A real modern classic from Studio Ghibli, and very deserving of its accolade as the 'Wizard of Oz' of Eastern Cinema.

When you are a 10 year-old child, moving to another area, away from your friends and familiarity is an alien experience. A strange new world is found by our heroine, Chihiro, as an abandoned theme park takes on a mystical life of its own after-dark. All manner of fantasy creatures inhabit this dark and exciting world centered around a Bath House for Sprits, run my an Evil sorceress, Yubaba. Chihiro must navigate her own survival in this fantastic place, as well as free her captured parents.

It's a tale of The Child Who Can; a reluctant hero, who steps up to the plate and fulfills her destiny, while altering those around her.

Winner of the 2003 Oscar for Best Animated Film, and the Golden Bear at Berlin, Sprited Away has fast become as influential a global phenomena as Ghost in the Machine, and Akira were; the good news being that family and friends of mine, ranging between 5 years-old to 65+, can enjoy this magical film.

Loosing myself in the fantasy. You don't need to understand the workings of the Bath House to enjoy the zany engineering and the Boiler Man's coal carriers. Like all good nonsense (Willie Wonka and Wizard of Oz) it just works best if you let it!

Some of the Enlish Dub is a little weak in translation, but not to any detriment of the story/plot

Phone a couple of friends who I knew would love it and tell them to go out and buy it... so I did!

Young again. I felt there could be magic around the very next corner.

You don't need well known celebrity voice overs; it's an old fashioned film with a really strong story which carries itself.

It made me smile for hours after, and I didn't argue when the 5 year-old wanted to watch it again.

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Created Jan 06, 2008 at 6:45pm • Submit your own review...