The Secret World of Arrietty - Limited Edition Steelbook [Blu ray + DVD]

I have no idea why but the majority of lists you see ranking Ghibli movies usually have this one pretty far down. Probably because Miyazaki was having some troubles here and there and appointed a new director. Well, you can't tell the difference here. This is a very satisfying film, and one that exerts itself with emotion, beauty, and empathy. To rate something as tepid as Ponyo above this film is nearly hilarious. Arrietty is really a superior retelling of The Borrowers, and the English language track is unmatched for me. The little people sound strange and too exotic in Japanese, and their designs don't really leave room for the accent either. This is one of an increasing amount of Ghibli films where I find the English voice cast is simply better than their counterparts across seas. At any rate GKids does a great job with the transfer always maxing bitrate and giving us a few good extras. You can obviously choose a Japanese track with proper subtitles as well. I love their slipcovers too as it rounds out the package perfectly.. The animation is breathtaking in places. I think for a first time director this is certainly something special. I never once was under the impression there was an amateur at the helm. Quite the contrary. I was always interested in the characters and felt they were done extremely well, though, that is sound wise entirely down to the amazing English cast. I loved the little nooks and crannies, miniature kitchens, the paths and places dispersed to under the house, the sense of scale and immersion.... Everything fits perfectly in this very elegant film. This for me a top ten Ghibli no questions asked. The ending is nearly perfect as well, and there is always a balanced feeling of joy and sadness throughout. I highly recommend this one to all fans of animation. Great job on the score as well. The whole package is top tier material.

The product arrived in perfect condtion. The Secret World of Arrietty is an extremely charming film. It follows Arrietty and her family of borrowers as they are discoverd by a sick boy who lives in the house they stay in. Borrowers are little people who live within a home who "borrow" items for their survival. This is actually related to the Mary Norton novel and the 1997 film of the same name. The way that the world is portrayed too large for this small family with unique ways they get around, makes this an animation marvel. With Bridgit Mendler, David Henrie, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, Moises Arias, and Carol Burnett lending their voices in accompanied by a wonderful score makes this another masterpiece from Studio Ghibli. This come with both the Blu-Ray and the DVD copies of the film and booklet containing stills from the film and creator thoughts and commments. This is a perfect family movie and a must watch for any Ghibli fan. The mailing process was great and the fim is an enjoyable watch.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this Ghibli movie!!! Even if you don't know Ghibli, if you are a fan of the original "Borrowers" book series, you will appreciate the beautiful, beautiful scenery and it will bring back happy memories of the books. The story line does not exactly follow the book, but is an acceptable smearing of pieces of about 3 of them. And the it's a well done story, even if you have never read the books. You will not have any trouble following the plot, and it is appropriate for children (we have 9 kiddos and our 7, 9, and 11 year olds all loved it (2 girls and a boy). It's great for all ages, for lovers of the book, for people who love anime or Ghibli, and people who just want to see a great animated film. Two thumbs up!!!!

As you might know Studio Ghibli is like the Japanese Disney, and probably my favourite studio in the world, but they've created another masterpiece that's blown my mind. I was so excited to see that Studio Ghibli was doing their rendition of "The Borrowers" that I could barely even stay in my seat while watching the trailer. From the fantastic art, to the brillant musical composition, or the creative story, this movie is a must have for anyone. Not just the Studio Ghibli fanatics (like myself) but it's a movie that everyone can enjoy (plus it's irresistable to not watch something that involves tiny little people). The only downfall, is that in this 94 minute movie was too short. The dvd was in top condition and the extras were decent though I wish they might've had a behind-the-microphone extra, but I digress. Overall, You just have to buy this movie, because trust me I didn't even watch this movie before I bought it because I knew it was automatically amazing. This goes for any of Hayao Miyazaki's or Studio Ghibli movies, just buy them, you really won't regret it.

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.

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.

Another wonderful movie by Miyazaki. The detail in his movies can't be compared to any other animation movie. His story lines are great and the music is wonderful. The actors become real. In this movie a family of tiny people are living in the home of a family who have known about little people and would welcome them, that is all except the maid. She wants them all to be captured so people won't think she is crazy when she says they exists. In the home a young boy whose heart is failing and is going to have sugary the next week finds and helps the little teenager girl to locate where the maid has captured her mother and is holding her prisoner. The maid has called exterminators to catch the rest of the family and has hidden the mother in a jar in the pantry. Will they be able to rescue the mother and find a new home for the family. Watch it and find out. All his movies are great.

This was a great movie! It was definitely different than what I was expecting from the previews but it was a heartwarming story. I would recommend this for children of any age. It's also great for us grown up children and adults who like to watch GOOD movies with their young children (unlike lion king 1 1/2... or another yo gabba gabba episode). This is not too long for a young child's attention span, but I do wish the story was a little longer and more in depth. This may not be the best work of Studio Ghibli, but it is a great movie but much better than many of the Disney movies that have come out recently (at least Disney picks up and brings some good movies from Studio Ghibli over to America). If this is your first Stuidio Ghibli movie it will open you up to needing to buy all of the other movies they have produced, if this is not your first it's a great addition to your collection.