Spirited Away (2001) - ★★★★★

Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Writers: Hayao Miyazaki
Stars: Daveigh Chase, Suzanne Pleshette, Jason Marsden, Susan Egan, David Ogden Stiers

Arguably Studio Ghibli's greatest creation from the great mind of Hayao Miyazaki, there is only one word that can truly describe Spirited Away, magic. The movie entails a young girl named Chihiro, who is moving to a new town with her parents. Spirited Away is a film that is very to the point with no boring introductions or set-ups. We are sucked right into the story when the family takes a detour through what they think is an old abandoned amusement park. It is actually a sort of spa for the spirits, a place where spirits can bathe and be pampered.

Chihiro is employed to work for the owner of the spa, a witch named Ubaba, in return for not being turned into a pig like her parents. This brilliant movie focuses mainly on the magic of the characters through their differences being so unimaginably unique and strange. We the viewers cannot help but root for Chihiro to find her way back home with her parents, but at the same time we don't want her and Haku to have to leave each other.

Many amazingly visual and well thought-out events happen in this movie, but the ending is something to be admired. After a tear-jerking goodbye between Haku and Chihiro, she cannot turn around to take one last look at the world she's been a part of for what seems like months or else she won't be able to leave. This led me to question whether I wanted her to leave this beautiful world or whether I wanted her to return to the dull normal world.

Through the whole experience, Chihiro appears to have emerged a stronger, older and more intelligent girl than she was when she first started. Spirited Away is an inspiring movie from a creative genius that entails a remarkable story of adventure, love and strength in the face of adversity.