Rating of
4/4
Bewitching and charming
JTurner - wrote on 05/31/09
Miyazaki scored his first major box office hit for Studio Ghibli with this utterly charming story of a young witch-wannabe aspiring to find her place in a far-off town. What's particularly amazing about this movie isn't just the flight sequences, which sparkle with imagination and wonder, but how we grow attached to the characters and find ourselves cheering them on. Not just another syrupy kids' movie, KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE is also the sort of movie that even grown-ups will find themselves captivated by. This was the first movie to be released under the Disney-Ghibli deal, with an excellent cast of voice actors which include Kirsten Dunst, who provides liveliness and believability as Kiki, Matthew Lawrence as the geeky Tombo, Debbie Reynolds as elderly Madame, and Janeane Garofolo as the kindly painter Ursula. However, Phil Hartman's smarmy, hilarious take on Jiji is the highlight of the dub--and his last voiceover role ever. And of course, it's nice that the Japanese language track is included for purists who don't want to give the dub a chance.
