'The Secret World of Arrietty' review

"The Secret World of Arrietty" (Credit: Disney)

related items

'This Means War' review

A romantic comedy love triangle with action on the side

21 movies to watch for in 2012

Batman, Katniss, the Hobbit, Bourne, Bond and more

Metromix picks: Best new movies

All the recent recommended releases

Physically ailing Shawn (David Henrie) arrives at his great aunt’s country house to rest up for an operation, only to become enchanted with a family of tiny people known as Borrowers who secretly live inside the home’s walls. Shawn’s efforts to befriend miniature Arrietty (Bridgit Mendler), the headstrong daughter of Homily (Amy Poehler) and Pod (Will Arnett), worries her parents who don’t believe they’ll be safe if humans know about their existence. And then their worst fears are realized by devious housekeeper Haru (Carol Burnett).

The buzz: The latest American release from Japan’s Studio Ghibli was adapted from Mary Norton’s classic childrens novel “The Borrowers” by the company’s maestro Hayao Miyazaki (“Spirited Away,” “Ponyo”). He turned directing duties over to protégé and first-time filmmaker Hiromasa Yonebayashi. “Arrietty” became Japan’s highest grossing homegrown film of 2010 and won the animation prize at the Japanese Academy Awards. The overdue American release features a new English-language soundtrack supervised by Oscar-winning sound expert Gary Rydstrom and adapted by Karey Kirkpatrick (“Chicken Run”).

The verdict: A Japanese origin isn’t the only thing that sets “Arrietty” apart from contemporary American animation. It’s a gentle, earnest, G-rated story of friendship and respect distinguished by beautifully hand-drawn visuals and unabashed sentimentality. There’s no whizbang CGI flash or comedians cracking pop culture jokes in an effort to appeal to all ages, and like the refreshingly simple pleasures of last year’s “Winnie the Pooh,” “Arrietty” may suffer for it at the box office. But the real test of Ghibli’s films—the reason they’re on par with the best of Disney, Pixar and other worldwide animation leaders—is their ability to stand up over time, and “Arrietty” is another solid entry to their collection.

The visual splendor isn’t quite as rich or inspired as you’ll find in Miyazaki’s work and the master’s usual trippy fantasy elements are mostly absent from a straightforward narrative—at least once you get past the whole tiny people living in the walls premise—but diligent student Yonebayashi otherwise does a respectable job preserving the studio’s good name. Captivating characters, tender music and heartfelt themes of man’s connection to nature are all present, and Disney has once again taken great care in translating the experience for American audiences. Voice actors Mendler and Henrie (both veterans of “Wizards of Waverly Place”) give their young characters spirit and warmth without becoming cloying. Poehler and Arnett, a married couple in real life, lend an immediate sense of family and invaluable specificity to Arrietty’s parents with their animation-friendly voices and natural chemistry, while Burnett proves a similarly singular choice as the story’s dotty villain.

If “Arrietty’s” old-fashioned charms feel out of step with the times, it’s worth noting that Miyazaki contends the Borrowers’ belief in living only within their means speaks directly to today—providing an instructive moral for the excesses of consumer culture. Not every animated movie can claim such lofty ideals, and it’s a testament to the work of Ghibli that the bighearted messages of films like “Arrietty” resonate as completely genuine.

Did you know? The film’s score and theme song are by French artist and harper Cécile Corbel, who was specifically contacted by the filmmakers after submitting a fan letter and CD of her music.

Follow Metromix's Geoff Berkshire on Twitter: @geoffberkshire