And this week's Friday night movie has been... Earwig and the Witch!
Going into this movie I was under the impression that this was Studio Ghibli trying to take on Pixar at their own game. I will admit it's an idea - after all its well documented that Pixar has been looking over Ghibli's shoulder for many years so maybe some cross-pollination could work?
In all honesty this is a difficult movie to assess. On one hand, there are moments of real imagination and the Ghibli standard of 'fantastical whimsy meets mundane' is well and truly in place. And Earwig's impulsive and commanding nature certainly grants her a place in Ghibli's (sizable) ranks of heroines.
But on the other hand, the plot seem under-developed. The ending is abrupt and the movie comes across as incomplete - questions are never answered and it could've easily gone for another half hour. As such, this movie comes across as if there is a full third that got left on the cutting room floor.
I did some research and found that the original text was written by Diana Wynne Jones - and it was her final work before her passing. And as it turns out, the original text is both short and has an abrupt ending. It would've been nice if Ghibli expanded beyond the confines of adaptation but it seems unlikely giving the reverence the studio has for Jones. And as such, the movie suffers.
Its an experiment to be sure, but it does raise the question whether Ghibli can manage without it's esteemed founders.
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