Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Copyright: 2001
Production: Studio Ghibli
Voice Talents (USA):
Daveigh Chase (as "Chihiro")
Jason Marsden (as "Haku")
Suzanne Pleshette (as "Yubaba" and "Zeniba")
Voice Talents (Japan):
Rumi HIIRAGI (as "Chihiro")
Miyu IRINO (as "Haku")
Mari NATSUKI (as "Yubaba" and "Zeniba")
MPAA Rating: PG: Parental Guidance Suggested for some scary moments
Cornfeild Lion's rating:
Review by:

The story of "Spirited Away" begins when Chihiro, a young girl, and her parents are moving. Chihiro is less than thrilled about the whole deal, until her father decides to take a short-cut and they stop at an abandoned Japanese theme park... After this, everything goes nuts. Chihiro's parents are turned to pigs, she starts to disapeer, spirits come in from everywhere, and she meets a mysterious boy, Haku, all in a strange world of spirits where everything comes alive at night... Chihiro has to work at the spirit's bath house, turn her parents back into humans, and escape before the evil woman who rules the bath house eats her parents...
Spirited Away is an adorable movie, but it might be to different for young children to understand. The movie is long, I think it's two and half hours, so some children might not be able to sit through it. You should look at the "Rated For:" section to make sure your kids can handle it. But still, the movie is really cute, and it has an adorable and innocent concept of love throughout it. The end is both happy and sad at the same time, Chihiro is going home, but she is leaving Haku and the rest of the spirits. This coming of age story is really a sweet movie.

Rated For:
Violence: There is a scene where a bleeding dragon (Haku) crashes into a door and leaves blood all over the room. We get a lovely shot of his face close up, and there is blood dripping from his mouth. Heh heh... yeah... I don't think young children should really see that.

Sexual and Nudity: There is a flashback where Chihiro is nude, but we only see her shoulders and up. Totally none innocence-damaging. I'm making it sound worse than it is. Chihiro and Haku also hold hands a couple times.

Language: None

Offence to Chirstianity: Spells are an important part of this movie, and all of the characters (Except for Chihiro and her parents) are "spirits." In the original Japanese version, they are Kami, which is a Japanese sort of god. Kami come from this religion Shintoism.

Other: There are some scarey parts in this movie which would not be appropriate for young children. A monster eats three people... who, uh, get thrown up. While not graphic, it's... naeseating. There are some pretty disgusting images of food and garbage laying around, and Chihiro's parents don't exactly look the greatest as pigs. Esspecially when they squeal and spit flies out of their mouth. Yeah.

Cornfeild Lion's Rating: PG

Quotes:

Chihiro: "I finally get a bouquet and it's a goodbye present. That's depressing."

Chihiro: "Daddy, are we lost?"
Chihiro's Father: "Don't worry, I've got four-wheel drive."

Chihiro: "I'm see-through!"

Chihiro: "How did you know my name was Chihiro?"
Haku: "I have known you since you were very small."

Chihiro: "You don't remember your name?"
Haku: "No, but for some reason I remember yours."

Aogaeru: "Welcome the rich man, he's hard for you to miss. His butt keeps getting bigger, so there's plenty there to kiss!"

Lin: "What's going on here?"
Kamaji: "Something you wouldn't recognize. It's called love."

Lin: "Sen! I'm sorry I called you a dope before... I take it back!"

Zeniba: "Now, try to remember as much as you can about your old life."
Chihiro: "For some reason, I can remember Haku... from a long time ago... but I thought I never met him before!"
Zeniba: "Oh, that's a wonderful place to start! Once you meet someone, you never really forget them. It just takes a while for your memories to return."

last lines
Chihiro's Father: "A new home and a new school? It is pretty scary."
Chihiro: "I think I can handle it."