is it just me , or have disney films gradually lost their appeal ? 
i was almost stunned by the quality of " who framed roger rabbit ? " , a fun , unique look at a world where cartoons and people lived together . 
 " the little mermaid " harkened back to , and perhaps surpassed , the classic disney animations from the first half of the century . 
however , the endless stream of " the little mermaid " wanna-be's is getting to me . 
you know the spiel : a lame plot recycled from some well-known story , colorful , almost psychedelic animation , the lead character who learns a valuable moral lesson , the comedic sidekick/sidekicks , the seemingly unattainable love interest , a few catchy songs , a few in-jokes for adults , and the occasional out of place warner-brothers-coyote-fall-off-the-cliff type joke . 
it's a formula , and like any formula , it gets tiresome . 
that's why i'm delighted to hear that disney recently picked up the international distribution rights to the works of ghibli , a japanese cartoon studio . 
from what i've seen of their movies ( " kiki's delivery service " and the already english-dubbed and american- distributed " my neighbor totoro " ) , foreign audiences are in for a treat . 
these movies , particularly " kiki's delivery service , " are wonderfully original and entertaining . 
 " kiki's delivery service " starts with an unusual premise : kiki , upon hearing forecasts of clear skies , decides it is time for her to leave home . 
this is unusual because kiki isn't a college student or a young adult making her start on the world , but a thirteen year old girl eager to begin her training as a witch . 
her mother is also a witch , and as thirteen is the obligatory age for such training , her parents treat her leaving understandingly and put up only token resistance . 
just the idea of a witch heroine may scare away some audiences , but no mention is made of the occult , and the subject is dealt with harmlessly throughout the movie : kiki's mother acts as a village doctor , and kiki is able to do no more than fly on a broom . 
kiki must choose a city to move to , and what she chooses is the co-star of the movie : a german seaport town , far removed from the country life she has been used to . 
initially lost in the impersonal hugeness of her surrounding , she's discouraged , and unable to support herself though her rudimentary skills as a witch . 
on the verge of leaving for a new town , she uses her power of flight to deliver a pacifier to a baby who dropped it . 
the favor eventually blossoms into her working as a courier , a one-persons delivery service . 
this is where the movie becomes shockingly good . 
kiki's job is a catalyst for her realizing the beauty of the city and the world around her . 
the townspeople she is put in contact possess an inner worth that doesn't seem forced or artificial , but merely derived from looking at ordinary people in a different light . 
they're three- dimensional , impossible to quickly evaluate , possessing of faults , and understandably reserving in kindness towards a strange girl . 
however , each one has something about them , some interest or trait , that makes them interesting and unique . 
the personal beauty of the citizens is complimented by the beauty of the surroundings : the seaport town genuinely looks impressive , capturing the european charm of a medieval city adapted to the more modern needs of the 1950's . 
this beauty is beauty with depth ; for every detail left in , dozens are only hinted at . 
i could probably go on all day , but i won't ; suffice it to say that many of these minor details could have been the highlight of the movie . 
some of my favorites are kiki's relationship with the baker's husband : although he's quiet , never shown speaking to kiki throughout the movie , and he initially scares her , his kindness wins her friendship . 
in the garage of a deliveree's house can be found a vintage model t . two old ladies have a relationship evolving from master-servant to friend-friend . 
such details gives the impression that the beauty shown in the movie is only the tip of the iceberg . 
added on top of this is a lesson on the importance of self-worth . 
kiki initially seems to derive much of her self-worth from the beauty of her surroundings and the people around her , but an encounter with a rude girl crashes down her bewonderment , making her question the importance of such beauty . 
this causes kiki to lose faith in herself . 
however , kiki comes to realize not only the beauty of her surroundings , but the innate beauty inside her . 
seeing kiki regain faith in herself is marvelous , and the principal device used to do it is so sublime that i don't even want to hint at it . 
the ending of the movie has a subtle charm combined with a sense of awe and , ironically , the most disney-esque moment i've ever seen ; if you don't hold your breath in wonder you might want to get medical attention . 
the movie steers free of many of the disney conventions : there is no violence , however cartoonish , no song-and-dance number , and kiki's pet cat jiji is more a friend than a comedic sidekick , although jiji is given many funny lines and scenes . 
however , i would be surprised if disney doesn't give jiji more jokes , or at least the voice of some comedian . 
refreshingly enough , the moral lesson of the movie is not self-contradicted , a habit disney movies have gotten into . 
 " beauty and the beast " 's beautiful belle , for instance , learned that beauty was derived from a person's inside , and was then rewarded by having the beast turn into a handsome prince in snazzy clothing . 
kiki , on the other hand , learns to separate her wardrobe from her self-image , and nothing more is made of her early desires for better clothing than illustrating her increased maturity at the end of the film . 
another difference with disney movies is in the style of animation for " kiki's delivery service " : not as colorful and dynamic as disney animation can be , but with a greater attention to realism and detail , it fits the movie to a t . this is particularly true with scenes of kiki's flights . 
the extreme realism of the birds in flight near kiki is magnificent to behold , and helps these scenes capture the wonder of flight better than any other film i've ever seen . 
i'm not sure when or how this movie will be released in the united states . 
disney tentatively plans a theater release of " monoko hime " shortly following the summer '97 japanese release , and should start releasing the other ghibli films after that . 
i'd guess that some will be released on video and some will be theatrically released in peak seasons with no competing disney release . 
although the wait is unfortunate , it's good to know that it's being released at all , for " kiki's delivery service " is definitely a movie worthy of widespread promotion and release . 
watch this movie . 
along with " man bites dog , " and perhaps something by woody allen , this is the best movie i've ever seen . 
