Miyazaki's Spirited Away U.S. Release 227
soupforare writes "Spirited Away is slated for a US limited theatre release in on Sep. 27th
nausicaa.net has a theatre listing and some more info. It looks like some theatres are even going to be showing the subtitled version." No showings near me, but hopefully those prints will make it around. Been wanting to see this one for a long time.
What is Spirited Away? (Score:1)
am I the only one?
Re:What is Spirited Away? (Score:1)
Re:What is Spirited Away? (Score:3, Informative)
It's also the film that won the Berlin film festival and praise from almost every critic I can think of. TOo bad it'll be relegated as arthouse fare.
In synopsis, it's an Alice in Wonderland type story inspired by a friend's daughter. A ten year old girl and her family go on a trip together, through a tunnel to what looks like an amusement park, when the girl gets lost and the fantasy begins. Every kind of fantasmagoric creature from anyone's dreams apears...
Can't wait for it.
Re:What is Spirited Away? (Score:2)
Roger Ebert has a story on it [suntimes.com] though is review seems to be missing at the moment (he loved it... so did Roeper).
The IMDB entry is here [imdb.com].
-S
Japanese Culture. (Score:2)
Read this interesting article detailing how japan can leverage it's cultural roots to overcome it's economic hardships:
Japan's Gross National Cool [foreignpolicy.com]
Then, on a less serious, unrelated note, read:
Ricard Gere's Ass Zoo [lostbrain.com]
tcd004
Re:Japanese Culture. (Score:2, Insightful)
It's a very limited release, and it's something that I'm looking forward to. Hell, I'd like to see more foreign releases in American theatres, and less of the tripe that's currently in circulation (Pluto Nash anyone??). Seeing Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon on the big screen in full DTS sound WITH SUBTITLES was one of the best movie-going experiences I've had in a long time. Wish I could have seen Mononoke Hime in a theatre.
Re:Japanese Culture. (Score:2)
Sarcasm tag highlighted for the benefit of the humor impaired.
Re:Japanese Culture. (Score:2)
Man, I feel stupid now for that rant. I need to clean my monitor and/or glasses.
Don't feel bad (Score:1)
Re:Don't feel bad (Score:2)
Probably needed a sarcasm opening tag at the beginning
Someone must buy it (Score:1)
Re:Japanese Culture. (Score:3, Funny)
That was funny, flamebait, off-topic, and informative!
Re:Japanese Culture. (Score:2)
Re:Japanese Culture. (Score:2)
By the way, "Cheese Nips" and "Coffee Nips" are deragatory products and should be pulled from supermarket shelves.
i can't wait... (Score:1)
Re:i can't wait... (Score:1)
Re:i can't wait... (Score:1)
Re:i can't wait... (Score:2)
Bah (Score:2)
Re:Bah (Score:2)
Re:Bah (Score:2)
Comment removed (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Actually, opens Sept. 20 (Score:1)
Can't wait.
Re:Actually, opens Sept. 20 (Score:2)
Even though the dub is showing, I think it will be just fine - Lasseter is an artist with integrity himself, so I expect it will be very well-done.
Here's hoping he does versions for theatricals of Totoro, Laputa, and Nausicaa as well.
N.
Re:Actually, opens Sept. 20 (Score:2)
100% on Rotten Tomatoes thus far... (Score:4, Interesting)
I've had the wonderful opportunity to see this movie several times already. It's my favorite Miyazaki flick. It's great eye-candy and wonderful fantasy. Highly recommended. See it in the best theater you can.
Roger Ebert has a write up on this... (Score:5, Informative)
Here 'tis [suntimes.com].
It's a rather fawning bit, but this seems to me to be one of the rare interviews in which the director isn't just puffing up his work, but actually discussing it.
Besides, this movie looks to be that good. I grabbed a VCD bootleg of this in Taiwan many moons ago, and despite the crappy transfer quality + lack of dubbing/subtitles, I watched the entire first half before I began to feel lost (stopped after that so that I could enjoy the movie in its full-fledged form more). Miyazaki is a fine, fine visual storyteller, and by all accounts so far, the dub (lead by John Lassetter of Pixar fame) is an achievement in of itself.
