This film is a must see for anyone who loves hand drawn animation. This is an experience filmgoers just don't get at the theater anymore and I praise studio Ghibli (and in tandem Disney as far as North America is concerned) for continuing this tradition. I also implore anyone who feels interested in seeing this film at any level go do so and support the studio, I would like to see them around for years to come and I don't think many will be disappointed with the experience.First of all, no, Miyazaki didn't actually direct this time around. He only penned and planned the story along with other production guidance. So I'm okay with saying this arguably isn't Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, or Howl's Moving Castle, but this is that studio Ghibli magic you love. I feel it closely kindred to Kiki's Delivery Service or My Neighbor Totoro. I personally fail to see how any Studio Ghibli fan could walk away from this film unhappy. For that matter I fail to see how any child at heart could walk away from this film without a smile on their face. Films like this evoke a feeling of childhood and a sense of wonder.
The animation is gorgeous and possibly even more stimulating since we see virtually no hand drawn animation on the silver screen in North America (though so far this year I've been blessed with the Beauty and the Beast re-release and a Fullmetal Alchemist film at my small town theater). As far as Arrietty is concerned the background designers paid great attention to detail while the characters have that streamlined Miyazaki look but move with fluidity and such realism. It's very captivating to see the familiar concept of creatures living between floorboards in such a new inventive way. Seeing what they borrow from the humans and how they use it is part of the charm of the film. I also have to say that this film, like all Ghibli films, does such an excellent job of capturing the majesty of nature. The outdoor scenes here make one long to go for a hike in such an area.
Characterization is also well done. While the characters may not seem as standout or unique as previous Ghibli releases they are all distinct and have formed personalities that are revealed in such refreshingly subtle ways, you don't get a bunch of exposition explaining characters you just see who they are through how they move and act. In this light it was also nice to see traits from the original borrowers material carried over into this representation (the mother being very worrisome, etc.). Arrietty is rightfully the most compelling character, a girl venturing into the larger world for the first time with fear but also curiosity and courage. One note, I would have liked to see more of the other characters, especially Sho/Shawn, but I was very pleased with what I did get to see.
Voice acting is something I really have to give Disney credit for. Dubs are very hard to get right and I've found that they've put good effort into the casting and voice directing of their Ghibli dubs. The voices all sound like they are coming from the characters (with perhaps the debatable exception of David Henrie as Sho/Shawn, who does a great job but sounds a bit deep voiced for the young character), and 99% match the lip flaps. Bridgit Mendler as Arriety does a standout job, Amy Poehler and Will Arnett are charmingly cast as her parents and Carol Burnett is humorous as the house cleaner, Hara. The performances, like the film itself, are understated but very engrossing (for fans of this genre at least). I look forward to being able to listen to the original Japanese dialogue for comparison purposes but I think even those who don't enjoy dubs should give this one a try if it's the only option at your local theater.
Lastly there is the sound. A key component of establishing the reality in any animated film. In Arrietty the sound has been well selected to evoke the feeling of an idyllic summer, especially in outdoor scenes. Sound was also extremely well used to establish Arrietty's unique perspective of the human world. For example, in one scene where Arrietty enters a human kitchen for the first time, the familiar sounds of appliances humming and an empty room at night are used to create a sense of unfamiliarity and vastness. In addition to the excellent sound design I must compliment the score of the film, the music fits well and has a Celtic influence that captures Arrietty's lively spirit.
If there is a fault to be found it is the running time. At 94 minutes this film is one of Ghibli's shortest (only Totoro comes to mind as being shorter). With such an immersing experience at the beginning of the film I would have loved to spend more time in Arrietty's world exploring the day to day of their unique lifestyle. Further, once the story got going I would've loved more twists and turns that a longer running time might have allotted. A positive regarding the length is that the film will be an excellent experience for most children. One more note regarding children, parents should know that there is a discussion about death in the film. It depends on your children and their age but the characters discuss the fact that we all die someday in a brief scene, it is handled much like the circle of life discussion in Lion King so judge for yourselves, I can't see it being a problem.
