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frogboy4
Inactive Member
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2002
- Messages
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- Reaction score
- 358
I finally saw Animation Academy Award winner Spirited Away. I must first state that I have never liked Japanese animation of any sort. This film is different.
Bear with me. I have to get my general gripes out of the way first.
It is well known that I have high standards for animation – especially in feature films. In case some of you guys are not aware, film is projected at 24 frames per second. In the highest quality of animation (Disney feature standards) the image changes in each of the 24 frames. In cheaper animation the image changes every-other frame or sometimes even less. This creates an unattractive choppy effect that throws me out of the film. Much of anime falls victim to this because of their shoestring budgets and, to some extent, so did this film. There are some breathtaking scenes scattered throughout the production that are made even more beautiful juxtaposed to others.
Another issue is character animation. There isn’t much of life in the characters’ eyes or face. I’m not sure if it is a cultural influence or a budgetary one, but the faces of the characters are cardboard and unexpressive. I can’t see why that would be intentional, but when compared to the rest of the film it certainly is strange.
Watching this film I couldn’t help but wish they had some of Disney’s artist working on some of the key character close-ups. However, the old lady was amazingly expressive, so I guess they just reserve that element for the evil characters. The rest have almost Speed Racer style vacant expressions much of the time.
The pacing could also have been tighter. It is over two hours. Maybe if they’d economized some of the shots they could have raised the bar to 24-frame animation. Even though it’s long, I really didn’t feel it.
Now that I’ve cleared the air about the details, I highly recommend this film. It has more wonderment than a Harry Potter film and an original, imaginative story to tell. The characters are memorable and a definite departure from anything you would expect. As for the story, you never know what wacky thing is going to happen next. There isn’t much of a formula to this film and it’s great. Also, not all of your questions about this world will be answered. I like that too.
Miyazaki is a master artist in my opinion and has opened my eyes to an entirely new style of animation. There are also previews of Kiki’s Delivery Service and other interesting films he has made. The animation is much more crude in my opinion, but the story and artwork are interesting enough to make me want to check them out. You can’t fault a film for having a low budget, but it’s difficult for me to watch 6-8 frame animation. We’ll see.
I don’t want to give much away, but this film deserved the Oscar and gets a definite B+ from the Frogboy. If you liked Labyrinth, Alice in Wonderland, The Neverending Story or Harry Potter, you'll love this film. I'm glad tho have the DVD. I hope Miyazaki continues to work with Disney and maybe work with them next time. Not likely, but from what I have learned from Spirited Away – a person can always dream.
B+
Bear with me. I have to get my general gripes out of the way first.
It is well known that I have high standards for animation – especially in feature films. In case some of you guys are not aware, film is projected at 24 frames per second. In the highest quality of animation (Disney feature standards) the image changes in each of the 24 frames. In cheaper animation the image changes every-other frame or sometimes even less. This creates an unattractive choppy effect that throws me out of the film. Much of anime falls victim to this because of their shoestring budgets and, to some extent, so did this film. There are some breathtaking scenes scattered throughout the production that are made even more beautiful juxtaposed to others.
Another issue is character animation. There isn’t much of life in the characters’ eyes or face. I’m not sure if it is a cultural influence or a budgetary one, but the faces of the characters are cardboard and unexpressive. I can’t see why that would be intentional, but when compared to the rest of the film it certainly is strange.
Watching this film I couldn’t help but wish they had some of Disney’s artist working on some of the key character close-ups. However, the old lady was amazingly expressive, so I guess they just reserve that element for the evil characters. The rest have almost Speed Racer style vacant expressions much of the time.
The pacing could also have been tighter. It is over two hours. Maybe if they’d economized some of the shots they could have raised the bar to 24-frame animation. Even though it’s long, I really didn’t feel it.
Now that I’ve cleared the air about the details, I highly recommend this film. It has more wonderment than a Harry Potter film and an original, imaginative story to tell. The characters are memorable and a definite departure from anything you would expect. As for the story, you never know what wacky thing is going to happen next. There isn’t much of a formula to this film and it’s great. Also, not all of your questions about this world will be answered. I like that too.
Miyazaki is a master artist in my opinion and has opened my eyes to an entirely new style of animation. There are also previews of Kiki’s Delivery Service and other interesting films he has made. The animation is much more crude in my opinion, but the story and artwork are interesting enough to make me want to check them out. You can’t fault a film for having a low budget, but it’s difficult for me to watch 6-8 frame animation. We’ll see.
I don’t want to give much away, but this film deserved the Oscar and gets a definite B+ from the Frogboy. If you liked Labyrinth, Alice in Wonderland, The Neverending Story or Harry Potter, you'll love this film. I'm glad tho have the DVD. I hope Miyazaki continues to work with Disney and maybe work with them next time. Not likely, but from what I have learned from Spirited Away – a person can always dream.
B+
