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Spirited Away

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 9, age appropriate for kids over 11; suggested age 11.

  • Is it any good?

    5.0
  • Common Sense says

    Magnificent, spellbinding movie has a bit of edge.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 11 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Strong girl character who sees the good in all and saves the day.
  • Violence:

    Birds attack the a main character who has taken the shape of a dragon. Some scary supernatural scenes including parents turned into pigs.
  • Sex:

    Not an issue.
  • Language:

    Not an issue.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Spirited Away was written by Liz Perle

Parents need to know that this is an outstanding movie but it has a dark side. The heroine, Chihiro, is whiny in the beginning but transforms to save her parents. Scary scenes include a frightening old lady and a scary faceless ghosty spirits. If you're expecting Totoro -- don't. You might discuss the themes of loyalty and belief in the good in people that the film depicts.

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  • Families can talk about how this movie compares to the average American animated film. What's different? What's similar?
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More on Spirited Away

What’s the Story?

Chihiro is a sullen 10-year-old girl who wanders into a world ruled by witches and monsters, where humans are changed into animals. When her parents gorge themselves on enchanted food, they turn into pigs and Chihiro must overcome her whiny self in order to enter the spirit world and win them back. To do this, she must appeal to Yubaba, the scary old witch who runs the spirit bath-house. Chihiro is aided by Haku, Yubaba's right hand helper and our heroine's friend.

Is It Any Good?

Despite the animation similarities, SPIRITED AWAY is not Totoro, the beloved "feel-good" classic, but an edgy portrayal of what a young girl needs to do to grow up and take responsibility for more than herself. She fights Yubaba, she rescues Haku and aids a wounded spirit, triumphing where others do not because she is not sidetracked by greed.

This is a spectacularly beautiful movie, with excellent voice-overs by Davleigh Chase as Chihiro, Jason Marsden as Haku, Suzanne Pleshette as Yubaba, Michael Chiklis as Chihiro's father, Lauren Holly as Chihiro's mother and John Ratzenberger as the Assistant Manager. John Lesseter of Toy Story fame directed the English voices. A thrilling movie but not for little kids who get scared.

Movie Details

Studio: Disney, Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Run time: 125 minutes
Theatrical release: 4/20/2002, DVD release: 4/15/2003
MPAA Rating: PG for some scary supernatural scenes

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 4.0

    Perfect for older kids, but not for tweens

    It was pretty good

  2. I rate this title off for age 16 and give it 2.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models

    No way for kids!

    Definitely not recommended for kids! Only suitable for Young Adults and above.

  3. I rate this title off for age 17 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate language

    not for

    kids

  4. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    Outstanding movie. Amazing.

    This was an outstanding movie, while there are some scenes that are a little scary, and there's a bleeding dragon (significantly) there's nothing else really bad about it. It's a young girl that sticks to trying to save her parents in this spirit bath-house. It's a wonderful movie.

  5. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    Outstanding movie. Amazing.

    This was an outstanding movie, while there are some scenes that are a little scary, and there's a bleeding dragon (significantly) there's nothing else really bad about it. It's a young girl that sticks to trying to save her parents in this spirit bath-house. It's a wonderful movie.

  6. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Lives in California
    I rate this title off for age 8 and give it 1.0

    i think this is a creepy kinda movie and when i saw it when i was little i got really really scared and had bad dreams about being turned into a pig

  7. I rate this title iffy for age 9 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

  8. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    I rate this title on for age 7 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages

  9. I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models

    Amazing. Just... amazing.

    This is absolutely my favorite animated movie of all time. The storyline if very deep. The animation is AMAZING. All of the monsters have a unique design; even the ones that are seen in the background. Hayao Miyazaki, the creator of this movie, is my favorite director. Something great about him is that he is slightly a feminist, for his movies contain brave, intelligent females (unlike lots of other movies in Japan). You can see this in Spirited Away, for Chihiro is a good a role model and so is, to a lesser extent, Zeniba. I recommend his other movies for those who like this one. Little kids might be scared of this movie, for the monsters can be creepy at times. There is some blood.