In conclusion, I suggest everyone take their children to see this film, it's a wonderful re-imagining of a wonderful tale and I dare say this is my favorite adaptation of The Borrowers story yet, and having grown up in Canada with BBC I've seen quite a few. I highly recommend fans of animation see this film and I hope Disney releases this Blu-ray quickly, I eagerly anticipate watching this beautiful animation in HD on my home theater. It's nice to experience a film that puts magic back into the movies.
**I also eagerly anticipate the rest of Ghibli's catalog titles being released on Blu-ray, hopefully sooner than later.
Mr. Miyazaki does not disappoint, retelling the original children's story "Borrowers" by Mary Norton and placing it in the present, with the main characters being Shawn, a sickly boy who is sent to live with his great aunt and her maid Hara, where he discovers a secret family of tiny people that includes husband and wife Pod and Homily and Arrietty, their 13-year-old daughter who is just learning to "borrow," something her kind does to survive. As the story unravels, Arrietty's adventures are highlighted by wonderful scenes of the world from a point of view of a 4-inch tall person.
The ending of this movie does not disappoint, and I am definitely planning to see this movie several more times with my nephews, and to buy the DVD when it comes out to add to my Miyazaki collection. I would definitely recommend this movie, especially to a family with young children!
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Studio Ghibli needs no introduction. They took us to the heavens in "Castle in the Sky", sent us into a realm of demons with "Spirited Away", and plunged us into a desperate struggle for protecting the forest in "Princess Mononoke." Arguably, no other anime studio knows how to nail complete immersion into a world, except for places such as Kyoto Animation and Madhouse. When it comes to making us believe every second of a story, Ghibli knows how to hit the sweet spot. With it's only misfire, the absolutely dreadful "Tales of Earthsea", etched into North American audience's memories more recently than 2009's excellent "Ponyo", there was some speculation at whether or not this would be the venerable studio's chance at redemption. Simply put: it is."The Secret of Arriety" is a wonderful film, up there with classics such as "Kiki's Delivery Service" and "Spirited Away." Based on the timeless children's story, "The Borrowers", it follows Arriety and her family, who are all Borrowers living inside the house of a disgruntled old woman. A Borrower is a sort of pocket human, a tiny person who goes around and takes things from humans that they wouldn't miss. Examples include a cube of sugar, or a single snack cracker. To the Borrowers, these things are massive hauls that will last them weeks. But their existence is threatened once the old woman who lives the house, Haru, discovers their presence and begins the first of many attempts to entrap them. It's only with the aid of kindly Sho, the woman's sick nephew who lives in the house, do they stand a chance at surviving.
It's instantly clear that, compared to much larger struggles seen in other Ghibli films, this conflict is relatively small-scale. Instead of focusing on an epic struggle between the Borrowers and Haru, "Arriety" simply comes across as a lighthearted cat-and-mouse game between the two parties, with Shaun serving as the mediator between the whole affair. Which isn't to say that's necessarily a bad thing. The last time Ghibli went big, we got "Earthsea", and I applaud them for being able to rein in this film into a tighter, more focused narrative. While there are deeper moments that shine through, such as Arriety's fear for the survival of her race, it's a very light affair compared to their other films, but it works overall.
There are a few components of the film, however, that feel particularly weak. My primary issue is with the character of Spiller, an uncivilized Borrower who lives off of the land and carries a bow and arrow. His role is very scant, and seems to only be there to give Arriety a love interest. Which doesn't really work, considering that he's probably only in the film for a combined time of five minutes. He comes across as forced, as if Miyazaki (who wrote, but not directed, this film) said, "Oh, darn, there needs to be a Borrower boy for Arriety to crush on!", and inserted him into the film. While he does serve as an interesting key into the larger world of surviving Borrowers, his purpose as even that feels a bit unnecessary.
It's hard to fault a single character for a problem that is prevalent throughout the screenplay, however, and thus this brings me to my only gripe about the movie: it's not fleshed out enough. Every aspect of the world, whether it be Sho's sickness, Arriety's history, or Haru's seemingly conniving nature, is never fully explained. Why did Sho's parents divorce? Why would his mother not be with him in his time of need? Why does Arriety's family have to leave once they're seen? Who came up with the established code that all Borrower's apparently live by? These and other questions are never really answered, nor is a key moment of the film where Sho conveniently knows where Haru has entrapped Arriety's mother, despite never finding any clue whatsoever to her place of captivity. This is not Ghibli's deepest work, by any means, nor is it trying to be. However, I do feel an extra 20 minutes of running time might have benefited this film to provide more back story.
