Majo no takky�bin (1989)
Genre:
Animation / Family / Fantasy / Comedy / Adventure (more)
Plot Outline: A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service. (more) (view trailer)
User Comments:
One of the greatest children's films ever made
(more)
User Rating:
        
7.9/10 (4,924 votes)
Also Known As: Kiki's Delivery Service (USA) The Witch's Express Mail (literal title)
Runtime:
103 min
Country:
Japan
Language:
Japanese
Color:
Color
Sound Mix:
Dolby
Certification:
Australia:G / Argentina:Atp / Canada:G / France:U / USA:G / UK:U / Spain:T
Trivia:
Disney's English subtitle translation for the Japanese track on the US DVD release are actually dub-titles. Interestingly, they are not from Disney's 1998 English version of the film but are from an earlier non-Disney English version from the early 1990's. Tokuma, the Japanese company that Disney negotiated the rights to the Ghibli films with, provided this dub translation to Disney for a subtitled release not aware that it was not an accurate translation. However, the dialogue from this earlier dub is much more faithful to the original Japanese version than Disney's dub is.
(more)
Goofs:
Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Kiki drops the black cat doll, she is attacked by what looks like magpies, but they sound like jackdaws.
(more)
Quotes:
Ursula:
We each need to find our own inspiration, Kiki. Sometimes it's not easy.
(more)
Awards:
4 wins
(more)
|
|
User Comments:
7 out of 9 people found the following comment useful:-
One of the greatest children's films ever made, 29 July 2000

Author:
zetes from Saint Paul, MN
This ranks up there with Pinocchio as the greatest movie for children ever
made. One huge problem with most animated children's films are that the
plots are so conventional and often contain very 1950s ideals for society
that they become detrimental to society. One's childhood is the most
impressionable time in their life, so movies that are directed towards them
teach them what places different sorts of people play in society. There is a
very humorous, but also very serious bit of dialogue in a film called The
Last Days of Disco where characters discuss the effects Lady and the Tramp
could have on little girls, depicting a young female dog falling for a
vagabond Tramp. This, they muse, sets young women up to fall for rebellious
men later in life. This may seem like a humorous idea, but it's absolutely
true. Even good Disney movies give children these standards. As nice as The
Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast or Cinderella or Snow White and the
Seven Dwarves may be, they basically teach that it is the woman's place to
grow up and get married, prefereably to a handsome rich man (perhaps the
rich part is never said, but both the main male characters in these films do
happen to own castles). The writers of these films probably had no idea
that that is what they were doing, but it is.
That is why Pinocchio is the best Disney movie. It is probably the only
Disney animated film that I can think of that actually concerns the
predicament of its target audience: children. I can hardly think of a single
(American) animated film besides it that has a child as its main character
(oh, the Jungle Book, which is also excellent).
Then comes Kiki's Delivery Service. It is an absolutely perfect movie about
a young girl out on her own trying to handle the responsibilities of life.
It is, in my opinion, the best movie that a child can watch. And not only
will it teach children, it is also marvelously animated, directed, and
written. There is a plethora of great characters, exciting moments, and
imaginative situations. It should also expand a child's mind, not only
because of the imagination involved, which will help to break children away
from conventions in their film experience, thus making them more
intelligent, but because it comes from another culture. It doesn't overtly
show its Japaneseness, unless you count the imagination involved (though you
should count that as a credit towards Hayao Miyazaki, who is the greatest
genius of animation as far as I'm concerned). But it may spark an interest
in children old enough to understand that someone from another country made
it. Also, for younger kids, Miyazaki's fantastic, equally good My Neighbor
Totoro. 10/10
(ps: I have only seen the dubbed version of this film. I find it perfectly
acceptable and great. Nothing made me cringe, anyway. I think Kirsten Dunst
did a very good job characterizing Kiki, a much better job than Claire Danes
did characterizing San from Princess Mononoke.)
Check for other user comments. - I have seen this movie and would like to comment on it
Message Boards Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Majo no takky�bin (1989)
Recommendations If you like this title, we also recommend... The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) Show more recommendations Add a recommendation
Email this page to a friend 
Update Information
|