THE SCOOP Director: Hayao Miyazaki Plot:A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.
IN RETROSPECT Hayao Miyazaki has been responsible for some of the greatest animated features of the last three decades (e.g. Castle In The Sky, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away). Kiki's Delivery Service is unfortunately not one of them. In fact, it's one of Miyazaki's weakest efforts. The film lacks the magic that illuminates his other pictures. For instance, the world of Spirited Away is shrouded with cultural mystery while that of My Neighbor Totoro is one of wonder and fantasy. But there's nothing to take away from Kiki's Delivery Service except for the fine visuals and quality animation.
The stamp of Miyazaki is still there, but only in the subtle sense. The main fault is in the screenplay which is not very creatively written by his standards. It dwells too much on the central character, Kiki, and how she goes about living her free-willing but mundane lifestyle. The supporting characters in the film such as Tombo and Osorno are not adequately developed, thus the film cannot sustain for its entire runtime. Kiki is a young witch who's learning her trade and is willing to grasp new skills. However, she is portrayed too humanly rather than one whose life dwells in sorcery. Apart from a girl flying on a broomstick and a talking black cat, there is little witchcraft on display in the movie.
Kiki's Delivery Service is not necessarily a bad film. There's a proper introduction, a well-defined body and a neat conclusion to boot. The template is there, but what is filled into the template is comparatively second-rate. Miyazaki is one of the great filmmakers of our era, but in Kiki's Delivery Service, he appears overconfident and complacent. It's an average piece that is lacking in appeal and creative input, and a substantial story that can be built upon.
THE SCOOP
0 comments:
Post a Comment