Miyasaki brings us another classic, this time based off the story of the Borrowers. Never having read that book, I cannot compare the two, though I imagine great similarity. However, the story naturally inherits the skewed view of "borrowing" without permission as not being stealing. We also see the funny ethical issue of what to do with people who are tiny and by nature not the same species as humans (but they are?). The story centers on this ethical dilemma and you spend most of the movie thinking about it. On the other hand, you get to enjoy the classical Miyazaki feel that accompanies all of his films because Miyazaki can make even your backyard an adventure playground.

Final remarks: I didn't rate this all that highly because you kinda feel unsatisfied after watching the film. Very little is actually accomplished. Nevertheless, it's a rather calm and entertaining film suitable for the whole family.

I honestly can't think of why this movie would have a PG rating, as there isn't really anything objectionable. The only thing I can think of is that the smallest children might start "borrowing" random lego bricks from their friends if they tend to imitate such things. It's also slow enough that little kids might lose interest.

Overall: It was a good movie, and it actually followed the book pretty closely. I remember my mom checked this one out from the library since I was reading the books. I will say that this is one of my few exceptions to the "the book was better" rule, as this was more enjoyable to me than the first Borrower novel. Arietty and Shawn are very endearing characters, and I remember even as a kid thinking about their philosophical argument about life. Arietty's parents and the maids are all easily distinguishable, as they all have their own opinions and quirks. The music was lovely, and the art is some of my favorite Ghibli art. It just feels very fresh. I recommend this to children of all ages, though not all of them will be interested.