excellent review. I haven't been able to obtain seeing this just yet, not certain if it's been released to america yet or not, but it is in my viewing list once I can obtain it. perhaps a new release? at any rate I have always been impressed by Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki Hayao's works. I own quite a few, and, once upon seeing it, based upon the review I want to see it even more now, then I will decide if it's worth my collection or not :) thanks for doing this review it was well structured.
The Borrower Arrietty tv Review
Story & Characters
The Borrower Arrietty is an anime movie based on the fantasy novel The Borrower by Mary Norton and animated by Studio Ghibli under the directorship of newly debuted director Yonebayashi Hiromasa. The first thing comes from Arrietty is how much the producers want it to be a family movie with as wide an appeal as Miyazaki Hayao's works, which is both an admirable and difficult task.
Every year, at least one new species is discovered while at least another becomes extinct. And this fairly common Ghibli theme of "man and nature" is also depicted here. Adapted from one of the most influential children novels, Arrietty revolves about a family of "tiny people" who live under the floorboard of a typical human household and "borrow" things to survive while keeping their existence unknown.
Fourteen-year-old Arrietty is a borrower living with her parents, Pod and Homily. However, their peaceful, if isolated, life is dramatically changed when the ever-curious Arrietty accidentally allows herself to be seen by Sho, a sickly but well-intentioned twelve-year-old boy who has come to live with his great aunt Sadako in advance of undergoing major heart surgery. The fledgling friendship between the two lonely children causes human interference to endanger the borrowers' lives, forcing the family to choose between continuing living in their well-established home or leaving for the uncertainty of the great outdoors.
Arrietty is largely faithful to the original, the only major difference is that the setting is changed from England to modern Tokyo. Although the theme man and nature is incredibly common in the studio's many works, and now with the absence of Miyazaki, Ghibli might fret over but as far as the creativity of the movie is concerned, their worries are left unfounded. It intentionally personifies nature by injecting these tiny but intelligent borrowers who would be worthy enough to have a seat in the Red Book.
Additionally, the characters might initially be thought as a rip-off of the original, their new versions of characteristic and portrayals strengthen the movie. Arrietty, the title character, is an interesting depiction of both an endangered species and curiosity of a child yearning to learn the world while trying to protect her family. Sho is a sickly young boy who is, in reality, in desperate need of companionship due to his desperate illness. This struggle would establish a bond between two opposing forces (Man Vs Nature) is far more realistic than the plot.
Rating:
Art
Animated by the legendary Ghibli, Arrietty's artistry looks good, even to some that we "big people" often tend to neglect and it's a lot funner to explore them in tiny people's view - the dollhouse is a very detailed-manor of plastic objects and Victorian era architecture connecting through the empty space of an European-styled country house surrounded by a natural garden for example. Director Yonebayashi utilizes different styles of animation in order to immerse the audience into Arrietty's world. From her perspective, all 10 cm of it, the expanse of the human world is almost too vast to properly comprehend. Indeed, the creativity the film shows in constructing the borrowers' world deserves special recognition. Accordingly, all establishing shots of the house or its surrounding garden are drawn in an impressionistic water color style, blending the details together and leaving a feeling of a vastness which can never be fully comprehended. Conversely, Arrietty's home is full of bright colors and is brimming with life and imagination.
Rating:
Sound
The movie also benefits from its strong cast. Kamiki Ryunosuke, whose works can be found as Markl in Howl's Moving Castle or Koiso Kenji in Summer Wars, and the supporting cast handle their character traits well with gentleness, stability respectively. The complex lead is voiced by the new prominent actress Shida Mirai, who fills her with all the spunkiness, optimism, longing of adolescence and succeeds in making her the heart of the movie's emotional arc.
The music score is a collaborative effort between Ghibli and French musician Cecile Corbel, who provides the main theme entitled "Arrietty's Song," a lovely harp-fronted song in Japanese, English and French.