This is more of a snapshot type of movie, one that captures a certain moment in time and fills every detail of that moment with rich and fulfilling description. In place of this description is top-notch animation from Ghibli, on par with their fantastic work in "Ponyo." The true scale of the real world through the eyes of the Borrowers is one of the strongest suits of "Arriety." Kitchens become mountains, and meadows become forests. In order to fill their tiny cups with a beverage, they drip in a single drop, which fills them to the brim. They mash crackers into wheat, and use postage stamps as ornamental paintings. Every aspect of this film's artistic vision is fully realized, and that alone makes up for the somewhat lacking plot. It's rare that a film possesses a convincing enough world that will let you drift away in it for a while, but "Arriety" has it down.
Another aid to making this world believable is the voice acting, which is some of the best I've ever seen in a Disney localization of a Ghibli film. Bridgit Mendler, who hails from the Disney Channel stable of young actors, is completely convincing as Arriety, giving her a childish sense of whimsy coupled with believable pathos and fears for her own kind's existence. Amy Poehler and Will Arnett, respectively playing Arriety's mother and father, are splendid as well. Poehler plays the role of Homily with the panicked urgency of the one of the worse worriers imaginable, while Arnett turns Pod into a gruff man with a dull voice and a consistent sense of seriousness. Both of these approaches are fantastic, making them two of the film's most memorable characters. However, my personal favorite voice had to be Haru's, who is voiced by the legendary Carol Burnett. She seems to be having the most fun out of all the actors, milking the aunt's every little tick and vocal outburst to create a character who is one nudge away from going truly and utterly insane. Even her smaller moments are hysterical, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a current celebrity who puts this much effort into making voice work come across as zany and enjoyable. However, other characters such as Sho and Spiller are a bit bland, especially the former, whose performance sounds chronically tired and bored. Disney should have reached outside of it's Disney Channel stable for these two roles, because they're certainly the weakest in the film.
Every complaint I have about Arriety, though, is far outweighed by the sheer elation I felt while watching it. It certainly doesn't reach the level of my personal favorite Ghibli work, "Castle in the Sky", but it's not necessarily trying to outdo any previous films. Instead, it take the simpler route of storytelling, focusing on a fully realized world and the bond between Sho and Arriety which is built throughout the movie. It's Miyazaki at his most accessible, and also at his most sincere and heartfelt. There's an air of sweetness and innocence that permeates through the whole experience, one that anybody watching it immediately catches wind of. By the ending credits, you will care about Arriety and Sho, even if they aren't the deepest characters in the world. You will feel something tugging at your heartstrings, a feeling of warmth that no other movie could give of. It is because of this feeling, coupled with the excellent scenery, music and voice acting, that I say that "The Secret World of Arriety" is more than worth seeing. Rarely does a movie leave you feeling completely fulfilled and happy, but this is one of those movies. Don't pass up the chance to be happy.
Plot: B
Animation: A+
Voice Acting (EN): A-
Music: A+
Overall: B+
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I have to admit, we skipped Arrietty when it came to a local theater because I hadn't seen much promotion for it, and based on the poster, it seemed like it might be a movie that was supposed to be for video but released in a smaller scale (or something). I was SO completely wrong.I really, really regret not taking my family to see this in the theater. This is a lush, beautiful filmthe entire time I watched it, I was breathless from it's beauty and just the sheer simple pleasure of watching it.
The story is simpleArrietty is a "borrower"she and her mom and dad live in the floorboards of a country house, and in order to sustain their life, they "borrow" things from the humans who live above them. They only take what they need and what won't be missed, and do so in complete secret because once they are seen by human eyes, they are in extreme danger and must immediately find a new place to live. And since a few feet to a human is miles for a "borrower", it's of the utmost importance that their existence and activities NOT be discovered.
