Kiki's Delivery Service

When we heard that Disney would be taking a stab at adapting the children's book series, Kiki's Delivery Service, Gothamist had one thought: Watch Hayao Miyazaki's version first. We worry that the film version will star Dakota Fanning (okay, she's talented and has a number one movie under her belt - she's still overexposed) and ruin our memories of the wonderful Miyazaki version.

Kiki's Delivery Service is available on DVD from Amazon and Netflix. If you happen to listen to the English version (vs. Japanese with English subtitles), enjoy Phil Hartman as Kiki's cat Jiji! (And Kirsten Dunst supplies the voice of Kiki.) And other great Miyazaki movies will be issued on DVD in the States soon: Porco Rosso, Nausicaa Valley of the Wind, and The Cat Returns. More about Miyazaki and his oeuvre from Nausicaa.net. And we wish that Margaret Talbot's New Yorker profile of Miyazaki was online, but it isn't; there is an interview with Talbot on the interview, though (super meta-ness from The New Yorker).

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in Arts and Events on February 7, 2005 4:24 PM

Comments [rss]

Jen

Howl's Moving Castle (also by Miyazaki, with Joe Hisaishi for music, based on story by Diana Wynne Jones) should be great!

Matt

Miyazaki was only a producer on The Cat Returns, and it is not nearly as good as the movies he directed himself.

tj

Sacralidge! pure sacralidge Miyazaki did a beautiful job and disney is going to kill the legacy

they suck, they keep these films so unpublicized its disgusting if sprited away hadn't won the oscar, noone outside the film or anime circles would have known about it disney kinda sucks

David

I'm fairly certain I've bought pot from Kiki's delivery service

S.D.

Disney working on and adaptation is a Scary thought especially in light of the Animation screw ups lately.

As for the DVD, playing that make babysiting a breeze. There is something about that story (and "Spirited Away") that little kids really get into.

henry

If you want to hear a lousy Miyazaki dub, watch Laputa starring Dawson of the Creek fame and Anna Paquin who can't decide what accent to have, and ends up having several. They mailed that crap in.

Michael

A live action KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE is a horrible idea that I hope will fail before it ever comes to fruition. I can't even begin to explain why it will inevitably be inferior, but this Miyazaki we're dealing with! He is the master!

Also, is anyone as excited as I am about HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE coming out this June?

evamn

Ewww! English language version always stinks. Being a purest, I've always found the Japanese version has a better English subtitled version and is true to the director's artistic intent. Miyazaki's Spirited Away English version with the quasi-celebrity voices was grating, irritating and had no depth in the vocal content. Especially in the voice of Sen I wanted to strangle the kid (Daveigh Chase) who kept screeching throughout the entire movie.

Tim N.

Just like Disney to crap all over one of the best children's movies ever made. When you watch it you'll see there's no way Disney could replicate the artistry and simple plotting of this jewel. Plus I'm sure they'll staple some unbelieveably bad Hilary Duff songs to it about "it's so tough being thirteen... oh me!"

Double ugh.