December 24, 2008.

Satisfaction.

Rating: 5
Great Movie I am a big fan of the director I have most of the movies that he is involved in. My package got here very fast to

December 14, 2008.

Another great one by Hayao.

Rating: 5
I really enjoyed this movie, as I do all of Hayao Miyazaki's films. It was cute and told a story of self-discovery that appeals to all. Very well done, and humurous in it's own right. I especially like the musical scene. Very cute.

December 28, 2008.

Whispers of the Heart.

Rating: 5
Wow, another great film from Studio Ghibli. This is a wonderful story of a young girl who follows a cat and ends up following her dreams. A great story for all.

December 27, 2008.

3.5 stars is more accurate; good but not spectacular.

Rating: 3
After seeing "The Cat Returns" I just had to see the inspiration behind that fantastic movie. I was prepared from reading previous reviews that "whisper of the Heart" would not be a fantasy laden tale. That being said, I must still say that I did enjoy it. I must also say that it is a bit slow. I think they could've cut out about 1 hour's worth of filler (numerous scenes of the girl just walking or the entire first portion of the movie that's nothing but her running errands) and still conveyed their message. Compared to other Studio Ghibli films this was just somewhat boring (most of their films are slow, but this was really slow). Also, I felt the choice of "Country Roads" as a theme song was very out of place in this film. As soon as you hear the words "Virginia and Mountain Mama" you start to wonder why they ever chose the song. I laughed everytime I heard it because it sounded so out of place in Tokyo. Other than that, the movie is a very touching coming of age story, although the ending was a bit unbelievable. Overall, it was worth watching at least once to see the origin of "The Cat Returns" and I'm glad I did. I do recommend seeing this at least once if you are a fan of Studio Ghibli or of "The Cat Returns".

December 17, 2008.

Good, but lacks the overt magical charm of other Ghibli movies..

Rating: 5
I don't know... this is a good movie, but a bit slow and
kiddy" for me. I love the dream sequences and Carey Elwes does a good job in the English dub, but this is no Spirited Away.