Spirited Away (2001)
I really liked My Neighbor Totoro so I had high hopes for this, which seemed to be even more well regarded. But I simply didn’t connect with it in the same way.
This clearly has a more complex story with more depth and tons of symbolism to analyse than My Neighbor Totoro, but maybe also why it wasn’t for me. I think I prefer the setting where we introduce some magical elements to the real world whereas this turns the weirdness and fantastical up to 11. No arguing against the imagination this movie shows. How it can represent consumerism is just something that is there, but not very compelling for me. The biggest drawback was my lack of any engagement with the characters. I simply loved everyone in My Neighbor Totoro, and while Chiriro isn’t unlikeable - I didn’t find her very interesting.
I pondered whether to give this 2 or 3 stars, but while the animation is amazing and the music beautiful - ultimately this was a movie I didn’t find worth watching. It is simply not for me. Hence the 2 stars meaning I can certainly see what others might see in it and it is definitely not terrible. I am however still very much keen on further exploring the filmography of Miyazaki.
Rating: 2.5