Arrietty (voice of Bridgit Mendler), a tiny, but tenacious 14-year-old, lives with her parents (voices of Will Arnett and Amy Poehler) in the recesses of a suburban garden home, unbeknownst to the homeowner and her housekeeper (voice of Carol Burnett). Like all little people, Arrietty (AIR-ee-ett-ee) remains hidden from view, except during occasional covert ventures beyond the floorboards to “borrow” scrap supplies like sugar cubes from her human hosts. But when 12-year-old Shawn (voice of David Henrie), a human boy who comes to stay in the home, discovers his mysterious housemate one evening, a secret friendship blossoms. If discovered, their relationship could drive Arrietty’s family from the home and straight into danger.
Cast:
Kirin Kiki,
Tatsuya Fujiwara,
Amy Poehler,
Carol Burnett,
Will Arnett,
Tomokazu Miura,
David Henrie Director:
Hiromasa Yonebayashi,
Gary Rydstrom Genre:
Adventure,
Animation,
Drama,
Fantasy
Release Date:
2010.7.17 (Japan), 2010.9.9 (South Korea), 2010.11.30 (France), 2010.12.25 (Hong Kong), 2011.7.29 (UK), 2012.2.12 (Australia), 2012.2.17 (USA, Canada)
MPAA Rating:
G
Screen Writer:
Hayao Miyazaki Runtime:
94 minutes
Studio:
Studio Ghibli,
Buena Vista Home Entertainment,
Dentsu,
Hakuhodo DY Media Partners,
Mitsubishi Shoji,
Nippon Television Network Corporation (NTV),
Toho Company,
Walt Disney Company
What's your opinion on The Secret World of Arrietty?
A few years ago, Disney bought the distribution rights to several of Studio Gibli’s creations. I was ecstatic since it would mean that Studio Gibli’s animated films would have better access to U.S. shores but at the same time, I was also hesitant since I was afraid that they would not include the original Japanese language track, and if they did, it would not be the default language in the dvd releases (no 5.1 Dolby usually). Well, seems like director Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s “The … more
My love for Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli know no bounds. With each film they manage to capture the magic, the art, and the heart that make films great. Even what I consider their weaker films, such as Ponyo or Kiki’s Delivery Service are good films and always leave me smiling and happy (well, with the exception of Tales From Earthsea). The Secret World of Arrrietty is no exception, and in many ways I believe serves as an example of one of their better films. It’s not as grandiose … more
The Secret World of Arietty isn't exactly a new film. Like many Studio Ghibli films it was released in Japan long before it was brought here to US Shores. But also like so many of those films it is very heartwarming and takes it's audience pretty seriously. It's an enchanting film. It has a couple of strange things that keep it from being perfect, but it's definitely close to that. The movie focuses on Arietty and her parents. … more
Animator Hiromasa Yonebayashi's directorial debut hasn't the compelling novelty of Hayao Miyazaki's classics nor the dramatic rigor of Isao Takahata's contributions to the Studio Ghibli canon, but its reflective ambiance and technical merit warrants the venerated animation studio's imprimatur. Though here transposed by Miyazaki's script to Japanese setting and idiom, admirers of Mary Norton's The Borrowers won't find a better adaptation in … more
Star Rating: Perhaps I’m just artistically deficient, but I find the look of anime unappealing. It’s not the backgrounds so much as the characters, especially their faces, many of which are drawn according to a fixed iconography that essentially cuts corners in the ways of expression. You see this with their mouths, which may adequately put forth smiles or frowns but consistently fail to suggest the illusion of vowel sounds, which are more complex … more
Studio Gibli made this movie....'nuff said. Any anime fan knows how good they are. Based on the story "The Borrowers"....I wish they were showing this in the original Japanese Language. See Full Review Here.