As you can guess, Arrietty is discovered, by young Shawn. Shawn is the nephew of the human woman who owns the country house, and is there to prepare and rest up for dangerous heart surgery. He's unusually kind and sensitive, and his gentle nature convinces a reluctant Arrietty to trust him.
Of course, nothing is simpleShawn isn't the only one who knows about Arrietty and her family.
Regardless, this is a QUIET film. It's just beautifully compelling. The animation is SO beautiful and impressionistic. I felt a deep sense of peace and awe as we watched, but the plot was still exciting enough that I was stuck in my seat, watching every bit of action.
I can't recommend this film enough, whether you have kids or not. I have reluctantly become a fan of kids movies since we have a six year old daughter and we LOVE going to the movies, and Arrietty makes me *so* grateful that I have been introduced to this whole new world of cinema. I can't imagine having missed this beautiful, awe-inspiring little film, kids or not.
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The story told in "The Secret World of Arietty" is a familiar one, an adaptation of Mary Norton's "The Borrowers." A young boy, Sho, travels to the countryside to stay in the house his mother grew up in while he attempts to recoup from a severe illness.From the first frame we are greeted with the classic, unchanged animation of Studio Ghibli. Character designs are reused and landscapes sometimes look vaguely familiar, but even the most seasoned Ghibli fan cannot help but be excited to enter a new world.
As always, "Arietty" is a film grown on gorgeous, minute details that will hold a child's attention when the plot gets slow, and will reward the diligent adult eye. Not only do these little gems shine on their own, but they evoke an overall sense of commitment from filmmakers--the same way films like "The Expendables 2" or "The Bourne Legacy" amount to little more than retreads of their own previous installments.
An early scene featuring Arietty racing under a porch alongside crickets twice her size and ascending the massive steps of an old brick pile is wonderfully drawn, a smile-inducing scene if there ever was one.
Like "My Neighbor Totoro" (sadly more than a few comparisons can be made between these two!), "Arietty" has a calming pace, untroubled by mainstream plot conventions...shots linger for several frames longer than audiences are used to, allowing a character to blink a couple times or sip from a cup of coffee as a conversation ends. The effect is gorgeous and meditative every time.
The concepts of movement and stillness are much more prevalent in a hand drawn film when compared to its ornate, Pixar/Dream Works cousins; a particular scene shows wind rushing through tree leaves in the middle-ground, clouds slowly sailing through the background, and Arietty nearly motionless in the foreground. Perhaps there's no better way to describe Ghibli's magic than with such a sequence--it is normal, old hat, commonplace for Ghibli, and yet it is magic curiously missing from nearly all other films and studios.
Alas, the magic of "The Secret World of Arietty" mostly ends here. The plotline of little people fearing big people is tiresome. While humans have plenty of history to be ashamed of, there is a huge capacity in us for good, and I'd like to think we could learn from another sentient species, especially one that speaks our language. I realize that thought might be lost on children, but I couldn't find myself to engaged in Arietty and her family's fear of the humans, especially in such a peaceful Ghibli setting.
The lack of conflict between characters does further disservice to the film; Arietty's father (serviceably voiced by Will Arnett) is exceedingly wary of humans, while his daughter maintains a growing interest--and still the two never find themselves at odds (a trite conflict perhaps, but conflict nonetheless).
Likewise, there is little growth. Arietty and Sho's relationship is shallow, uncomfortable and untraceable. SPOILER SPOILER In one scene Sho destroys much of the borrower's home in attempts to install a new kitchen, nearly scaring Arietty's mother half to death; the scene is hardly mentioned again by any character, despite the mass-destruction caused and hysteria induced END OF SPOILER
While not enough can be said about the beautiful animation, which will likely seem genius compared to the 3D cash-ins that pass as animation these days (with several exceptions of course), most of Ghibli's previous works surpass it in every category.
Despite the lack of plot and originality, at just over ninety minutes, "Arietty" is definitely worth watching. In one scene the animator's masterfully render an ordinary kitchen enormous and threatening. Before that, we see an extended sequence of Arietty and her father traversing the insides of an ordinary home's walls. As Arietty says to her father, "Borrowing is so much fun."
BEST: Animation, pacing, attention to detail
WORST: Soundtrack, character movement, original plot
SCORE: 7/10
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