A Letter to Momo
A Letter to Momo
PG | 10 February 2013 (USA)
A Letter to Momo Trailers

A shy 11-year-old's life takes a strange turn when she discovers three hungry goblins living in the attic of her new house. She misses her old life. She misses her father so very much. Until she makes some new ghoulish friends.

Reviews
Platicsco

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

... View More
Ava-Grace Willis

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

... View More
Kaydan Christian

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

... View More
Guillelmina

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

... View More
MartinHafer

When this film begins, it looks like another high quality film from Studio Ghibli (Miyazaki's studio) but it isn't, it's from Bandai-- the folks who make many anime series television programs. I didn't realize that they also did full-length films--but after seeing the quality of this movie, I sure would like to see more from these folks.The film is about a girl named Momo (Japanese for 'Peach'). She and her mother move out to the country from Tokyo after Momo's father's death. Momo hates living there and wants to be back in Tokyo. She also has trouble getting to know the local kids, as she is rather shy. However, over time, three unexpected friends help her out during this time of need--three goblins who are scary looking but who are really quite nice. The problem is that she alone sees them- -and at first she's scared half to death and you cannot blame her! Eventually, however, the four make peace and the rest of the plot is just something you'll need to see for yourself.So is it any good? Well, as I mentioned above the quality of the production is very nice--really nice animation, lovely music and some cute characters. The story is also lovely--a bit less strange than some of the Miyazaki films (such as "Spirited Away") and it has a very strong Shinto message involving the dead father trying to contact his daughter from the great beyond. Some religious folks might object to this message, but it is very sweet and very Japanese--so what do you expect from a cartoon from Japan?! Well worth seeing...and one that actually might be good to see with a box of Kleenex nearby.By the way, the DVD I watched was the American version. Often, things are changed or mistranslated in the process and I assume there are some difference between the original and this version. I don't think they would have called these creatures goblins in Japan- -perhaps spirits or demons. Regardless, I just want you to know that my review is based on the Americanized version. Usually, I prefer to see subtitled and original products, not ones redone for local consumption but I oddly had problems getting the DVD to play the Japanese version (which was on the same disc but just wouldn't work on my DVD player).

... View More
Kong Ho Meng

The fluid movements, personalities and the weird smiles from the characters of Momo e no Tegami really reminded me of my all-time favourite Ghibli 'Omohide Poro Poro'. However it is not on the same level.Storyline is simple and effective, but for a 2-hour-long movie it is overly filled with comical moments that sometimes did not fit well into the bigger picture and eventually I became frustrated. Also, the characters are just too plain simple...this was the same in Omohide Poro Poro but at that time it made sense with the setting as the main character in the latter (a city girl) was on temporary holiday in a village. It failed here as the main characters here were permanently relocated from Tokyo to a village, but they did not behave as city folks from the start (especially the daughter who should be more spoilt than portrayed) and the process of blending in seemed too premature and quick.Character development is lacking and below my expectations. In fact it seemed to me the non-human characters were more interesting though I still doubt if their portrayal is as realistic as they could have been.

... View More
Patryk Czekaj

Whether you are a fan of Japanese anime movies or not, you should definitely see A Letter to Momo. It is truly a mesmerizing flick made by the acclaimed studio Production I.G. Like most of the great Japanese animations that came out in other parts of the world in the recent decades, it is well suited for people of any age, mainly because of all the adult themes and motives presented in it.Here we find young and grieving Momo, who, after a tragic death of her father, moves with her mother to a remote village of Shio, in order to find inner peace. However, this very quiet and mellow place is nothing what it seems. After a series of bizarre encounters Momo finds herself in a strange, let's say, friendship with the three adorable spirits that live in the village. In order to find out what are they really doing in Momo's life, she has to believe in their good intentions, which does not seem easy at all. With her mother's sudden illness she has to overcome her fears and start a great adventure, not only to save her mother, but also discover what her father meant to tell her, before he passed away.The magical aura surrounding the whole movie is what makes this beautiful tale a true masterpiece. The characters of the spirits are simply admirable, because of their comedic behavior. And the transformation of a very shy girl to a brave heroine is what gives the plot a strong kick.I have always been a fan of anime movies and TV shows, but after a recent number of flops I have to say that A Letter to Momo gave me a new reason to believe in the greatness of animators from the Country of Cherry Blossoms.

... View More
8thSin

"A Letter to Momo" had reportedly taken the director Okiura Hiroyuki 7 years to produce. Allow me to be the first to say, the time and effort spent on perfecting this film have not gone to waste.The art/animation in this movie is top-notch. Production I.G. with assistance from P.A. Works, Studio Pierrot, and CG by Dandelion resulted in stunning visual quality down to the tiniest details. What I especially liked, was the amount of attention paid to body language and gestures. There's so much information to be gleaned from subtleties of the visuals alone, and that's what I find most interesting about Japanese films. There was also this action sequence near the end that just blew me away. I don't want to spoil, but I have not seen such breathtaking hand-drawn animation since watching "Tonari no Totoro" in the late '80s.The story begins with the protagonist, Momo, moving to a small fictional island named Shiojima with her mother. Their new house appears to be haunted, and she feels absolutely miserable about moving out of Tokyo. Being a city girl that she is, Momo struggles to adjust to the country life. Instead of playing with the local kids, she eventually befriends three Youkai in her house - Iwa, Kawa, and Mame. Momo begins to appreciate the life on the island, and come to realize the meaning of his late father's unfinished letter to her.The character development in this movie is absolutely phenomenal. It begins with a light comedy, but through numerous adventures and mishaps on the island, we slowly learn about her past. The transition from comedy to drama is seamless, and it really makes you to care about the protagonist by the end... This film has what I call magic, something Ghibli films of late desperately lack. Although the local kids were severely underused in this movie, the three Youkai were the true supporting cast. Their chemistry with the protagonist was excellent, and the humor just comes naturally. Mame's character was especially funny in a quirky way. One can easily tell how much thought and planning has been put into this film just by watching the impeccable timing at which Mame's character was used as comedic relief every single time.Every piece of music appears to be fully orchestrated, especially the violins stood out to build tension in action scenes. Momo's voice acting by child actress and seiyuu Miyama Karen was a perfect fit, as well as the three Youkai."A Letter to Momo" is almost like a homage to Studio Ghibli's kids movies - "My Neighbor Totoro", "Spirited Away", and "Ponyo". It sticks to the tried and tested formula of supernatural spirits that only interacts with kids, and somewhat predictable plot development. However, the producers have managed to merge various elements from all those films into an exciting original story. "A Letter to Momo" is a magical crowd-pleaser with great pacing and a heartwarming story. It's a solid movie that anime and movie fans should not miss.

... View More