The new anime movie Mary and the Witch's Flower, released earlier this month in the U.S., pitches itself as a whimsical, enchanting film that could fit right in with the Studio Ghibli family of classics. Its dazzling animation almost obscures a plot with holes large enough to fly through with a broom. For kids, that won't matter. Adults, by the end, might yearn for Princess Mononoke.

Released nationally yesterday, Mary and the Witch's Flower is the first film from Studio Ponoc, a production house founded by Studio Ghibli alumni Yoshiaki Nishimura and Hiromasa Yonebayashi. So Amanda and Jackson sat down to enjoy the film, although they both walked away a tad disappointed.

Mary and the Witch's Flower, the first film from animation house Studio Ponoc, looks to be a beautiful spectacle on par with Studio Ghibli - no surprise, considering it's directed by former Ghibli director Hiromasa Yonebayashi. If you need proof, just check out this stunning opening sequence.