Imagine there were little people living secretly hidden away under the floor of your home, and sneaking out at night to ‘borrow’ a few things from you. Intriguing, yet scary, huh?

That is the basic theme of Disney’s new animated adventure The Secret World of Arrietty.

Until I saw the movie, I didn’t know there was a children’s series The Borrowers, by Mary Norton, on which this movie is based upon. And I truly feel sorry I didn’t come across it while growing up as I would have enjoyed it so much then. Now after watching the movie, and enjoying it, I am going to look around for a copy of the series to read.

The concept and plot is very simple, but the execution is done in a carefully detailed manner to show us the world as is seen through the eyes of people who are as tall as a hair pin. Arrietty is a 14-year-old girl living with her parents under the floorboards of a little countryside house where a middle-aged man lives with his grumpy housekeeper. Arrietty belongs to a race generally referred to as The Borrowers, because they live hidden away and sneak out only to ‘borrow’ some everyday little things from humans.

The Borrowers basically have a tough life because they live in fear of being discovered by humans, whom they consider as enemies and harmful, and their race is rapidly decreasing. Humans, for their part, consider the Borrowers as nuisance, like other household pests.

Arrietty becomes friends with one such human when she is seen by Shawn, a boy who has come to live in the cottage. But things go wrong when the housekeeper discovers Arrietty’s hidden-away home under the floorboard and her mom is caught and kept in a bottle. Now she has to rescue her mom and she has Shawn to help her, and the story that moves on from here isn’t too complicated, but definitely not boring.

The Secret World of Arrietty is a refreshingly made children’s movie that doesn’t clutter the screen with many characters, twists in the plot or really terrifying villains. But the animation, expressions and detailing are its strong points and make you enjoy this 90-minute long movie. Arrietty (voice of Bridgit Mendler), is a cute, yet very capable and brave, girl who wears a cloth pin that one uses to hang laundry with, to tie her hair!

The story could have probably done with a little more character development but then that would have made the movie longer, which may have turned out to be boring. But those of you who are looking for a lot of superhero kind of action, you will probably be disappointed — all those who ready for a beautifully animated children’s movie, The Secret World of Arrietty is for you. — Rehan Jalal