Spirited Away: Live on Stage (2022)

Spirited Away: Live on Stage (2022). 2h 50m | Not Rated

“There was no innovation or creativity to be found in this adaptation. Studio Ghibli was so hell-bent on creating u0026quot;Spirited Away incarnateu0026quot; that they forgot they needed to make it into a good play first. They didnu0026#39;t, and it was never going to land on its feet with that philosophy. The movie was one of the most stylistic animes ever made, an already hyperbolic genre of film. There isnu0026#39;t a production team on the planet who could accurately u0026quot;bring it to lifeu0026quot; on stage. It needed a different vision or approach, even if it meant at the expense of fan service. Unfortunately, they were never going to take that risk. This was clearly a shameless cash grab, attempting to sell more DVDs rather than create anything with artistic autonomy.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSo what specifically went wrong? With the exception of the leading lady, the acting was generally over the top or grating, better at producing unintentional laughter rather than any form of immersion. The costumes, puppets, and makeup were clearly not made for closeup shots. They were cheap and cartoonish with very obvious seams, literal and figurative. What puzzled me the most was, despite their faithfulness to the source material, the producers still found a way to insert heaps of random music and dance breaks. These served no purpose to the plot other than to pad an already lengthy runtime. The plot as a whole was incomprehensible, both due to poor pacing and inconsistent design choices. Half the costumes and visual effects were impossible to decipher the meaning behind. Thatu0026#39;s rather poor form for a script so heavy on supernatural happenings and beings.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCredit where credit is due:nThe staging was excellent. The set pieces moved around so fluidly, a necessary choice when scenes jump around like they would in a movie. Overall, I do understand why so many fans of the movie love this production. Iu0026#39;d compare it to an Elmo mascot at a toddleru0026#39;s birthday party. It may not be as good as the original, but at least itu0026#39;s nostalgic and familiar. However, if members of the unintended audience were to sneak in, those unfamiliar with the 2001 film, this adaptation would give them the wrong impression that the original was too cheap, too confusing, too long, or too silly. Call me crazy, but I donu0026#39;t think thatu0026#39;s fair to one of the best animated movies in history.”