08/20/02
Edward Havens
Edward Havens
FilmJerk.com

Even the worst Miyazaki picture is a remarkable achievement, and Spirited Away is one of his better films.

Full Review Source: MovieMartyr.com | comment Comment
08/06/02
Jeremy Heilman
Jeremy Heilman
MovieMartyr.com
 
 
141 - 155 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
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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 Opens in new window
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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