The Secret World of Arrietty (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

I have a special place in my heart for Studio Ghibli. The only problem I've really had with most Ghibli films in the past has been their tendency to have plots driven mainly by the occult.This movie, fortunately, lacks that element of the Miyazaki legacy, though I probably would have enjoyed it anyway. In fact, in some ways, I think I enjoyed this movie more than any other production ever released by Studio Ghibli, which is high praise indeed.It's a story about a boy named Shawn, who goes to a small house in the countryside, where he discovers a family of very small people, who survive by taking what they need from the humans they live with; little things that people won't miss. The tiny people call themselves borrowers, and often refer to the humans as "beans." The family consists of an old married couple and their teenage daughter Arrietty.The plot picks up when Arrietty is seen by Shawn, and the two begin a sort of strange friendship, which, unfortunately, can never be, since all borrowers know that to be seen by one human invites the curiosity and greed of the others, a fact which is proven jarringly true for the poor borrower family.The father of the family is somber, softspoken and savvy. He's something of an action hero, because he needs to be to take care of his family, getting in and out of kitchens and bedrooms quickly and without anyone seeing him. He also seems to be a master craftsman in many fields. His wife is herself very creative and skilled, demonstrating skill in knitting and cooking, though the primary impression that she's likely to leave on viewers is her tendency to worry.Both Arrietty and Shawn are curious souls seeking to understand and bear life as best they can; figuring out how to get by, one step at a time, like all of us.Ghibli films have a long history of taking their time and showing the viewers absolutely stunning sights. Every single Ghibli film is gorgeous to look at, and yet, they tend to be patient affairs as well. They allow a world of wonder to unfold before the eyes of the viewer; a world with its own problems and trials, like ours, and they take their time in doing it, instead of rushing around in big, flashy musical numbers and telling joke after ridiculous joke.This film is certainly no exception to that. None of the characters sing, nor do they tell jokes. Many of them are introspective and quiet, and yet, the subject matter is such that it's hard to grow impatient with the movie. I would say that this film is probably slower-paced and less intense than any other Ghibli film, but I actually thought the movie benefitted from its quiet atmosphere, as very tiny people trying hard not to be seen would, naturally, make very little noise.In the end, though, as I said, the thing I liked most about it was that its premise was something nobody could take issue with. Witches, magic potions, evil wizards and superpowered crystals could all be troublesome subjects for young children to absorb, but little people in an old house is the kind of fantasy that anyone can get into. There's even one scene of Arrietty's mother briefly praying for her daughter and husband. They do technically live by stealing things from humans, but because of their size, nothing they take is really that big of a deal, even according to the catechism of the Catholic Church. It's a distinction that may need to be made by parents after the film is over, but certainly not a problem with the movie itself.There are also quite a few good moral messages to be derived from this kind of story. "A person's a person, no matter how small," "sometimes, even the smallest person can make the biggest difference," and even a message about how the power of goodness (in this case, courage,) can be made most perfect in weakness. However, the film isn't perfect, and most of that, I suspect, has to do with the dubbing. A few of the lines feel overly-familiar and almost cookie-cuttered in, and Shawn's voice could have stood to gain a few octaves. He sounded like he was in his late 20s.Still, I recommend this movie heartily to anyone who has a child or is still a child at heart; still willing to dream of other worlds beyond our own, which is really the point of most Ghibli features when you get down to it. They do just what I want a film to do, elevating our minds to other possibilities and other worlds. This one manages to make even a normal world look alien and strange, and thus maintain its strong level of interest for the child in all of us. Most especially, I recommend this movie to those who, like myself, are religious and seeking a quieter, calmer alternative to the American "entertainment" of today.

