Spirited Away

In a Nutshell: Interesting, but I don't think I fully "got it."

Quick Plot: (Brief but important background: This is a film from a Japanese master of Anime. This is the most successful film of all time in Japan, distributed in the US by Disney. It is dubbed, not subtitled.) A girl and her family stumble upon a resort for the spirits. When her parents become enchanted by the place and are kidnapped, Chihiro must take on the witch Yubaba to save them and herself, with the help of a variety of unusual friends.

In Detail: Um, yeah. It was, ah, interesting. Honestly, I think the cultural gap is too large, at least for me. The film was fine, meaning that it made sense and followed a "normal" progression. The story was different (though perhaps common in Japan). But when it was finished, I just thought "okay, I have no idea what the point of that really was." I think there were lots of references, both visual and perhaps in the names, that were simply lost on me since I don't have any kind of understanding of Japanese culture and spirituality. Even my brother, who is a great fan of Anime/Japanimation, said he didn't really get it either. An interesting cultural experience, one I am happy to have had, but not one I care to repeat any time soon.

Will I Buy It? No. It didn't make enough sense to me, so I would not enjoy repeat viewings.