ImHungover Review of The Secret World of Arrietty

The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)

Beautiful but emotionally distant

[7/10 · 3 August 2011]

Having just watched the Japanese blu-ray, I can state unequivocally that Arrietty is one of the most beautifully rendered animated films ever released. Truly stunning work from Ghibli. Unfortunately it lacks the emotional resonance and lovable characters that have defined the studio's best work. Arrietty is the only developed character. The father is a stock, matter-of-fact disciplinary caricature, Sho an adoring but bland good guy, etc. You would expect more from Miyazaki, who wrote the screenplay. As usual for Miyazaki, there are no real bad guys, (MILD SPOILER) but the villain's motivation for trying to catch/kill? the Borrowers isn't explored enough and her actions seem out of place. Hiromasa Yonebayashi also lacks Miyazaki's knack for creating suspense, though he does fare better in some of the more tender moments, especially towards the end. This is still better than about 90% of all animation released in the United States, but from a Studio that brought us Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Grave of the Fireflies, etc. it is a comparatively minor work.