A visual masterpiece about a scared little girl's breathtaking journey of self-discovery. All of the fun is getting there.
100
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
Yet its visual surrealism, identity-bending and strong social/ecological message make it as much an allegory as a fable.
100
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
Turns everything we know about the contemporary world on its head, and substitutes it with one in which spirits, monsters, magicians and animals mix it up in a carnival of energy, good humor and freewheeling illusion.
100
New Times (L.A.)Luke Y. Thompson
New Times (L.A.)Luke Y. Thompson
Probably like nothing you've ever seen before. In a cool world, it would be guaranteed not only the Best Animated Feature Oscar, but Best Picture as well.
A Japanese cross between "Alice in Wonderland" and "The Wizard of Oz" -- is such a landmark in animation that labeling it a masterpiece almost seems inadequate.
It will disturb you as much as thrill you, make you wonder whether the boundaries between life and death, reality and fantasy, imagination and insanity are ever what they appear to be.
90
Village VoiceJ. Hoberman
Village VoiceJ. Hoberman
A very nutty fruitcake, Spirited Away is characterized by wonderfully detailed animation, packed with incident and populated by all manner of comic creatures.