Taking place in a cheerful, luminous--and unnamed--country where
witches with magical powers are not only accepted but also welcome, Kiki's
Delivery Service is a fun animated film about a young witch named Kiki (voiced
in the English version by Kirsten Dunst) who--with her talking cat Jiji (voiced
by the late Phil Hartman)--leaves home at the age of 13 to strike out on her own.
Every town in this imaginary land has its own resident witch, and Kiki believes
she has found her new home in a sunny coastal city. After a few bumps along the
way of getting used to life in a big city, Kiki sets up a delivery service where
she personally delivers various items via her flying broomstick. This fledging
young witch seems to handle all of her problems with a steady grace and charm at
first, but once the pressures of everyday responsibility begin to mount up, Kiki
loses her witch powers, along with her ability to fly.
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, Kiki's Delivery Service is an entertaining,
light-hearted romp. It is a welcome aesthesis from the usual anime film, lacking
any violence and gore whatsoever. Set in an intricately designed city that was
inspired by 1930s Europe, Kiki is as beautifully drawn as a watercolor painting.
The storyline flows along skillfully, filled with interesting characters (most
of whom are women) who captivate the viewer. You can't help but get
caught up in Kiki's world, and you cheer her on as she struggles to rescue Tombo
(Joey Lawrence), an avid aviator buff who takes a shine to her, when he is
caught up in a dangerous accident with a zeppelin.
The DVD is very good, offering the film in wide-screen, and giving the viewer
the option of listening to it in its original Japanese. There's a short
documentary, Behind The Microphone, which details the American voice recording.
A second disc is included, which allows the viewer to watch the entire movie
using the original Japanese storyboards. While it may look like a sappy little
kid's movie, Kiki's Delivery Service is anything but. It's an enjoyable ride for
anybody who is looking for a way to lift his or her spirits. --SF