KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE

When I first heard that Disney was buying up Hayao Miyazaki's animes, I got worried. I feared the Americanization of two of my fave children movies (and up there in my list of adult movies, too), My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service. My fears were not based on solid ground however. Both films were left with the culture intact and very (very!) good dubbing.

Kiki's Delivery Service includes the voices of Kirsten Dunst as Kiki, Phil Hartman (to whom the film is dedicated) as Jiji the cat, Debbie Reynolds and Janeane Garofolo.

The movie follows a young witch named Kiki. When witches turn 13, they leave home on the full moon and find a city or town to watch over. Kiki and her cat, Jiji, hop onto her broom (her flying skills are suspect at best) and find a beautiful city by the sea, where she sets up shop, makes friends and runs a broom-powered delivery service.

Hayao Miyazaki shows once again that he understands the devil's in the details with amazing animations where grass ripples, wind blows, crowds bustle and clouds float. It's one of those rare films where you visit another world and don't want to come back. The movie is gentle enough for a three year old, but charming and with enough pathos for any age.