Re:Roger Ebert has a write up on this... (Score:2, Interesting)
Wow. (Score:1)
Direct link to theater listing (Score:4)
Theater listing for Spirited Away in the U.S. and Canada [nausicaa.net]
-S
Re:Direct link to theater listing (Score:1)
(Rachel Blackman, Nausicaa.net sysadmin)
Saw it in Telluride Colorado, Labor Day weekend (Score:2, Interesting)
Of the 2 movies, I think that Mononoke is better. The story is a little more enjoyable for me. Spirited Away has the excellent animation that you'd expect from Miyazaki, and the excellent voice acting that we've come to expect from Disney. All in all, It's a great translation and a good film. I think it's geared towards a slghtly younger audience than Mononoke was though.
Then why not buy it? (Score:5, Informative)
Then why haven't you bought it on DVD? [newdvd.cc]
Re:Then why not buy it? (Score:5, Informative)
Buy the Japanese R2 release from cdjapan.co.jp, animaxis.com, or animenation.com, or you could wait for the US release.
DON'T BUY BOOTLEG!
Re:Then why not buy it? (Score:2)
Re:Then why not buy it? (Score:5, Informative)
Both links you posted are of illegal bootlegs.
NO legit Spirited Away dvd is "All Region"
BOTH of those sites are KNOWN for exclusively selling bootlegs, especially discoutanimedvd.
The LEGIT Japan release of the movie was published by Buena Vista Japan.
THIS IS NOT THAT DVD.
Re:Then why not buy it? (Score:2, Informative)
Buena Vista Japan is responsible for all the Ghibli DVD releases there, and they
Re:Then why not buy it? (Score:2)
Where can I purchase legitimate DVDs of Anime that have the original Japanese mastering, but with English subtitles? It's the only way that I like to watch them... and if I wait for the US release they have invariably made English the primary track and destroyed the mastering of the Japanese track.
Suggestions?
Re:Then why not buy it? (Score:2)
Isn't Disney the company that keeps on lobbying to change copyright laws so that they can sit on Mickey Mouse for all of eternity?
I say fuck them.
SW
Re:Then why not buy it? (Score:2, Insightful)
Don't buy it.
Don't see it.
But don't buy a bootleg and give them ammunition for their copy control laws.
There are also licensed R3 versions (Score:2)
http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx?pid=10018
There also are, or will be soon, licensed R3 versions from Taiwan and Korea. For Chinese readers, the Taiwanese DVD is described at:
http://bvhe.bvi.com.tw/event/ghibli_spiritedawa
Bottom line: If a DVD of a Miyazaki film claims to be "all region", it's almost certainly a bootleg. If it has a region code, it is probably an authorized release. For further information on bootleg versions, see:
http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/video/answers.
MEK
Re:Then why not buy it? (Score:2)
Re:Then why not buy it? (Score:1)
Re:Then why not buy it? (Score:5, Informative)
No, I'd rather still buy the official Japanese release, encouraging the MPAA to realize that Region coding is fucking stupid.
Re:Then why not buy it? (Score:1)
You'd be better off simply NOT buying it than hurting Ghibli by encouraging the bootlegging of its titles.
While we don't like the MPAA, we shouldn't support those who exist by TRULY illegal means.
Re:Then why not buy it? (Score:2)
Then buy the official Ghibli release. [discountanimedvd.com]
It's still better than the theater release, because it has English subtitles instead of crap-ass Disney dubbing.
Re:Then why not buy it? (Score:1, Informative)
I own the official release (Region 2), and not only is the box art vastly different, there are no Chinese subtitles.
Here's a link to the official version (Japanese language site)
http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/B
Re:Then why not buy it? (Score:2)
Re:Then why not buy it? (Score:2)
This is not the official release, but a bootleg. The official release is region-coded. See nausicaa.net
There are official releases for Japan, Hongkong and Taiwan. All of them are region-coded.
Re: (Score:1)
Don't upvote that post. (Score:1)
Re:Then why not buy it? (Score:1)
Chinese bootlegers take the japan release dvd or record it from japan tv and release it on dvd region free with mandrin and sometimes english subtitles.
If you ever buy foriegn release anime.. take some time to make sure its a real copy.
Re:Then why not buy it? (Score:2)
Unless you're buying R3 releases from somewhere like DDDHouse [dddhouse.com] which are official releases.
why *I* have not bought the DVD (Score:2)
two reasons prohibiting:
1) region code: yeah sure by-passable, blah blah. but not for everyone. and one more reason mpaa / riaa sucks elephant trunk
2) jesus christ they were like 40bux a pop!!! in fact, ALL japanese DVDs were about that much (4000 - 4500 yen). no wonder they poped up something called a region code, eh? certainly can't have people buying legit copies of US version movies and selling them half-price in japan now, can we.
