Well, everyone, today, we review a type of animated film that I just reviewed 5 1/2-6 months ago. You may recall that it was a fantasy film from Studio Ghibli by the name of Kiki’s Delivery Service, yes? Well, this time around, not only are we reviewing another animated/anime film from that studio, but we are reviewing one that was released around late 2002, at least in the U.S., and then won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature when the Oscars ceremony occurred that following spring in 2003. Not to mention that this particular film from the studio to win that award until The Boy & The Heron was released this past Christmas, and became the second Studio Ghibli film to do so. Yes, that is correct! Today, we are going to be talking about the one, and only Spirited Away.
Plot: Ten-year-old Chihiro (Daveigh Chase), and her parents, Akio (Michael Chiklis), and Yuko (Lauren Holly) move into a new area of town. Before heading to their new home, they decide to take a detour to an area of open space, and an empty restaurant that is filled with food. But when her parents eat some of the food that she refused to eat herself, she discovers that the area they are in is filled with spirits, witches, and all sorts of other creatures, and that the food caused her parents to turn into pigs. With the help of a new friend named Haku (Jason Marsden), will Chihiro be able to get her parents back to normal, and be able to leave the area that she, and her parents started spending time in?
Now, again, as mentioned before, this was, for a long while, the only anime, and Studio Ghibli movie to win an Oscar for Best Animated Feature. That is until The Boy & The Heron would come out a little over 20 years later, and win awards like the Golden Globe, and Oscar for Best Animated Feature. So, the question remains, did Spirited Away for sure deserve the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, or should one of the other nominations, be it Ice Age Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron, Lilo & Stitch, or Treasure Planet, won instead? Well, honestly, I will say that Spirited Away was probably the more imaginative one of the bunch that was released back in 2002. Now, don’t get me wrong, those four were all good to one degree, or another. Granted, as far as at least Ice Age, Spirit, Lilo & Stitch, and Treasure Planet went, I will admit that I probably liked Lilo & Stitch slightly less than those. I still liked it, but I felt like Ice Age, Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron, and Treasure Planet did some things a little better than it. Even so, 2002 was undoubtedly one of the better years in the 2000s decade for animated films. Sorry, I’m starting to get off topic, and need to get back, since this review is about Spirited Away. So, out of those five nominations, why did Spirited Away end up being the one to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature that year? Well, there are a few reasons for sure that one can probably come up with. For one, there is the animation just like in most other Studio Ghibli. Whether the characters are moving slowly, or rapidly, the animation for them, and the backgrounds is surprisingly phenomenal. What’s even more is that Studio Ghibli seems to do a better job of making movements, and maybe even backgrounds more smooth in their Japanese animation than most other anime TV shows, and movies. Spirited Away is no exception. Next, there’s the storyline. Again, the storyline in many Studio Ghibli does well with having good stories, and avoiding many cliches that are found in most mainstream films, specifically that get released in the U.S.. For Spirited Away, that happens to work well in its favor. I mean with how the story is creatively set up, how events get processed, and more, the story is really, really executed. Finally, the story helps get messages portrayed in the most creative ways possible, and executes them well. What’s more is that all of the characters are likable in this film, including Chihiro, who was surprisingly voiced by Daveigh Chase, the same child actress, at the time, that voiced Lilo in Lilo & Stitch (which, of course, was released earlier that year). What’s more is that both characters act rather bratty at first, and do end up growing as characters. Still, it would seem as if Chihiro seemed to mature more mentally than Lilo, and learn better lessons in the process. As for the rest of the cast, be it Haku, Chihiro’s parents, the villain, Yubaba, No-Face, and the rest of the characters have some of the most memorable moments in animated films, even those ones that we get to see less of in this movie. Finally, there are some really interesting twists, particularly around the middle, and end of the film that help make this film even more intriguing, and engaging.
And that’s my review for 2002’s Spirited Away. Looking back, did this film deserve to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature instead of say Ice Age, Lilo & Stitch, Treasure Planet, or Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron? Well, let me put it to you all this way! Those other four films were really creative, interesting, and well-made to one degree, or another. Still, it would be safe to say that Spirited Away ended up being the more imaginative, and creative one of the five. Because of that, Spirited Away undoubtedly getting the Oscar, due to its storyline, the film’s subject matter, really well-written characters, a fun score, and more. It’s just interesting that no other Studio Ghibli film would win this award until 2023’s The Boy & The Heron. That being said, if you haven’t seen Spirited Away, then I would highly recommend it. You are most definitely going to have fun with it. So see it, and see what you think!
Final Grade: A+
Matthew’s Animated & Live-Action Movie Reviews 