Children Who Chase Lost Voices (2011)

Blending elements of fantasy, sci-fi & romance into an ambitious coming-of-age tale, Children Who Chase Lost Voices truly astonishes on a technical scale but it's also marred in the storytelling department, for its structure is a mess and the plot is overlong. And the longer it goes, the more tedious it becomes. An extravagant effort from Makoto Shinkai that unfortunately isn't as rewarding as expected.

Fmovies: This is a nice little movie notable primarily for its visual beauty. The story is loosely constructed but engaging, the mythical creatures are imaginative, and the whole thing is, while not especially memorable, generally enjoyable.

On the other hand, I felt the movie kept implying things and then just dropping them. A mysterious boy's statements to the girl seem fraught with meaning, suggesting some back story that is then never revealed. A strange crystal also must have some sort of history, but what? It's as the movie has unplumbed depths.

This may be the reason that at the end I didn't have the feeling of satisfaction I experience at the end of other movies (like the films of Miyamota). There is something absent from this one. But it's still a nice movie.

This film was a pleasant surprise to find and watch. The story is compelling, the Japanese voice acting is excellent, and the level of imagination is fantastic.

I was struck by the sheer attention to detail in this film: gradual changes in daylight within individual scenes, subtle dirt and weathering, precise animation of water effects, accurate animation of wildlife, and excellent use of light and color. These little extras did not go unnoticed. All of this helps to create a richer visual experience.

The characters were interesting and quite nuanced and the musical score suits the film well.

Now here's what really surprised me.... This is the director's first full-length feature and first time working with the larger-scale studio system. Couple this with the fact that he's a young director and you have someone with a very strong career ahead of him.

The style of this film is similar to that of Miyazaki, and this is intentional. Miyazaki's style was chosen because it is recognized worldwide and it has proved itself effective for dramatic story-telling. Watching the behind-the-scenes information for this film was fascinating and it was amazing to see how young the crew were. Certainly there is a great deal of talent in Japan today -- talent willing to make 'classic' high-production-value anime. And for that I'm grateful. The next generation is sure to enjoy animation of the level that I enjoyed in my youth.

In summary, I like this film a lot and I highly recommend it. If I were to nitpick this movie, I'd say that a few scenes were cut short a tiny bit too soon. I recommend the director watch the director's commentary for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. In there is a discussion about holding the camera at the end of a scene and why it's important for dramatic shots. I should also mention that although this is an animated film, there are scenes of violence and some sequences that children may find frightening.

So if you're a fan of Miyazaki's work or simply a fan of imaginative drama and fantasy films, be sure to check this one out.

Children Who Chase Lost Voices fmovies. Shinkai is one of the most talented auteurs working in the medium of animation. This is his third feature length film and it is his longest and most complex film to date. Instead of the more current anime style of 5 centimeters per second this one features the classic japanimation style of Ghibli's films.

The best thing about this film are the visuals: indeed one of the most beautiful films I have ever watched, each second of this film is pure visual joy. However, the rest of the film is not up to the standards set by the visuals.

Indeed, this film is a homage to Miyazaki in every way possible. The main plot is derived from Castle in the Sky (which I think is Shinkai's favorite film), while there are several scenes taken directly from Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa. The cat/creature mimi, for instance, is obviously derived from Teto while Asuna looks almost like Satsuki from My Neighbor Totoro.

However, despite being highly unoriginal the film works very well. It is not as powerful as 5 Centimeters per Second but it is richer visually and thematically.

This is Shinkai's finest film to date, a hard feat to achieve given his previous work. From the very first scene to the very last it is a visual masterclass that puts all other Anime Films in it's shadow in terms of beauty. Shinkai has really gone to great length's to make this film come alive with colour, artistry & technicality that will take your breath away.

Tenmon is a regular in Shinkai's works & as always his soundtrack is perfect, beautiful in places & even more beautiful in others it is a real gem that will tug on your heartstrings which brings me nicely to the story of this film. This film is all about losing someone & how hard it is to say goodbye to them, it will move u emotionally (like all of his work), even with the moments of happiness & lightheartedness thrown in this is still a serious film about loneliness & the grieving of losing loved ones which is not going to be to everyones taste.

if u have watched Shinkai's previous works then yes this is as good as u hoped & more so, it is part Shinkai & part Miyazaki, it is an Epic Fantasy Adventure crossed with the Poetic Ethereal beauty u come to expect from Makoto Shinkai films.

This film will have it's critics like all films do but like all films U should be the one to make your own mind up, i think this is the best film i have ever watched & in my honest opinion it may only be bettered by Makoto Shinkai's next work, what ever it may be :) 10/10.

PS. To all the people comparing parts of this film to parts of Miyazaki's best works please listen to what u are saying... anything that can be compared to those films needs to be applauded & i'm sure that if Miyazaki has seen this film he will be happy that he has left a legacy of film makers that will continue to produce stunning Anime Films like this one for many years to come.

I have been such a huge fan of Ghibli studio that i was not aware there was anything that could compare to such classic masterpieces the likes of Mononka and spirited away. But Makoto Shinkai, children who chase lost voices was amazing. It is very similar to Ghibli although different at the same time.

I love the animation, the storyline is very mature and deals with difficult issues such as, loss of loved ones, independence and making life changing decisions. I can imagine this would perhaps be a little scary for a young child to watch. I am 26 and thought at times it became a little too dark and intense. Such an original story line and original characters.

I prefer Japanese animi to Disney and American movies as the content is usually very childish and brain dead. Japanese animi really does deal with issues that some contemplate often. Life, death, love and friendship.

I can not wait to watch more from Makoto Shinkai. I rate this in the top 10 best Japanese animi :D