Re:Do these hacks work? Anybody know? (Score:2)
the trailer is pretty cool (Score:4, Informative)
Damn (Score:1)
Not slashdotted, but for your viewing pleasure... (Score:3, Informative)
KIPS BAY, Manhattan
86TH ST. EAST, Manhattan
PAVILION, Brooklyn, NY
MIDWAY, Forest Hills, NY
ROOSEVELT FIELD, Westbury, NY
FARMINGDALE 14, Farmingdale, NY
SOUNDVIEW CINEMAS, Pt. Washington, NY
WESTCHESTER 10, Hawthorne, NY
LOEWS PALISADES, West Nyack, NY
LOEWS ROUTE 4, Paramus, NJ (Tentative)
EDGEWATER 16, Edgewater, NJ
EAST HANOVER 12, East Hanover, NJ
CLAIRIDGE, Montclair, NJ
WHITE FLINT, Kensington, MD
AMC CENTURY CITY Los Angeles, CA
BEVERLY CENTER Los Angeles, CA
MONICA, Santa Monica, CA
PLAYHOUSE, Pasadena, CA
AMC BURBANK, CA
GALLERIA, Sherman Oaks, CA
AMC PROMENADE, Woodland Hills, CA
AMC COVINA, CA
EDWARDS STADIUM, Long Beach, CA
MANHATTAN VILLAGE, South Bay, CA
AMC ROLLING HILLS, Torrance, CA
AMC ONTARIO, CA
AMC THE BLOCK, Orange, CA
SOUTH COAST VILLAGE, Santa Ana, CA
As far as anime is concerned (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Not slashdotted, but for your viewing pleasure. (Score:1)
Thanks,
Ben
Re:Not slashdotted, but for your viewing pleasure. (Score:1)
http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/sen/theaters.p
Spirited Away US Premier (Score:4, Informative)
First off, the showing itself was wonderful -- it's a very nice old-style theater with a balcony and a curtain in front of the screen. The movie was digitally projected, and it looked perfect to me. It was also very nice not having any commercials/trailers at the beginning -- they did some light effects, opened and few curtains and the first thing on the screen was the blue Studio Ghibli screen (and the whole audience applauded at that).
The movie itself is a great movie. Miyazaki did make it for 10-year old girls, but it can appeal to anyone, I think. The feel was a bit like Alice in Wonderland, with a young girl finding this world of spirits and monsters where she meets interesting people and has some adventures (if you really want a good review, there are others out there). Basically, if you have a chance, go see it. I did see the dub, and it was actually fine; after a bit everything just started flowing and I stopped noticing that it was dubbed (I'm generally a big sub-snob for watching anime).
Miyazaki himself was there for a short interview after the movie; he was asked various questions, first mainly about Spirited Away, and then some audience questions ranging from if he's going to work on the Seven Samurai anime (no, he's opposed to it), to if he's ever going to do more in the worlds of Totoro (never), Laputa (never) or Lupin III (never; he leaves that world to others).
Anyway, very cool experience. If you're in the LA area, El Capitan will be showing Spirited Away for a month or so, mostly in English, but a few showings in Japanese, subbed, and while Miyazaki won't be there, it should be a great place to see it.
-Darien Jax
If you liked Princess Mononoke... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:If you liked Princess Mononoke... (Score:2, Interesting)
Kiki's Delivery Service (also Miyazaki for those who don't know) is my all-time favourite movie (of any genre), and one of the few where I enjoy the dub as much as the sub (Kirsten Dunst was perfect as Kiki
Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind is without a doubt my favourite manga. An incredibly strong, detailed storyline, beautiful drawing. The anime suffered due to the fact that the manga was not complete when the anime was made.
Re:If you liked Princess Mononoke... (Score:2)
This is why all of Ghibli's contracts with Disney include a no-edits-allowed clause.
Re:If you liked Princess Mononoke... (Score:1)
It was not for another 10 years after that incident that Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli would even consider anyone approaching them about producing a dub of any of their films in English again.
Re:If you liked Princess Mononoke... (Score:2)
There has since been an uncut release which I happened to see at Japanime (2000?) in Sydney. Very good, but as I said, IMO not as good as Miyazaki's other directorial efforts (Kiki, Porco Rosso, Mononoke, etc).