Good anime movie

I love Studio Ghibli's work  Studio Ghibli Movie Collection . Tthe loving attention to each scene, even the tiniest details, makes their movies beautiful to watch.You probably are familiar with the story  The Borrowers . The characters are Arrietty (voiced by Bridgit Mendler) who lives with her parents (voiced by Will Arnett and Amy Poehler) underneath the floorboards in a beautiful house in the Japanese country side. Life can be dangerous for these little people - cats, birds, bugs and "Beans" (humans) could easily hurt them or destroy their whole household.It seems to be generally quiet until Sean/Shawn (voiced by David Henrie) shows up to rest up for a heart operation. Obviously he is frail and has been overprotected, but his parents are much too busy to come stay with him. Instead, he is entrusted to Hara the housekeeper (voiced by Carol Burnett*). Now I love Carol Burnett's work, but she is not a good pick for this particular character. You know it's Carol Burnett as soon as she speaks and because of that, you have certain expectations from the character. Her voice took me out of the suspension of belief in the movie. I know Disney makes sure to get "name" actors to do the dubbing, but I believe that is so wrong. There are so many good voice actors out there - one of those should have been assigned the role of Hara. (By the way, I didn't feel that way about the other voices used for the dubbing - just Carol Burnett's voice).Anyway, Shawn accidentally sees Arietty. This is a terrible thing because that means Arriety and her family will have to move. "Beans" don't take kindly to "Borrowers" and generally resort to force to get rid of the Borrowers. But slowly and believably, Shawn and Arietty become friends. Shawn and Arriety manage to make a huge change in each other's lives despite the vast amount of difference between the two.The animation is beautiful. Each cloud, each blade of grass, each poppy and marigold are rendered in enchanting watercolors. The details are so precise. It's just lovely to watch the artwork.Japanese animation has a look and feel different from American animation. The story has a slower pace, nothing is Disneyfied for the inevitable tie-ins of toys, Happy Meals and tv specials. The story is simply told. There's no magical solution to ensure a perfect "happily ever after" ending. But it is a good ending.Personally, when I watch this movie again (and I will), I will watch it in Japanese with English subtitles. There is so much less dialog in the Japanese version and of course, Carol Burnett isn't lending her voice to the Hara character. If you are watching this with a child, you probably will want to use the dubbed version.Either way you watch this movie, it is beautiful and brilliant. I recommend this highly to everybody.* I think Carol Burnett is an amazing comedian and I enjoy her work tremendously. But "name" actors seem to taint their roles with what you know about the actor's worker. If you use voice actors....well, that's how they make their living by making different voices. I think it would make it a much better film. And it's not just this film, it's any foreign film. And no, I am not a voice actor and don't know any voice actors personally. Nobody paid me to say it. It's just what I believe.

My daughter enjoys these movies and they are becomming harder to find. We were very happy to see that you had it and it was in stock. She loves it and will keep it for years to come.

I love the movie. Bit I am very disappointed on how it was shipped. The tracking and shipping labels where all over the DVD case. There's damage to the outside case. I'm wondering why it wasn't put in a simple envelope or some to better protect it.

A prima vista potrebbe sembrare una copia carbone del "Mio vicino totoro" per via dell'ambientazione in una casa isolata, dell'età dei protagonisti e dell'elemento sovrannaturale che è alla base della trama.Qui però non abbiamo un inno alla convivenza pacifica colla natura vista dagli occhi innocenti di due ragazzine assecondate da adulti benevoli e generosi.Qui il tono è decisamente cupo, a tratti perfino tragico.Il mondo degli gnomi è un mondo sull'orlo del baratro così come sull'orlo del baratro è la salute del protagonista. A differenza di Totoro, qui abbiamo anche un personaggio negativo che è tanto peggiore in quanto non si tratta di un "malvagio assoluto" ma di una persona normale con dei brutti difetti che, nel somigliare a noi, gli spettatori, diventa tanto più spaventosa.Un senso di precarietà anima non solo la trama ma il film nel suo complesso.La casa è bella ma in condizioni tutt'altro che perfette, la pioggia continua non è un momento poetico ma un riflesso dell'animo turbato dei protagonisti.La stessa vita di Arrietty e dei suoi genitori, a prima vista idilliaca, è costellata di rischi e pericoli quotidiani, anche al di là dell'interferenza del personaggio negativo. Un passo falso (e ce ne sono diversi, nella trama) mette in pericolo benessere e addirittura la sopravvivenza stessa della famigliola e del protagonista.Con questo materiale, Miyazaki disegna un film dolente e cupo in cui la bellezza della natura - sempre presente - non serve apparentemente a nulla.Sceneggiatura, regia, animazione e recitazione sono tutte di altissimo livello e se qui il creatore non centra il capolavoro ci va comunque abbastanza vicino da rendere il film memorabile.Per lo più azzeccata la colonna sonora, con l'eccezione delle canzoni in lingua inglese che risultano tanto meno convincenti del solito.Il film è per adulti e, essendo pronti a spiegare, per adolescenti. Non credo sia adatto ai bambini.

