The month of MAY is going to be MIYAZAKI MONTH here on Tybalt's Take. I have already reviewed two of Miyazaki's movies, and if you missed them or want to refresh yourself on them, you can click on their links below to read the reviews.
"Spirited Away" has been described as Miyazaki's take on "Alice in Wonderland." Chihiro and her family are moving to a new city, forcing Chihiro to leave her friends behind. On the way to their new house, her father decides to stop at what appears to be an abandoned theme park. After exploring for a bit, they discover an empty restaurant filled with delicious-smelling food. Her parents have no problem with going ahead and digging in, but Chihiro feels uneasy and refuses to eat. Exploring on her own, Chihiro meets a mysterious boy who warns her that her and her parents must leave before night falls - and just as he tells her, dusk falls! Chihiro rushes back to her parents, only to find them turned into pigs, and what once seemed to be an abandoned park is really a resort for spirits!
Chihiro is frightened, and finds herself lost in the resort with no way back to her own world. The mysterious boy again appears and helps her. Haku (the boy) advises her to seek employment at the resort's bathhouse, in order to buy herself time to find a way to help her parents and return them all to their own world. Once a sulking and frightened schoolgirl, Chihiro soon grows into a courageous heroine, willing to risk everything for the people she loves.
I give "Spirited Away" two paws up and a purr. The animation is gorgeous, the soundtrack is beautiful, and much attention is given to character growth as we see Chihiro develop and mature as a person. There are all sorts of wonderful and strange creatures from Japanese mythology, including a gorgeous dragon! I think this is a wonderful film for kitties and kittens to watch together - hopefully with a warm bean's lap to curl up in and a tub of popcorn to crunch!