Re:If you liked Princess Mononoke... (Score:2)
Re:If you liked Princess Mononoke... (Score:4, Interesting)
Kiki's Delivery Service was a good movie as well (... my list of 'favorite anime' pretty much would have all of Miyazaki's stuff to start it...), although not as memorable as Nausicaa or Princess Mononoke. Obviously, of course, a large part of the difference is a difference in taste -- the target and themes of those movies are rather different. As others have said, Spirited Away bears much more resemblance to Kiki than Princess Mononoke, and so will appeal to different people.
Oh, while I'm talking -- for those of you lucky enough to go see Spirited Away, keep an eye out for the attention to detail, especially in Chihiro's movements. The realism of the little things just blew me away -- it's something that you just don't see in Disney movies. I guarantee you'll be impressed.
Available on DVD if you can't wait... (Score:4, Informative)
The only issue (besides the region) is the color balance, which has a slight reddish tint which some people find annoying. Interestingly enough, according to Nausicaa.net [nausicaa.net], this was done deliberately so that it would look right when played on plasma or lcd screens.
Re:Available on DVD if you can't wait... (Score:1)
Verdict: I quite enjoyed it, as did my son (age 12) and daughter (age 8 - though she found some parts scary), and I would recommend it. No idea, alas, when it is likely to hit Australia (I live in Sydney). No sign of Mononoke either ...
Just saw it (Score:4, Insightful)
It's a fine movie if you like Miyazaki's work, although its somewhat less "normal" than his other projects. It's targeted at younger folks than Mononoke Hime was, and lacks the violent action. In fact it turns out to be quite similar to his previous Kiki's Delivery Service (a pre-teen girl looks for a job around the intersection of magic and the real world). This one is a bit more disney-like though, with some more overt antagonism than Kiki faced.
Like Mononoke, you can occasionally see places where the animation budget was preserved, but it detracts not at all.
The dub is just as good as Mononoke Hime's was- that is to say not perfect, there are moments of awkardness when they were obliged to be additionally verbose to help out us slow Americans. But there's nothing as painfully bad as the Gillian Anderson-techno-reverb wolf voice the end of Mononoke suffered from.
and a minor, minor spoiler (Score:2)
Two things that bothered me:
The same thing happened in Kiki's Delivery Service too- Kiki was descending a random staircase, and for no reason at all they decided it should play like a piano. They feel a need to stuff in extra stimulation to keep us Yanks in the seats.
Some relationships to Western myth:
Most of the magical background was Japan's kami, of course. Ubaga was rather like a cross between an oni and a western witch (but original, all her own).
Random associations: "don't look back"- like Orpheus' walk out of Hades [pantheon.org], but inverted. (That story also featured the eating of food as a way to bind yourself to a supernatural realm)
"don't take food meant for the gods"- Odysseus' men did the same [free-online.co.uk], and were punished for it. As pigs [messagenet.com], no less.
Re:and a minor, minor spoiler (Score:2)
Funny, I never noticed Haku's wolf head on the dragon until looking again at the DVD just now. Though the movie is full of references to other Miyazaki movies...
The music was done by Joe Hisaishi [nausicaa.net], though I have not seen the Disney version yet to know whether they've mucked with the excellent music.
Downloaded it off the net months ago (Score:2, Insightful)
The movie really isn't anything like Mononoke Hime. It's much more kid-oriented, and mostly feels like a really good, creative Disney movie. Very little violence or action (though there's quite a bit of blood at times). I personally liked it, but a lot of my friends didn't. Just be cautioned: this movie isn't for anyone.
Color Balance (Score:2)
Possibly Redundant But... (Score:2)
I would imagine New York, LA, etc. would start tomorrow then, too. All part of the big eight or ten markets, if I'm not mistaken-- the above-mentioned three, plus, I dunno, Boston, Miami, Toronto.
So check your listings, gang, and see it early. Who knows how long it'll stick around?
Good Reviews from Ebert & Roeper (Score:3, Informative)
I own the Japanese DVD and can tell you something (Score:3, Informative)
If you just like non-stop action with 2 braincelled heroes like Vin Diesel don't go see this. You'll only get lost half way in and get frustrated.
If you like a "thinker" movie that challenges your views of the world DO see this movie. You'll also be lost like the action-seeker crowd but it won't bother you and the ending will reward you and explain the entire movie.
This movie is classic Miyazaki. Although there is a weird sensation when switching from a 3D scene to a 2D scene and vice versa, it is still stuning and there is, unlike many other movies, a story.
