Kiki's Delivery Service (1998)

Stylish but barely mediocre overall

Boring, long, and too preachy.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

This was one of the first studio ghibli films i had seen and i was pleasantly surprised. it's a really sweet and cute movie and i believe it is suitable for all ages :>

KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE is another well-regarded classic from Japan's Studio Ghibli, the purveyors of the finest animation on Earth. This one tells the simple but oddly moving story of a 13 year old witch striving with responsibility and the need to grow up in a world largely devoid of magic. It reminds one of classic fantasy literature like that written by J.K. Rowling and Terry Pratchett, but is more refined and carefully-constructed than either of those authors. Truth be told, this is a simple story and one that's well told. Kiki herself has a depth of characterisation very rarely seen in this genre which makes this a worthy watch for kids and adults alike. I love the way the plot is grounded in reality and the magical elements are sparingly used. Kiki's relationship with her pet cat Jiji is very well portrayed and things build to a suitably grand and exciting disaster-fused climax. It's a film really worth watching in high definition, where the quality of the animation and in particular the colours are stunning.

Over the past few months, I've been catching up on Studio Ghibli's legendary catalog of anime films. For almost 30 years, they released some of the most highly acclaimed animation and with incredible consistency. They co-produced last year's The Red Turtle, and I've heard rumors that they will be coming back from their hiatus in the near future. Until then, though, I have plenty more to catch up on; my most recent experience has been with one that I have heard a whole lot about – 1989's Kiki's Delivery Service.In this film, a young witch named Kiki (Takayama/Dunst) has just turned 13, the traditional age for her to leave her family and train her magic on her own. With her black cat Jiji (Sakuma/Hartman) at her side, she sets off and ends up in a large coastal city. There, she finds work at a local baker, befriends a lively artist, and catches the attention of an energetic boy named Tombo (Yamaguchi/Lawrence). As she struggles to find her purpose, she has to learn to make something of herself in a place that doesn't seem to have much use for witches.This has got to be one of the most charming movies that I've seen in a while. Through the combination of story, music, and Kiki herself, director Hayao Miyazaki creates a tone similar to that of his childlike masterpiece My Neighbor Totoro. We see Kiki's enthusiastic personality take her from place to place, and through the score and some good visuals, we feel every bit of this with her. Kiki proves once again that Miyazaki is an absolute master of character.One aspect that I respect about this movie is that to show us Kiki's life and personal growth, it doesn't follow a standard plot structure and instead tells its story emotionally. We follow Kiki in her everyday life as she responds to different situations and learns more about herself and the world around her. I described the plot of the film in just a few sentences above; I honestly wouldn't have much more to say in terms of particular moments, but that is part of the magic of this movie. Kiki's Delivery Service is a story about Kiki herself, and the fact that the film doesn't send her along common plot points keeps the focus entirely on her.The movie is also grounded, given its mystical elements. It takes place in essentially our world, only people are used to the existence of witches – some are fascinated, and some don't care at all. In one scene, Kiki lands on a street corner and enthusiastically shares her goals to the few people standing there, who then continue with their day as usual. You are given a real sense of the size of the city and how little Kiki seems capable of at her age, despite her high ambitions.At its core, this is a very down-to-earth movie about a teenage girl figuring out her place in the world and struggling with her conflicting desires of comfort and independence. At 13 years old, she wants to do so much, but she often finds herself inhibited by other kids, by her emotions, and by the environment surrounding her.Long-time Miyazaki collaborator Joe Hisaishi wrote the score for Kiki, and this is in my opinion one of his best. Each piece uniquely contributes to the character of the film and provides an emotional backbone without smothering or controlling the viewer's experience. His scores are often . I recommend listening to "A Town With An Ocean View" online to get a sense of not only the score but for the tone of the film as a whole.Overall, Kiki's Delivery Service is a wonderful coming-of-age story about a girl finding herself in a strange place. This movie probably won't work for someone who watches anime for amazement, but it is just about perfect for lovers of people and their stories. I really wish that I had discovered Studio Ghibli's movies before they went on hiatus. In my experience so far, the quality of their films ranges from good to some of the all-time best, and this one in every way deserves its status as a classic.

Hayao Miyazaki animated feature of a 13-old year witch leaving his parents and settling in a new town to form a (broom-based) delivery service is irresistible. As in many of his movies, the protagonist here is a plucky heroine defying all odds. What I found most enjoyable about the movie - though - is its background details. Miyazaki loves European culture - and the movie is set in never land Europe - a fantasized Europe that never existed. A lot of the clothes and the technology suggests the 1950s and the 1960s - but filtered through Miyazaki's sensibility (there are a number of anachronistic details that suggest perhaps a mid-20th century Europe if World War II had never happened). Miyazaki uses a lot of different sources in his movies - and they not always coalesce. In Porco Rosso, they didn't (Fascist Italy + Aviation Aces + Flying Pig?). But here they do.