Many of my friends have seen this movies and said it to be very good. It also got a 98 on metacritic. I am curious to know what other people think of it before I see it.

First off, I find it hard to believe that any movie can REALLY get a 98, let alone the 100 for "The Godfather." Secondly, this film presents a unique world with unique ideas and characters, so that fact may cause many "ordinary" viewers to find it TOO unique, or perhaps, just plain weird or difficult to understand. All that being said, my family and I found it to be a very suspenseful, humorous, beautiful and one-of-a-kind film. Did we understand every second of it or think it was perfect? Of course not. Were we happy that we could be exposed to something so original, adventurous and entertaining? Well, maybe we're "hyper-ordinary" because that answer is of course.

Mark, I just saw this film and loved it. I understand your point though. The movie is more of an art movie than one with a real plot you can follow so it may not appeal to some people. But the art was just beautiful and the movie itself was beautiful.

I absolutely loved this movie! I thought it was perfect, and a great film that all ages could enjoy equally. I would consider this the modern equivalent of Alice in Wonderland, or even The Wizard of Oz! Between Spirited Away and the Triplets of Belleville, my hopes for animated movies that do not follow the Disney stereotype have dramatically increased. Truly, Spirited Away was Miyazaki's masterpiece, (even though I have only seen one other of his films), and will become a timeless movie that inspires generations to come. All hail the return of surrealism in film!

Know It All:

This is a unique and amazing film; it is definitely worth your time. It does not present a Western sensibility, so if you are completely unfamiliar with a Japanese spirit- and nature-oriented point of view, it may seem pretty weird. But one reason we watch movies is to widen our outlook, no? Princess Mononoke is another beautiful film Miyazaki has done and his Kiki's Delivery Service seems much more Western in its orientation. Another good film that comes to mind that includes an "introduction" to Japanese folklore would be the segment called (I think) The Wedding of the Foxes in Kurosawa's Dreams.

A great film, probably one of the only non violent animes I have. Magical like storyline with great anmation.

That movie is amazing. Even watching the English dubbed version (which to say it is a pet peeve would be an understatement) I left the theatre in awe.

It completely captivated me and I was completely lead into Chihiro's world of the bath houses. It was a great coming-of-age plot and the relationship between Chihiro and Haku was touching.

ive lost count with how many times ive watched that brilliant movie. words cannot describe. it is definately worth it. i just dont know what it is about it, but it is simply amazing.

This is a very good film by a talented director. I remember when I first watched it to be totally confused and awe-struck with its "out of this world" story. It is a thought-provoking movie that leaves you wondering well after it is over.

Oh, man, I'm glad I saw this thread. I've been trying to think of the name of this movie for several months now. Thanks guys.

I too thought it was a great movie... just beautifully creative. Then again, I was in a rather *ahem* altered state at the time(I saw it several years ago when I was in college). Interesting experience.

My sister has seen this movie at least 100 times. Needless to say, I'm a little tired of it.

Excellent movie. One of my favorites. Pretty much all of his movies are great. The early ones are worth watching too. Even his son's new movie earthsea is worth watching, but not nearly as good as the old man's. Just google or imdb Miyazaki and find a whole new world of animation.

I found a very good article about this brilliant director: "I will continue to use my pencil as long as I can."

Thanks for the link, that's something I'm really glad to hear. As far as I'm considered Miyazaki is one of if not the greatest director of the past 25 years. Has there been any word as to when Ponyo is going to be released over here?

I just got this film from NetFlix last week, and absolutely adored it. Seriously, one of the best animated films I have ever seen. Then again, I'm a sucker for fantastic plots and strange creatures.

Spirited is awesome. It's probably my second favourite Miyazaki film (after Laputa).

Dude, I have the 7 disc ghibli box set with all his movies (except howl's moving castle) and while they are all legendary, Spirited Away is where it all comes together into one complete masterful package. It feels wierd to say after seeing all of his movies but it is his magnum opus.

I can confidently state that all ghibli movies rock hayao miyazaki's works are all masterpieces each. not a single cliche