Excellent movie! (Score:2, Interesting)
Yes! Poster is up! (Score:2)
I'll take the dubbed version, please (Score:3, Insightful)
I Disagree, or "My experience with Spirited Away" (Score:2, Insightful)
I've watched this movie three times subtitled, and once dubbed now. Even after three viewings of the subtitled version, there were a lot of subtle, but really cool things that I missed, that I noticed at Tuesday's showing at the Guild 45th. And it wasn't like they were "deep" things, either -- everyone in the entire theater noticed them. The fact that our eyes were on the screen, rather than the subtitles, allowed us to see them.
With movies that have a lot of things happening on-screen, reading subtitles makes you miss things. Your argument that you read the subtitles subconsciously only means that you're looking at the bottom of the screen (away from the picture) subconsciously. You become zoned out from the visual content, and you miss the throwaway visuals.
That said, there were many things about this dub that I did not like. Such as the voice for Haku. How many inflection patterns does that guy know how to make? I counted two. Even when he was supposed to be supportive and consoling, he still used the "grim" voice. The only deviation from the "grim" voice was when he asked a question, which was really only three lines in the entire frickin' movie. I swear they pulled this guy from a TV commercial. And if he happens to be some famous actor that I just don't know about, then he couldn't possibly be famous for any sort of real talent.
Chihiro was similar, but for some reason she grated on me much less. I guess her acting, while mostly invariant, sounded more like what I'd expect her character to sound like.
And just so that you don't think I'm an impossible-to-please dub hater (close, but not quite), the voice for Lin was *awesome*. The emotions, the "I'm a bitch, just kidding" vocal transitions, the matching of attitude to facial expressions... this girl has some serious range.
Final verdict: A hellaciously fun movie, an adequate (though not spectacular) dub, in a format that allows the eyes to wander over the screen and catch all the little things.
Australian Premiere (Score:2, Informative)
More information from this [atomicmpc.com.au] forum thread, as well as here [dendy.com.au].
A more "mainstream" Miyazaki movie (Score:2)
Will an Anime-hater like it? (Score:2)
I've not seen any anime that I could watch more than a couple of minutes of, while flipping past on Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim".
I'm not posting here to flame about anime. I'm just wondering if this is finally an example of the genre that will lack the elements that bother me about it.
Does this have:
A consistant frame-rate of 12 frames-per-second? That's the biggie. Scenes of movement with low frame-rates just look lazy, rather than stylized, IMO.
No "Bambi eyes"? The stand-up I saw in a theater a few days ago featured a character that didn't have them, so that looks like a good sign.
No 2 or 3 drawing cycles. That is another one that really, really looks lazy, where a character stands in a pose "vibrating" in a cycle of a couple of frames.
Maybe these things don't bother people raised on a steady diet of Hanna-Barbera, but it bugs me.
Feel free to mod me down, but please don't do it just because you don't like the questions asked.
Re:Will an Anime-hater like it? (Score:3, Insightful)
However, if (as your post seems to imply), you hate anime because the stuff you've seen has lousy animation (As in all things, 99% of anime is crap)
Viewing Mononoke... (Score:2)
Actually, the best way to view Mononoke the first time is to have the English track on and the literal subtitles on. Gaiman basically told a ripping prose yarn, while Miyazaki's own words were like a poetic saga. It's cool to watch it this way and get the nuanced differences between the two.
My primary complaint in the dub is Billy Bob Thornton. His very thick Southern accent was (I guess) supposed to convey that he's some sort of a country yokel, but it just sounded like he didn't belong AT ALL. All the other voices were great. If only there was a "ditch the hick" option in the menus! ;-)
After watching Mononoke this way, switch to the Japanese track and keep the literal translation on. This way you get the emotional content of the Japanese track. Maybe I can't understand the words, but the emotions come through. The English dub doesn't quite convey that aspect of the story.
Mononoke is a fsckn incredible movie. If you can't quite grok the Shinto concepts, just look at the goings on through the prism of America and the conflicts between the world-view of the European settlers and the world-view of the indigenous (mas o menos) peoples. Shinto and Native American spirituality sees the world in a similar way: a living, breathing world inhabited by a myriad of spirits. The European settlers saw the world as a contest between Humanity and Nature, and that this was a contest Humanity had to win. Go into your viewing of Mononoke with this in mind and you should have no problem understanding it.
Re:Will an Anime-hater like it? (Score:2)
Alas. Me too (or rather I've wanted to own it that way - I saw the subbed version before the dubbed thanks to the MIT anime club). Coincidentally, I just got "we are now taking pre-orders [amazon.com] for Totoro DVD (Dec. 3 release)" email this morning from amazon.com and I might get me one anyway... just to replace the VHS...
