As always what we love about Miyazaki movies is the breathtaking animation and the lovely kid-friendly stories. The pace of this movie is wonderful with huge sweeping landscapes that the characters move through which makes it easy to watch and not so frantically stimulating for younger kids. The story is very positive and the message is simple: believe in yourself and you can do pretty much anything. Throw in a bit of humor from the side kick cat and you've got a movie fun for both kids and adults!
I think this movie overall was ok. Very witchy - not in a fantasy sense. I think the part where the boy is falling and Kiki has to save him goes on for quite a whiles and is frightening - it is portrayed as an emergency scene with people running and screaming and sirens blaring as a blimp goes crashing into buildings etc ... my daughter and a friend (both 6) had eyes wide opened and seemed stressed watching this. In the end all is well, but do our children NEED to see terrifying images happening, I don't think so. All in all probably better than what's usually out ther - but not quite so harmless as say Strawberry Shortcake or Whinnie the pooh.
My whole family loved this movie about a young witch trying to get her career started when she's not sure what she's good at. My 6-year-old son especially loved the flying scenes -- Kiki on her sometimes uncontrollable broom, and even more fascinating her friend with his crazy homemade flying machines. Another charming import from Miyazaki! Like a lot of Miyazaki's heroines, Kiki is brave, resourceful, and always eager to help.
I have nothing to complain about. It's perfect. Kids will love it just as much as adults. It teaches the hardships in life and friendship as well as individuality. Kiki is sweet and a nice girl who has a difficult time fitting in since she's a witch living in a city without witches. That, and she meets other nice people who teach her a lot of useful information about herself. She has a bit of a romance with Tombo, but it stays more of a friendship in the film, but you can see it gets stronger in the credits. Unless a young man about to fall off a dirigible is really that scary (it is concerning, but more on a suspense factor), kids should be fine for it all. The Japanese version is better. (I've seen both) but the English voices make some of the characters sound a bit conceited and rude. Especially the witch after the opening credits. She is not nearly that rude as she is in the English.
Both my children, older and younger, love this movie. We usually watch this once a year, and it has never gotten old. It's a story that strikes chords in anyone who's ever felt out of place in the world. Great messages about how being different is okay, and how important friendship can be. It also shows what hard work and a good attitude can help a person achieve.
One warning: this movie, though obviously fantasy, does feature witches and witch powers in a real world style setting, and depending on pov may not be appropriate for your household.
No violence or scariness in this movie. One scene where Kiki and Tombo nearly fall, but ends quickly and well. Kiki is a kind girl and always willing to help others. She learns from Tombo that strange people can be very nice once you get to know them, and to never doubt yourself.
Personally, I loved this movie as a child-perhaps a little too much, ha-ha! It was a favorite for both myself &my grandmother (she actually thought it was super cute, &made me a plain purple dress just like Kiki's!).
Witch's Delivery Service (AKA Kiki's Delivery Service) was a good movie, family-friendly, &really cute! It's a movie children can watch &enjoy, as well as older kids/teens/adults. It was a cute story, &great (as most of Studio Ghibli's films).
It's a really funny and cool movie. Towards the end there is a scary part (a near fall) but everything turns out okay. It's not scary hardly at all. It has a lot of magical stuff in it like talking cats and witches.