Bravely venturing into the garden, tiny Arrietty (voice by Bridgit Mender) is excited to explore the big world just beyond her family’s place of hiding, in Studio Ghibli’s feature animated adventure, “The Secret World of Arrietty,” distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

GRADE: A-

DVD • Using paint strokes instead of computer keystrokes, Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki (“Spirited Away”) and his studio Ghibli have created another enchanting and beautifully rendered animated film in “The Secret World of Arrietty.” Based on the popular children’s novel, The Borrowers, it tracks the sweet relationship between a bug-sized girl and the gigantic boy who lives in the house above her. Using lush artistry with hand-animated 2-D drawings instead of the over-used computer animation, “Arrietty” proves that it doesn’t take digital wizardry to dazzle our senses. Unfortunately, the DVD and Blu-ray includes two music videos but no featurettes about how Ghibli. But it also has the original Japanese soundtrack in addition to a well-dubbed English track.

Vince Horiuchi

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