BLU-RAY REVIEW
The world of Hayao Miyazaki is filled with awe and
kindness. One enters the world he has created with eyes wide open and a sense of
adventure. Most of the time, we enter and come out smiling. Other times, we come
out yawning with a sense of respect for Miyazaki.
"The Secret World of Arrietty" is now available on Blu-ray.
Based on the famous children's book by Mary Norton called "The Borrowers,"
"Arrietty" takes us into the world of little tiny people who live under the
house. The Clock family are these tiny people and they look around the house and
yard for items to help the survive. They never steal. They simply borrow.
The film is rich in texture and the animation is often times mesmerizing. The
characters are appealing and fall in line with Miyazaki's other films. Directed
by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, "Arrietty" has a nice overall pace. Actors Bridgit
Medler, Will Arnet, David Henrie, Amy Poehler, and Carol Burnett provide nice
English-language voicing for the film.
The film is well-directed and Yonebayashi's direction set up scenes with a
lyrical pace. That's the problem. At only 95 minutes long, it seems like it runs
much longer. I really don't expect action from a Studio Ghibli, but I was
admittedly wanting to pick up the pace.
The Blu-ray picture is excellent. The animation and backgrounds have a painterly
texture. The color is rich and subdued and the Blu-ray showcases the film's
lovely look.
The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is excellent. Films from Studio Ghibili
usually sound excellent and "Arrietty" carries on the tradition.
"The Secret World of Arrietty" may find a bigger audience on home video than it
did in theaters. By no means is it a mediocre film. It just won't enthrall the
way some of Studio Ghibli's other films have.
Special thanks to Click Communications
Photo: © Disney. All
rights reserved.
Bill Kallay