  10. Parent Reviewer
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 3.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    Confusing

    My 10 year old and I both thought this movie was very confusing...normal family one minute and parents turned into giant pigs the next. That's just for starters. The rest of the characters and happenings are equally outrageous and unexpected and therefore the move was a bit confusing and difficult to follow.

  11. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    great movie!!!!!!

    that movie sacred the crap outta me when i was a little kid!!!!! bu now i love this movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

  12. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    Love It!

    I love this movie...how many times I watched it? Only once. And my 8 year old brother was watching with me.

  13. I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    Good messages but with a scary undertone.

    I have watched Spirited Away many times. It is a wonderful, well thought out movie with many good messages. But there are some things that still scare me, like No-Face, a black figure with a white mask that makes various noises and eats bunches of people. Many scenes like the smelly, dirty bath house visitor may creep kids out. Some scenes aren't scary, but very strange and not familiar to kids in America. I recommend watching this movie before your kids watch it.

  14. I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    Good messages but with a scary undertone.

    I have watched Spirited Away many times. It is a wonderful, well thought out movie with many good messages. But there are some things that still scare me, like No-Face, a black figure with a white mask that makes various noises and eats bunches of people. Many scenes like the smelly, dirty bath house visitor may creep kids out. Some scenes aren't scary, but very strange and not familiar to kids in America. I recommend watching this movie before your kids watch it.

  15. I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    IFFY for age 8

    this movie is good. I watched it when i was 5 and there were some things that i didnt understand and there was some vilonce and lots of peril. I think for the best intrest and age apropreatniss i would wait till your child is atleast 8. But even then i would give it a pause for some vilonce and some parts of the movie may not seem clear, interesting, or fun. So i recomend it for age 8 and up but some 8 year olds wont like it

  16. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in California
    I rate this title iffy for age 7 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

  17. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Pennsylvania
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    one of my favorite movies

    this movie is so incredibly imaginable! i love the adventures the girl goes through to save her parents. all the frinds and bad guys she makes. it's so creative and exiting! i wan to see it again. besides i out this on and it calms my annoying cousins down^^

  18. I rate this title on for age 9 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    Very Sweet

    Amazing animation. Weird... very cool. I watched it on my birthday when I was 10 and the kids all loved it. Also see My Neighbor Totoro.

  19. I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    One of the best

    One of my person favorite by Miyazaki (tied with HMC); this movie is remarkable. I was (I think) 10 when I watched it; my brother was 6 or 7, and he didn't like it very much. The best example I can think of right now, is that it's got a polished kind of grotesque-ness to it, and the boy's sensitive so he generally avoids such things (a good comparison might be "Nightmare Before Christmas" - brilliant as it is, it was too dark for him the first few times we watched it). As to what might trigger that leeriness, the protagonist's parents are turned into pigs to symbolize their gluttony early in the movie; there are strange creatures throughout the movie, including No-Face, who appears as a black silhouette distinguished only by a mask; there are a trio of ogre-reminiscent heads that bounce around; there is a scene in which the protagonist is submersed in a muddy golden sludge-like stuff; there is a baby that stands about fifteen feet tall; late in the movie, a dragon coughs up quite a bit of blood. (Most of these probably wouldn't bother kids, but I'm just trying to be thorough). My only personal complaint is that Chihiro's parents really were kind of lousy, even if she did need to toughen up a bit. Otherwise, the movie is remarkable, just tread cautiously with younger ones.

  20. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Lives in Iowa
    I rate this title on for age 9 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    Wondrous Film; Hail Hayao Miyazaki

    On Chihiro's move to a new town, her parents unexpectedly stop to check out a mysterious building. Little do they know that an entirely new realm of spirits lay beyond it. The film is really child-based and is one of Miyazaki's more child-oriented works. Chihiro, the lead, is a strong protagonist who, though scared at points, is able to outsmart evil and help those in need. She accepts a spirit who was looked down upon by others and receives a reward for doing so. There is a scene with BLOOD though, which some parents may not like their children to see. The movie has excellent morals and will keep your child's eyes glued to the screen through the whole thing.

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