Rating:
Presentation
If Arrietty has a substantial flaw, it's that its plot is insufficient for
those who already knew the plot of the original. As a result, it lacks the emotion captured in Grave of the Fireflies or
complex storytelling in Spirited Away. Still, the movie makes up for that with a beautifully-handled final epilogue;
other minor flaws that the series may have also pale in comparison to what the movie does right. Though lacks the
gravity to be considered on par with Ghibli's notable works, Yonebayashi did a fantastic job making Arrietty a safest bet for any fan of the studio. Admittedly, he falls short of
Miyazaki's standards but this inspiration is enough to recognize him as a future potential. That's a lot going
for a debut.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Story: 8
Characters: 7
Art: 8
Animation: 9
Voice: 9
Music: 9
Overall: 8.5
Good:
+Excellent story, characters, animation, video, and sound for a debut product.
Bad:
+Story can be insufficient for some.
Rating:
Final Verdict
8.0000 (good)
Reviewed by Weskalia, Jul 25, 2011
Comments
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angelxxuan Banned Member Jul 25, 2011
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evelluchia Jul 25, 2011
this is a wonderfull review i found this the other day i just havent gotten a chance wo look at it yet hehe XD but this makes me want to even more hehe XD
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louisedelavalliere09 Jul 26, 2011
I'm very impressed! I am happy to say that this review helped me a lot to understand some others' opinion! Keep it up!
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aozoraskies Jul 26, 2011
Oh gosh, I remember reading The Borrowers series as a kid. I LOVED the child-like wonder and adventurous spirit that Arrietty had, and how Mary Norton built a background story for the borrower tribes both fantastic and yearning to be believed - after all, where do all those tiny, almost forgettable things go? It had a lovely concept that manages to be conveyed in different settings, different times, perhaps not perfectly but there's quite a spark. And now, Studio Ghibli's done its turn, and it sounds beautifully done. :D Somehow, with Sho being the sickly boy and Arrietty being the curious, strongheaded girl-child, I feel like drawing comparisions with Secret Garden - hesitantly sprouting friendships, blooming revelations. :3
I love your review, it gives the sense that the movie really captured the innocence and imagination that the book had, while laying its overtones of Man vs Nature, and Japan. Well, anyone who has read the book or watched the life-action movie would have a good idea of what lies ahead, anyway. Just that the life-action chose to give it a Western flavour, with 'Home Alone' slapstick humour, while Ghibli appears to go down the whimsical route.. which I certainly hope (with thanks to you, quite a bit of faith) that I'll adore!
P.S. Sorry for lack of contact, been busy ^_^; but I couldn't resist when I saw 'Borrowers' in my notifications. :3
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DarkGSSJBeast Jul 26, 2011
Hmmm it seems a good one :)
Nice work Weskie.. MIght check it someday~ ^^ -
mikaguntz Jul 28, 2011
This movie is awesome. I love ghibli details, they take care of everything. The animation is, as everyone knows, perfectly. The colors are powerful like every ghibli movie and the art is sooooooo amazing. It's a beautiful story, true friendship. x) Everyone should watch this. =)
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mbeckley Jul 28, 2011
Seems unique and interesting.. Great job Wes!~
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SnickerdoodleNinja Retired Moderator Jul 29, 2011
I've always been a fan of Miyazaki's films, and reading this review has convinced me that this one might be worth looking into, even if it doesn't quite live up to Miyazaki's standards. I'm not familiar with the original story either, so I should have no expections going into it. Great review as always! I'm glad that your reviews often let me hear about things I might not have heard of otherwise. :)
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WalkingEncyclopedia Mar 06, 2012
I just finished watching Arrietty and I find your review very similar to my opinion :)
That said, if I were to rate this movie, I would give it a slightly higher score than 8. Since I haven't read the original book, I didn't experience whatever disappointment you did and I have nothing to compare the movie to. And I believe that the movie stands quite well alone :D
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