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Monday, February 13, 2012

Review of The Secret World of Arrietty


I was able to watch The Secret World of Arrietty at The Walt Disney Studios a few Fridays ago and I loved it! First of all, I am a huge Studio Ghibli fan and I always look forward to their next movie! 

The Secret World of Arrietty is the 17th film from Studio Ghibli that has brought us such films as "My Neighbor Totoro,"  "Kiki's Delivery Service," "Spirited Away," and "Ponyo." It is based on the popular children's novel "The Borrowers" by Mary Norton. If you are familiar with the television show "The Littles" then you get the idea.

Take a look at the film's trailer.


As you can see from the trailer above, the story centers around a young girl named Arrietty who lives with her parents, underneath a home located out in the country. Arrietty and her parents are little people who survive by "borrowing" the things they need from human beings. On a "borrowing" outing, Arrietty meets a human boy named Shawn who has come to the house to rest. The two become friends even though they know that they are not suppose to be. This friendships threatens the balance between the little people and humans.

The clip below is called "Proud."


An underlying theme in pretty much all Studio Ghibli films is about underdogs and an undercurrent of environmentalism. Arrietty and her family represent nature and the little things that most people never notice. Her family has learned to survive on only what they need. But the film is also about forgiveness. I don't want to give away too much of the story so I will leave it as that. 

The next clip is called "What are borrowers?"


One of my favorite scenes is the clip above. The animation is just stunning. The details just feel lifelike.The score by Cecile Corbel is hauntingly beautiful. There is the addition of a song by Bridgit Mendler, who voices Arrietty in the U.S. version.

Here is the music video from Bridgit Mendler.


A beautifully drawn film, with a wonderful story, that will be sure to charm you and convince you anyone can be brave.

The Secret World of Arrietty hits US theaters February 17

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