Marnie is your strange new friend.
“When Marnie Was There” is supposed to be the final Studio Ghibli film. I couldn’t think of a better film about accepting life to embrace the finality of what’s to come. Anna isn’t the healthiest of kids and Marnie is a new force in her life that wants to push her. While Anna loves her family, she realizes that only a peer can push her to open her world view. Basically, it’s a deep coming-of-age story.
Young adult adaptations to animations are always tricky. While I never read the original Robinson novel, I’m sure that I’ll appreciate the Ghibli work far better. Their animation style and the choice to push younger people into focus draws in the emotional desire of the viewer. You want these characters to prosper, as they fight against themselves and the outside world. In a way, it’s a bit of a psychological preteen take on a Hughes film.
The Blu-Ray comes with featurettes, storyboards and foreign trailers as the special features. The A/V Quality is on par with the last few GKids releases. The DTS-HD 5.0 track is strong enough. But, the 1080p transfer is totally killer. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to fans.
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!
