Lesson: Never eat free food displayed in a stall

★★★ 1/2 out of ★★★★

Spirited Away (2001)

Runtime: 125 minutes

MPAA: Rated PG for some scary moments.

Spirited Away is probably the first animation I've ever watched that's over two hours. Yet, it almost never feels tiresome and irritating, thanks to the wonderful delight of images stuffed into every frame of the movie. Especially coming from Studio Ghibli, a Japanese animation film studio known for creating one of the best animations ever, Spirited Away is spellbinding even at its first few minutes and never disappoints from start to finish.

It is said that even though Spirited Away has an eminently rich plot and strong characters, there was no script when it was made. Hayao Miyazaki draws storyboards as the film is being made, so that it feels more original and authentic. Now, rarely can a film made up on the spot can be this riveting; we have seen numerous disasters elsewhere. Spirited Away never loses its momentum and transports you out of this world.

A 10-year-old Chihiro is moving to a Japanese town in the countryside, when they come across a tunnel which marks the end of a lonely road. Chihiro's parents exit the car and enter the tunnel, in which Chihiro follows too. On the other side lays an abandoned amusement park, with a little town. As they walk around the town, her parents see a restaurant with no staff but with various delicious food. They eat, while Chihiro explores the theme park a little more. She stumbles upon a bathhouse, when a boy named Haku comes out of nowhere and informs Chihiro that she and her parents are in danger and must leave immediately.

When Chihiro runs back to the restaurant, the finds that her parents have turned into pigs. Spirits appear around her as she tries to leave the place, but it has been separated by a body of water. The theme park turns out to be a town where demons, spirits and gods inhibit the place. The bathhouse, where the creatures go to relax, is controlled by the evil witch Yubaba, who steals workers' names and holds them captive, ordering them to work from day to night. Chihiro, the lone human, miraculously gets a job from Yubaba, while trying to find a way to save her parents and return to their world.

Spirited Away offers an enchanting experience and rich characters. It is always an absolute joy to see the world-building, the creatures, buildings, and its little details. Characters and creatures never feel out of place throughout the whole movie. Images of dragons, spirits, demons, witches and so many others are a visual treat, which help make the movie never dull or annoying to go through. Spirited Away also offers a rich and creatively meandering plot, one that's cohesive and doesn't raise many questions or doubts from the viewer.

Perhaps another thing that makes it so wonderful is our main character. She goes through a process of self-discovery and learns many skills, like the meaning of hard work, being independent, being brave, and adventurous. Of course, we can understand her pain through her reasonable wails, as she was separated from her family and unknowingly (but forcefully) placed into this mysterious world. Halfway in the movie, a shadow named No-Face (or 顔無し, Kaonashi) offers the creatures at the bathhouse piles of gold, then ingesting them and possessing their physical traits and personality. Chihiro is the only one who doesn't have greed for gold, and instead uses words to weaken the shadow.

The music is all the better. We already have a serviceable plot and exceptional exploration of characters and themes, you'll forget about the music you hear, yet it doesn't cause any quibbles. However, Spirited Away feels a little distracting sometimes. It sets up several things, like Chihiro and Haku's relationship, to explore, but when it ends, where is it headed to?

We're talking about possibly the greatest animation of all time. Spirited Away is very much beloved by audiences and critics alike. While I may not have loved it as much as everyone else did, it still remains a fascinating wonder, an impactful and meaningful journey, and a total delight to re-watch. You should not miss out on Spirited Away. It's definitely one of the best movies I've seen this year.

Trailer: