Customer Reviews

Miyazaki 3 Pack (Spirited Away/Castle in the Sky/Kiki's Delivery Service)

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3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

These films are just.....Great. All three of them, "Spirited Away," "Kiki's Delivery Service," and "Castle in the Sky" are modern wonders, each of them a true work of art. Amazing. Wonderful. Spectacular. Phenomenal. Dig out a thesaurus and go to it.

Make no mistake, while Miyazaki is a master film director, internationally acclaimed and without a doubt the best Japanese director since Akira Kurosawa, this trio is no dull study for film students. Each movie is a exercise in splendor and capturing a child's sense of wonder on film. Miyazaki layers his simple stories with some much depth that the dance of lesson and entertainment is inspiring to watch in action.

Trademarks of a Miyazaki film include young female heroes, flying, non-descript European settings and environmental messages.

Spirited Away: Enter a world of pure imagination, like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" or "Alice in Wonderland." Inspired by the classic tales of a child lost in fairyland, "Spirited Away" is breath-taking in it's scope and wonder, and beautiful to behold.

Castle in the Sky; The inspiration of Disney's "Atlantis," but superior in every way possible. A girl with no memory, and a magical jewel. A boy with no family, who loves her and will do anything to help her. Villains who are not villains. Friends who are not friends. Top this off with Miyazaki's environmental statements, and the magic of Laputa, the magical Castle in the Sky from Jonathon Swift's Gulliver's Travels.

Kiki's Delivery Service: A classic Miyazaki tale, resplendent with all of his hallmarks. A story with no villain and plenty of magic and charm. A coming-of-age story in every way. Some of his most spectacular flying animation.

You really cannot go wrong with this set. This is an artist at work, in the prime of his skills, making the kind of movies we all wish we had grown up with.

Parents Note - Miyazaki makes movies for children, and while there is a difference of standards in Japan and America, these movies can be watched without fear. "Kiki's Delivery Service" is probably best for the smaller kids, and my 4-year old niece absolutely adores it. "Castle in the Sky" might be a little older, but it is easy to understand and a delight for all ages. "Spirited Away" is a little bit more complicated, and might have some scary scenes, but is still a kid's film in every way.

...although actually, these films were never intended to be anything of the sort ;).

Although Disney has shown an irritating hesitation to publicize or release the films they have purchased the US rights to from Studio Ghibli, this three-set is still most welcome. Spirited Away was my introduction to the studio's works, and is probably one of my all-time favorite movies. These three DVDs, although sparing on the extras, hold up to scrutiny, and I give them my heartfelt reccommendation.

Kiki's Delivery Service is a light-hearted tale that gently chides the world for its harshness, well nevertheless remaining optimistic and true to its form. Spirited Away is a heartfelt adventure, in which the main character does not face good or evil, but simply a need to adapt to a new world and a new set of rules, and to overcome their lesser attributes. And Castle in the Sky is a wonderful, vaguely Star-Wars-y adventure about a confused girl who is ready to meet her destiny.

Did you notice I just used the word 'heart' twice in three sentences? Well, these movies have a *lot* of heart to them, more so than any typical viewing from the House of Mouse. These aren't a packet of slickly-paced jokes, or an 'epic' tale of Good vs. Evil. They simply...are. And they shine for it.

Each DVD contains three language tracks...English, Japanese, and either French or Spanish (Spanish for Kiki, French for the other two). The English version comes with subtitles for the hearing impaired, true to the dub (which is slightly different from the original Japanese version, although not much). There are also literal subtitles for the Japanese track...they're big and obvious, if you even stop to follow any of the instructions or pay any attention at all.

Actually, I prefer the dub for Kiki's delivery service, and I think I might for Spirited Away, too. I haven't yet tinkered with the Japanese Castle in the Sky (which, by the way, was rescored...the original score was maybe one hour of original melodies for a two-hour movie. Ghibli decided that they might as well fix an old annoyance, and the new soundtrack is awesome). Disney did a very good job; the voice actors for the English versions managed to cover some sort of poorly chosen lines rather well.

The movies are, in short, not 'Disney-fied' at all, and if you find the English versions unsatisfactory, you can still experience the pure Japanese bliss. Good show, Disney. Now take a cue from these guys in Japan!

Hayao Miyazaki's films are well known in Japan, but America has had little exposure to its films. PRINCESS MONONOKE received an excellent DVD release from Miramax three years ago, and just last year Fox Video released a barebones version of MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO, but other than these two films (as well as THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO), the catalog of Miyazaki's films on DVD has been rather skimpy. All of that is about to change, however, for Disney is (finally!) bringing Miyazaki's titles to the U.S. on DVD -- especially now that they have just been issued in Japan. And what better choices to start out with rather than three of his most popular (and most requested) films -- SPIRITED AWAY, KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE, and CASTLE IN THE SKY?

For those of you who don't know, you can read my reviews on each of these titles. Otherwise, here's a brief plot outline and impressions of each of them.

CASTLE IN THE SKY is an exciting action-adventure tale about two young orphans who team up to find the fabled lost island of Laputa, aided by air pirates and pursued by government agents. It's a lot of fun, with endearing characters, beautiful animation, spectacular music from Joe Hisaishi (composer for all of Miyazaki's movies save CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO, which was done by Yuji Ohno), and just the right amount of action, romance, and humor.

KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE, an ideal choice for small fry as well as grown-ups, focuses on the trials and tribulations of a young witch-in-training's quest for independence in a big city. It's funny, moving, and never dull to watch. The artistry is equally breathtaking, the characters are real people dealing with tangible emotions, and a message that should appeal to all ages.

SPIRITED AWAY, the (first ever for an Anime!) winner of the 2002 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film, and arguably the jumpstart for the release of Miyazaki's films, is a surreal, gorgeously animated fable of a cute little girl and her struggle to rescue her parents from the spell of a greedy enchantress. If you haven't seen this movie yet, I suggest you do so now. It's something else. No, really.

These DVD releases features the following: great if not spectacular transfers, entertaining and extremely well done English dubs, and a handful of extras (mainly the SPIRITED AWAY DVD; the CASTLE and KIKI DVDs' extras are more than the PRINCESS MONONOKE DVD, but somewhat lacking in comparison to those on SPIRITED AWAY) to please newcomers and fans alike.

I understand that some folks have a problem with Disney's treatment of the movies--notably the inclusion of extra dialogue and music (in the case of KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE and CASTLE IN THE SKY), but I feel that the criticisms are unfair on various grounds. Miyazaki and his company have complete control over any musical alterations and transfers whatsoever, and NOT EVEN ONE SECOND FROM THESE FILMS ARE CUT. Plus, they've included the original Japanese language tracks with subtitles, to give fans the option to view these films the way they were released in its origin homeland. (KIKI is somewhat "dubtitled" and the subs on CASTLE are a little off at times, but only the most stubborn of purists won't overlook these shortcomings.)

So which version is better to watch? Honestly, I like both equally, and I don't necessarily recommend one over the other. Plus, rather than wasting time getting involved with ranting debates about the marketing mistakes Disney made with these films, I'd suggest watching these movies in whatever way you feel comfortable viewing them. Both the subtitled and the dubbed versions on all three of these titles are great entertainments, though getting the most out of the dubs may depend on what you bring with you to them. Whatever version you choose to watch, all three of these films are essentials to anyone's collection, animation or otherwise. In the words of Miyazaki admirer John Lasseter (head of PIXAR Animation Studios), who introduces each of these films on all releases, "YOU are lucky!"

These films are some of the few in all of anime that can truthfully be called "legendary". Serious fans of anime have been waiting for years for these DVDs. The fact that they are finally available, and that Disney has done such a first class job with them, is nothing short of wonderful. I suggest buying all three them today, you will be very happy you did.

All three movies are made to be enjoyed by people of all ages. All three feature world-beating animation, wonderful scores and terrific scripts. Other than that, these are three very different and distinct movies. I consider each movie to be a masterpiece in its own way (Castle in the Sky being my personal favorite). If you haven't seen any of them yet, I envy you. You're in for a unique treat. Do yourself a favor and see as many Miyazaki films as you can get your hands on. This is the best place to start.

Hayao Miyazaki is undoubtedly one of the best children's filmmakers today. Here three of his best are collected together: "Kiki's Delivery Service," "Castle in the Sky," and "Spirited Away" -- all overflowing with charm, color, beauty, sadness, and spirit.

In "Kiki's Delivery Service," a determined young witch-in-training (Kirsten Dunst) sets out from her hometown to hone her powers out in the world, with only her cat Jiji (Phil Hartman) by her side. She finds a home and job in a picturesque little town, and puts her broomstick to good use as she sets up a delivery service -- and gets to know some of the townsfolk around her.

Action and fantasy are given a Jules Verne twist in "Castle in the Sky." Miner boy Pazu (James Van Der Beek) sees a girl slowly float down from the sky, suspended by a glowing crystal necklace. Sheeta (Anna Paquin) befriends the orphaned boy, but soon pirates and military thugs are chasing both of the children, so they can use Sheeta to find the fabled floating city of Laputa. To save Sheeta, Pazu teams up with some bumbling pirates -- and finds more than he ever expected up in the clouds.

Academy Award Winner "Spirited Away" opens with Chihiro (Daveigh Chase) being unwillingly moved to a new town. But when her parents take a detour into an abandoned amusement park, they are suddenly turned into pigs. Turns out the park is really a resort for powerful spirits and gods. To save her parents, Chihiro sacrifices her freedom and her name to the vicious Yubaba (Suzanne Pleshette). And she allies herself with Yubaba's henchman Haku (James Marsden), a mysterious boy who seems somehow familiar to her.

While technically the Miyazaki three-pack is for kids, adults will probably enjoy the stories as well. These are well-crafted, beautifully-animated films that manage to be uplifting and sweet without ever descending to sappiness. In short, they're smart films. They don't talk down to kids, but they won't alienate adults by being childish.

The animation is uniformly beautiful, full of bright colors and clean lines. And Miyazaki has an excellent story-telling range: He produces the resort-towns of "Kiki," the richly dark-edged world of monsters, ghosts and spirits in "Spirited away," and the slam-bang action and majesty of "Castle." And he doesn't forget to mix plenty of the fantastical in too. In what other movies can you see a six-foot-tall baby, a pirate street-brawl, and a girl riding a dragon through underground tunnels?

Miyazaki also has an excellent grasp of character development, presenting us with the plucky Kiki and resourceful miner boy Pazu. But the best character is perhaps Chihiro, who starts off whining relentlessly, but showing her courage and love as the story goes on. Even the villains are multi-dimensional, even if "Castle"'s Muska goes perilously close to the megalomaniac tyrant cliche.

Miyazaki -- whose latest project is an adaptation of Diana Wynne-Jones' fantasy novel "Howl's Moving Castle" -- is definitely a wonderful filmmaker. These three movies are charming, evocative, emotional, and occasionally even epic. Highly recommended.

If you've been living anywhere but under a rock for the last few years, you already know what all the hubbub is about regarding these 3 outstanding animated features. Hayao Miyazaki, The Grand Master of Animation, has brought these stories to life in a manner more realistic than most live action movies can even think of doing.

Having seen these movies in Japan during their theatrical or original video releases, I was overjoyed at their release on DVD. And Disney has brought them to the American public with true style...dubbed English and the original Japanese language tracks, subtitles, and outstanding special features. For the purists out there, the English language track follows the original Japanese exactly, with the exception of a few lines that had to be slightly modified in English to help the viewer absorb cultural concepts that were simply "understood" in the original Japanese. And the voice dubbing is perfect, capturing every single nuance of every emotion that was intended to come across in the stories. The animation is, by far, the most realistic and thought provoking you will ever see, with textures that literally come alive with detail. As a side note, it is unfortunate that a fourth Miyazaki feature, "My Neighbor Totoro", did not receive the same respectful treatment from Fox, when they purchased the rights to that film, and effectively butchered it for the American DVD release.

Although appearing to rely heavily on the widely publicized popularity of the most recent film of the three, Spirited Away (The highest grossing FILM of all time in Japan, and the Academy Award winner for 2002's Best Animated Feature), as the key link of its sales strategy, all of these features are equally imaginative in concept and exquisite in execution. And the price is excellent...the Japanese paid between $45 and $55 a pop for each one of these when they were released on DVD in their home country.

This 3 pack of classics can be summed up very simply...The Japanese loved them. I loved them. My family loved them. You'll love them too.

Let me just say that each of these films deserves a full review in their own right. That said, I think that Spirited Away is the centerpiece of this trilogy, and the treatment on DVD shows with great audio and video quality, and a healthy set of extras. Castle in the Sky and Kiki's Delivery Service also are looking great on these DVD's, but their extras are not quite as good - the second disc of both movies is the complete storyboards. That's interesting, but nothing I'd write home about. These movies showcase Miyazaki over quite a large period of time - interrupted by a gap where Princess Mononoke was made. It is obvious - you can see the evolution of his style, and the evolution of cgi - almost completely absent in Castle in the Sky, and filling lots of gaps of Spirited Away (though almost always scenery/backgrounds/zooms, nothing of the main characters that I can tell).
If you're a Miyazaki fan, get these discs! If you're new to the anime world, these are good starter movies to hook you in.

