Earwig and the Witch: Film Review

Director: Goro Miyazaki

Those looking for a magical timeless experience for Studio Ghibli's first 3D computer animated outing will be bitterly disappointed by Earwig and the Witch.

In truth, the story is fairly knockabout, and the animation fairly solid, but despite concerning itself with witches and sorcery, there's a certain amount of magic missing from this story, which feels slight, and abruptly truncated.

It's the story of Earwig, who's abandoned at an orphanage by a red-haired woman, who's on the run from 12 other witches. Promising to return once she's rid herself of them all, Earwig grows up alone in the orphanage, enjoying the run of the place and charming the officials, as well as conning potential foster parents into leaving her behind.

But one day, when a plump woman with wild blue hair shows up, Earwig's luck is up and she is forced into a new home, and as like Cinderella, forced into an apparent lifetime of servitude.

Upon learning her new patron is a witch, Earwig tries to convince her to help her learn, but the quest leads more into self-discovery than potions and sorcery.

Earwig and The Witch is passable enough, but there's a certain timeless quality lacking.

It starts off promisingly, with a motorbike chase hinting at danger and excitement, but the moment Earwig's dropped off, the film settles into a narrative malaise, proffering more a run-of-the-mill broad tale of orphaned kids aimed more at a younger audience than a story that would appeal to all ages.

Earwig's tone is all over the place, but gradually, the film settles for a Saturday morning kids caper of a film that looks like the plot was as computer generated as the story was. It's not to belittle what's put on the screen in any way, but when compared to the echelons of Studio Ghibli's rich animation past, it feels slight.

It's a feeling compounded by an infinitely abrupt ending that narratively doesn't really bother to fill out the back story it's tried to create early on. And the ending hints at a sequel that doesn't really feel deserved, or that it will ever be committed to screen.

Musically, the film leans into a 60s psychedelic vibe that's very welcome, with Hammond organs providing the backbone to the somewhat groovy soundtrack. It's a sign that Studio Ghibli and From Up on Poppy Hill's Miyazaki are trying something a little different, and while it may not entirely work and ultimately will date its piece, it's a pleasant touch.

While the broader edges of Earwig and the Witch feel suited to a younger audience, all in all this slice of animation feels like a missed opportunity to proffer a mission statement for Studio Ghibli's 3D animation plans - it's more a misfire than a surefire hit, which is a crying shame for a studio that's already carved a place in animation history.