- Spirited Away - Took the kids to see Spirited Away this weekend. It's a film by Hayao Miyazaki, who also has directed a number of other popular anime such as Princess Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service and My Neighbor Totoro.

I saw Princess Mononoke when it was released to rental stores and I didn't quite connect with it. It didn't make a whole heck of a lot of sense to me. However, I really enjoyed Spirited Away, and so did my daughters. It's got a great plot which reminded me of The Wizard of Oz just a little bit, in that this young girl becomes lost and must get back to the world she knows. However, getting back is not all she has to do; she also has to save her parents from being permanently transformed into pigs and perhaps eaten.
This is a film full of imaginative characters and a persistent, brave female main character. It's no wonder it made quite an impression on my younger daughter.
I recommend the film for peope of all ages. It may be a little frightening for younger children, but Mattie is 4 and handled it fine.