These films are pure art, magic put into a DVD. There are very few other films, either animated or live action, that capture such a sense of appreciation for nature and love of life.

If you're an older fan of anime and have done research on the subject, you're aware that quite a bit of animation from Japan has been shown in the U.S. The U.S. versions are different (sometimes vastly different) from the originals because of the american attitude towards the audience for animation here in the states.

Anime in Japan is for everyone. Adults, children, action, romance, there is an animated film genre for everyone's tastes. Anime in the U.S. is, for the most part, for children. Japanese version characters cuss, whine, and even die sometimes. American versions of these characters get silly catch phrases and disapear for no reason (Voltron anyone?).

If you're showing these magical movies to your kids, they will certainly enjoy the Disney versions with wonderful american voice actors and a great score. If you're an older anime fan and want to experience the wonderful multi-layered plots and genuine characters that the director is so famous for, turn on the Japanese version with English sub-titles and enjoy. Even better, experience both versions and think it like a great re-telling of a classic tale the second time around.

Well I could, but I'm happy with what they have. Disney has finally decided to release these three movies on DVD and all on the same day. If you do not know about Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki already, I guess many relate this to the Japanese equivalent of Disney. While Studio Ghibli has many light-hearted works, it also deals with more adult-themed works as well such as Princess Mononoke. I'll start with a short synopsis of the three movies:

Spirited Away (2001)
The story of a girl named, Chihiro, who was exploring with her parents after getting lost. They ended up in a land where spirits are plentiful. Chihiro's parents were turned into pigs and thus, she had to find work in this new world after relinquishing her name only to be given a new one, Sen. It is the story of many happenings and seems to flow as recklessly as the water as many elements are present (reminscent of works like Kikujiro). Basically, Sen/Chihiro must find a way back to her world and a way to save her parents with the help of friends, all while never forgetting her name and her past.

Castle in the Sky (1986)
Never released in America but still another Ghibli favorite. One day, Pazu, an adventurous boy, finds a girl, Sheeta, falling from the sky with a very mysterious pendant. Pirates and others are after the girl and her pendant as they believe that she is somehow connected to Laputa, the legendary castle in the sky. They begin their adventure and leads them to unfold the mystery of Laputa.

Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
One of my favorite Ghibli movies. This is a story of a witch named Kiki who has just turned 13 and must undergo her rite of passage. She has to leave her village to live in another town for a year so that she can learn to live on her own. She embarks on this new journey with her black cat, Jiji, and seek out to find work, friends, and new experiences.

Of the three, Spirited Away is my least favorite. For me, the story just did not appeal to me. Through its large statement on Japanese culture and odd flow of the story, it often made me wonder what the real plot was for. So much happens within the movie that I forget that she has to save her parents, a fact which I think Sen/Chihiro even seems to forget. Nonetheless, it is still a mark of how amazing and beautiful Studio Ghibli's animations are.

There are lots of extras included within these DVDs as well. I was happy to hear this as Princess Mononoke was lacking in that section. There are interviews with the English voice cast, Japanese TV specials, and original movie trailers to just name a few.

Final Note: Nothing I say will convince any Ghibli or animation fan to not buy this as the one thing that the majority of anime fans agree on is that Studio Ghibli movies are an essential part of anybody's anime (and DVD) collection. For non-anime fans, these movies are something that need to be experienced and could possibly turn you into fans in the process.

I am a lover of animation, and I am sometimes forgiving of flawed films if I can appreciate the art. No such forgiveness is needed here.

This is not simply anime or Disney animation, but art spun by a passionate man, Hayao Miyazaki.

Miyazaki is a true master of his profession and captures the reality of youth like I've never seen in film before. Instead of characters fabricated to entertain audiences and to be plugged into plots, Miyazaki creates genuine children and young adults in his films. Then, he throws you and them together into fantastic awe-inspiring environments and allows you to experience his raw imagination.

If you have any sort of imagination, or enjoy any type of art, or if you just simply need escapist entertainment you should cherish these films. Be warned that they will move you and stick with you for your lifetime.

In a word, "inpiring."

The tragedy is that many many film lovers will miss out on these films. Don't dismiss these as children's films, allow yourself to be drawn in. There are no other films like Miyazaki's. Hopefully, Spirited Away's recent oscar win for Best Animated Feature will give this director's works the attention they deserve.