REVIEW: THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY is the latest offering from Studio Ghibli, and the brainchild of animator Hayao Miyazaki, widely considered the greatest talent currently working in animation. My exposure to Miyazaki’s output is pretty limited, as I haven’t seen any of his films- despite their unanimous acclaim. ARRIETTY (which he didn’t direct) is my first exposure to the Ghibli universe, and I quite liked my first taste.
Unlike most American animated films, ARRIETTY is a quiet, slowly paced film- more concerned with emotion, and atmosphere than anything else. The animation style is traditional, and a beautiful alternative to the CG animated films that dominate the market place. It’s really a charming piece of work, although I would have preferred to see the original Japanese version than the American dub, which includes a few celebrity voices- including Burnett, and real-life couple Amy Poehler and Will Arnett as Arrietty’s parents.
In the two leads, we get two unknowns- eschewing the gimmicky voice casting’s most studios seem to go for these days. This anonymity is a plus to a film like this as some teeny-bopper pop star in the lead would have been extremely distracting, and in poor taste considering the artful approach Miyazaki takes.
All in all, I quite enjoyed my first outing into the Miyazaki/ Ghibili universe, and I’m certainly open to catching up with some of their more acclaimed titles, such as SPIRITED AWAY and PRINCESS MONOKE. If you’re a fan of their output, I’m sure ARRIETTY will be a treat, but even if you’re somewhat ignorant of their work, it’s still a trip well worth taking. It’s rare to see a children’s film as thoughtful as this, and it’s a breath of fresh air.