For those in South Jersey and Philly (Score:2, Informative)
Showtimes are 1:30 pm, 4:15 pm, 7:00 pm, 9:45 pm and 1:15 pm, 4:05 pm, 6:55 pm, 9:45 pm respectively.
The Man himself was in Toronto. . . (Score:2)
The film showed at the Uptown Cinema, one of the few remaining cool theaters in this berg. AND he did a Q&A!
Not that I had tickets, mind you. --And I've been a fan of Miyazaki since before people even knew that Japan had an animation culture to export.
Whatever. It'll be cool to see the work of such a master on big screens. I've looked over the production sketches and paintings for the film, and it's very nice; some really clever techniques were used. From what I could see, the transition the characters made from the real world to the magical world is clever in similar ways as that done in "Being John Malcovitch".
Looking forward to this one. There are so few good film makers still allowed to share their works on the screens of the masses. Miyazaki is a wise man with his head screwed on right, has things to say worth hearing and knows how to speak them without offending or condescending. There are not a lot of great teachers left out there. --What with Lucas having been brain-sucked and all!
-Fantastic Lad
Re:The Man himself was in Toronto. . . (Score:2, Informative)
Incidentally, whether you like Ebert or not, he is a particularly big anime fan and has given this movie rave reviews.
Very fun movie... (Score:2)
I'd like to second peoples remarks about Nausica. It is an amazing animation, and the movie is only one story out of a series of manga.
Sprited Away Opinion (spoilers) (Score:2, Interesting)
The movie most closesly resembles Ghibli's "Ponpoko," in that it's random misadventures, where the generic lead and generic supporting cast go through a series of misadventures that can't really be called a plot. As opposed to the really cool worlds of other Ghibli movies, the setting is mostly the claustrophobic servant's quarters of a luxury hotel. Once you accept the weirdness of the setting, there really isn't much interesting about it.
Similarly to Ponpoko, the reason to watch it is for the whimsical animated asides. Monsters look crazy and whatnot. It's not as continually imaginative as the novel _Alice in Wonderland_, or the best anime, but it's still a site to see, and is continually well-drawn. A lot of the monsters incorporate traditional Japanese demons, so it's probably more exotic and overwhelming for an American audience, than it would be for Japanese. I don't know if that's good or bad, though.
A final note: man, these ten year old girls who have to fend for themselves, but end up making good because of their kindness and plucky spirit, is as big a cliche as anything in American movies. "Princess Mononoke" wasn't my favorite, but I was hoping Miyazaki would continue dealing with more difficult themes, and having more interesting leads. I think this movie was a step back to standard Ghibli - only, without anything special enough make it stand out from what's come before.
Excellent Movie. (Score:2)
I'm generally very tough on anime, the storylines aren't usually enough to keep me interested. Didn't much care for Akira, didn't like the new Metropolis, didn't much care for Ghost in the Shell... generally I don't like a lot of Anime that folks tell me I'm supposed to like, but I did like this one.
This movie reminds me a LOT of the original Neverending Story, which was my favorite film when I was a kid. The animation is unmatched, of course, and the story is very... unique. Such a strange and magical setting, so many unique characters, it was very refreshing to get a good look at someone else's imagination for a change. There were some very good laughs in this film as well.
I'd highly recommend this one to anybody who is getting sick of Disney's idea of a kid's movie. I'll definitely be catching this one in the theater, and buying it for my collection.
Subtitled version alread on VHS/DVD (Score:2)
If you can only see the dubbed version--definitely still see it. It's one of the best anime I've ever seen. It's got a magical quality to it that reminds me of Alice in Wonderland. It's a very strange story, very surrealistic at times, but something kids will love and adults can really get into. I loved Princess Mononoke but I thought Spirited Away was at least as good.
Re:Subtitled version alread on VHS/DVD (Score:2)
Except for the whole red tint debacle [animeondvd.com] with the region 2 release. In any case, unlike other [nausicaa.net] Ghibli flicks that are still stuck in region 2, this one should be region 1-bound sooner rather than later. And since it'll likely be bilingual (at least), it's probably best to wait for the region 1 version and hope for proper color correction.
How suitable is it for young children? (Score:2)
Can I take her to see Spirited Away? Or will it be too scary?
Re:Pathetic (Score:1)
Re:The director has obviously seen... (Score:2)
Miyazaki does self-referential things from time to time.
- I'm Kickstart's Boss -