 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Spirited Away
- PG
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 2002
Common Sense Media says
Magnificent movie with scary creatures and a strong heroine.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Hayao Miyazaki's magical adventure is widely considered an animated masterpiece, but it can be a creepy and frightening experience for young viewers. There are dozens of freaky looking creatures that threaten each other or the protagonist, who is trying to save her parents. Many, many scenes involve these strange beings, and younger children used to more sanitized characters may find them disturbing. One character smokes and in a dinner scene someone is offered sake. Older children ready for a more sophisticated animated tale will be mature enough to enjoy this story of a brave young female protagonist.
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 Lasseter of Toy Story fame directed the English voices. A thrilling movie, but not for little kids who get scared.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how this movie compares to the average American animated film. What's different? What's similar?
Can you think of other movies where the main character is a girl? Is there anything different about this girl compared to other movies about girls? Does this movie challege or reinforce any stereotypes?
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AGE
Awesome movie
Omigosh probably one of the BEST movies ever!! Enjoyed it so much!
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AGE
Don't care how good it is...
I saw this movie when I was about 8, and I was TERRIFIED. Still am, every time I am alone in my house and I turn a corner, I am scared that "no-face" monster is there. SO FREAKY AND UPSETTING
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AGE
A thoughtful visual treat
This is one of our family's favorite movies. Very clever, imaginative, inventive, and features a somewhat spoiled girl who develops independence and strength in a foreign land. A visual treat and pitch-perfect for our family which appreciates our children's entertainment flavored with less saccharine and more art and thought.
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AGE
Out there. Fantastic movie like Howl's Moving Castle. More for younger kids in my opinion. But its still a fantastic movie. Teaches kids to grow up a bit. Definitely good role models. No real violence, well maybe that baby. *Thinks about it* No thats just a regular baby.
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AGE
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.
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AGE
Heartwaming...
Hmmm Princess mononoke is made by the same people and is pg-13, but in this website says that everyone over 9 can veiw it, while this is pg, and says over 11. They got this completely wrong. This movie is not like the comedy or playing kind, but it is very heartwarming, and feels very good when you watch it. Kids should be over age 7 maybe to watch it. The only innapropriatte sence is when a dragon is poked and scratched by a thousand paper birds, and the dragon has red blood, like 30% over his body, and when he crashes into the building, blood splatters. The dragon survives though. This 20 second sence is the only part of the movie where there is very very mild blood. 20 seconds out of 3 hours. Yes, the movie is very long. It is nightmare fantasy-ish. Kids under 7 may be scared... be warned. ( my sister, the age of 6 thought it was "awesome" and not "scary" )
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AGE
A best!
Love this anime movie. One of the best, The plot was smoothed out and was easy to understand.
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AGE
A perfect Family Film
This movie is fantastic. This movie is not violent exept for a few paper cuts. The movie is about a ten year old named Chihiro who is a spoiled child and is worried about moving away. Her parents stop at a tunnel off-road to check it out and they find a shop with food and eat it, they turn into pigs and Chihiro must find a way to change them back. She finds herself in a magical world of spirits and she gets a job at a local bath house from a kind boy spirit. As weird as it may seem, at the end Chihiro learns a lesson about growing up. After her journey she becomes less of a small child and more of an independent adult. This movie was a fantasic journey into adulthood and away from the safety of childhood.
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Kid, 12 years old
January 17, 2010
AGE
not for
kids
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AGE
Great movie!!
I love it I saw it when I was 7 their is some violince but none to be that concerned about but some of the scenes with no-face is creepy one of my favorite movies
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| Topics: | magic and fantasy, adventures, monsters, ghosts, and vampires |
| Studio: | Walt Disney Pictures |
| Director: | Hayao Miyazaki |
| Cast: | Daveigh Chase, Jason Marsden, Suzanne Pleshette |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 125 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | April 20, 2002 |
| DVD release date: | April 15, 2003 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | some scary supernatural scenes |
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