"Kiki's Delivery Service" is a perfect example of a story idea that is merely decent, but is turned into a brilliant story because it's handled by a master storyteller. It's a literally enchanting story of a young witch who goes out to begin her life as an apprentice witch -- but it's the lovely animation, endearing characters and upbeat message of having confidence in yourself that are really striking.
It's witch tradition that when a young witch begins her training, she spends a year living alone in a strange city. So Kiki (Kirsten Dunst) and her grumpy cat Jiji (Phil Hartman) for a big city. Despite her iffy flying skills and a sudden storm, Kiki successfully makes it to a seaside town -- and soon she has found a room to stay in, job as a delivery-witch, and some new friends (as well as an admiring young boy named Tombo, who's crazy about flying machines).
It doesn't take long for Kiki's business to start booming, and for the townspeople to become very fond of their resident witch. But when she starts feeling like an outsider around Tombo's friends, Kiki finds that she can no longer fly or hear Jiji's voice. Is her magic gone forever -- or does it need something special to finally make a return? Will the little witch learn her greatest lesson, or will she fail before she even really starts?
Personally, most stories that emphasize "believing in yourself," "doing your best" and so on end up being pretty nauseating because it never feels like the filmmakers actually believe it. I can't speak for Hayao Miyazaki's outlook on life, but he is one of the few who actually makes you believe that there's a kind of magic in self-confidence.
The story itself is so simple that it could be summed up in just a couple sentences, but Miyazaki weaves in enough complications and twists that it stays interesting (such as Kiki losing one of her deliveries). Things get rather bittersweet when Kiki loses her powers, but most of the movie is fairly lighthearted and sunny -- and there's some dry humor from Jiji to counterbalance Kiki's earnestness ("Okay, first: don't panic. Second: don't panic. And third: did I mention not to panic?").
And he sketches a truly enchanting backdrop for Kiki's coming-of-age -- a idyllic little village by the sea, framed by the blue sea and rolling green fields. The people are almost unreally kind and generous, leaving you wishing you were in Kiki's place.
And Kiki may be a witch, but she's probably the most realistic "kid" heroine that I've ever seen in a movie. She worries about what people think of her, works hard to do her best, and feels lonely at times after leaving her loving home -- just what you'd expect of a thirteen-year-old. Jiji is a hilariously sardonic familiar with an eye for the lady cats, and Tombo is an endearing young aviation geek who clearly has a crush on Kiki. And Miyazaki sketches out a supporting cast of lovable characters -- kind old ladies, a forest-dwelling artist, a pregnant baker, and others.
"Kiki's Delivery Service" is a simple story with a simple message, but it's delivered with such warmth and sweetness that you don't care at all. Truly magical -- and not the kind you need a witch for.Get more detail about Kiki's Delivery Service: Special Edition - 2-Disc DVD.
No comments:
Post a Comment