Llegó con su slipcover, lo cual está excelente porque me encantan los slipcovers de estas ediciones de Ghibli. Tiene un folleto con palabras del productor y sobre la producción de la película en sí. Es cortito, pero es un grandioso detalle, además de tener imágenes a color de la película, además de un arte interno. En cuanto a presentación es 100% impecable y no sé qué más le pueda pedir.Además de la película, tiene poco material extra pero es interesante de ver. Tiene la película entera en storyboards (bocetos), una entrevista con Miyazaki y una entrevista con el director, además de trailers y unos videos musicales. Como dije, no es mucho, pero es bastante valioso, algo que no se puede decir de la edición nacional de Zima que solo tiene una "galería de fotos" (literalmente capturas de pantalla de la película). Audio y subtítulos solo en Japonés, Inglés y francés, no está el español, lo cual no me molesta, pero si no sabes inglés o japonés, puede que no quieras irte por esta edición, porque la verdad es recomendadísima.

My copy of the movie didn’t come with the case sleeve, and was missing. I would of liked it much better if it came complete with the case for what I ordered. The movie itself is fantastic and can definitely recommend for anyone that loves Adventure in your own backyard.

Se volete spiegare il concetto di lealtà ai vostri ragazzi,se volete riflettere su cosa significa per un ragazzo crescere isolato e non provare rabbia, ma curiosità per la vita oppure vi va di discutere il pregiudizio sui "diversi" che non sempre e necesariamente sono peggiori di noi, anzi...bene questi sono alcuni temi di Arrietty, un film, non banalmente un cartone, ma una storia, una bella storia il cui finale regala persino un momento di grande commozione, quando la scelta che deve esser fatta non è la più felice, ma la migliore, anche se è una rinuncia. ma allo stesso tempo è la più grande conquista: quella di capire che voler bene significa volere, comunque, il bene dell'altro.

The Secret World of Arrietty is once again one of those perfect little family films that Studio Ghibli and it's co-founder Hayao Miyazaki do so well.Unlike all the previous Ghibli films, this one is actually based on a western novel by Mary Norton called "The Borrowers." You may have heard of it. And while this movie is based in Japan, it remains quite true to all the charm and spirt of the original story. Which is the every day lives of a secret folk called the Borrowers who are only five inches tall. It's a very charming little story.Now it's not the best movie that Ghibli has produced. But it's certainly up there. Unlike the breathtaking underwater scenes of Ponyo, the magnificent animation of Spirited Away or the thrilling broom rides of Kiki's Delivery Service; this movie is darker and quieter. Not surprising considering that most of it takes place at night while creeping around and in the walls of an old house. But it does have it's moments.The English dub is up to the usual high Disney standards and on the bluray is a full DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio. The japanese track is also a full DTS-HD 5.1 and there is a French 5.1 Dolby Digital (no HD) track as well. The audio is great but don't expect a lot of action as this is not that type of film. The 1080p video is also fine and much appreciated to show the fine detail as they creep around in the cranies of the old house.Arrietty like Ponyo, Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service is a great little family movie if you want something that doesn't show violence (the most violence in Arrietty is the cat trying to eat her and even he comes around in the end). There's action in these movies but no real villains (the housekeeper is kinda a psuedo villain, not really bad) and no violence; so you can show them to children of all ages and unlike a lot of so-called "kid's films" these movies will be equally interesting and enjoyable to adults.Highly recommended for the whole family.