SRP $29.99 1.85:1(16:9) DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 BUENA VISTA

BUENA VISTA has released “SPIRITED AWAY,” one of several wonderful animated films by director Hayao Miyazaki, being released on dvd by the studio.  Fox has released “My Neighbor Totoro,” but it’s not in properly letterboxed format.  We’re extremely pleased that “SPIRITED AWAY,” CASTLE IN THE SKY,” and “KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE” are not only letterboxed with 16:9 enhancement, but with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound as well!

All three of these classics have been released without any changes being made to the original films for American distribution.   

“SPIRITED AWAY” is a magnificent film!  The film’s main character, a young girl, Chihiro, finds herself having to deal with many more problems at her age than most adults do in a lifetime.  After following her mother and father to a weird amusement park, they’re both transformed into pigs. In an unusual animated family film, what could happen next? Well, she ends up working at a bathhouse for “spirits,” and then things really start to get adventurous, as incredible and colorful characters are introduced.

It’s a great film for children and adults alike, in the same way Spielberg’s family films have been.  It’s never patronizing, and it’s easy to care and identify with Chihiro’s plight and fears from the beginning all the way until the end when we realize how much she’s actually grown. 

BUENA VISTA has presented the film with its proper 1.85:1 aspect ratio and 16:9 enhancement.  Even with a few minor compression artifacts, the image is excellent!  Colors are rich and vibrant. There’s great detail in the darkest of scenes. 

BUENA VISTA has included both the original Japanese and English dubbed track in Dolby Digital 5.1.  While many will want to hear the original mix with subtitles, the dubbed version is also excellent. 

Michael Chiklis, Lauren Holly and David Ogden Stiers are the most notable voices here, but the girl, Daveigh Chase, also responsible for the voice of Lilo in “LILO AND STITCH,” is wonderful here again.  Both mixes present the beautiful score in all speakers, and there’s a large amount of surround and directional effects throughout.  Dialogue is always intelligible and free from distortion.   

BUENA VISTA has included some great extras for this release.  Producer John Lasseter(Monsters Inc) introduces the film, explaining how the film won him over, as it will the viewer.

“THE ART OF SPIRITED AWAY” is a featurette, filled with interviews of Miyazaki, Lasseter, and others, all discussing the film’s translation for an American audience. We also learn how this film and others by Miyazaki have inspired some of Disney’s great storytellers. 

While there are trailers and more, the stand out supplement is “THE MAKING OF SPIRITED AWAY.” It’s a sizeable featurette, presented in Japanese with subtitles, and demonstrates with behind-the-scenes footage how the creative geniuses at Studio Ghibli. We get to see first-hand how the creative storytelling process unfolds, and it’s something that every aspiring writer should watch. We also get to observe how much of a genuine team effort a creation like this calls for, with everyone chipping in, not just creatively, but actually with such activities as cooking!

The film and its stellar presentation, alone, make this a dvd to be sought after, but with the extras, it’s a no brainer! GET THIS DVD!!!