Castle in the Sky
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Movie Reviews of Castle in the Sky
Movie Review: Fantastic High-Flying Adventure
Summary: 5 Stars
The third feature film of acclaimed writer/director Hayao Miyazaki (Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away), Castle in the Sky showcases his talents for creating great adventures yarns with substance as well as style.Set in an alternate 1920's earth, where airships rule the skies and entire continents can fly, Castle in the Sky is the story of two orphans who meet by chance. A young girl, Sheeta (Anna Paquin), floats literally from the sky after narrowly escaping capture from a band of pirates, wearing a mysterious glowing necklace. She is caught by Pazu (James Van Der Beek), a brave and resourceful young assistant engineer, who notices that the crystal she wears has fantastic magical properties. It is this crystal that several suspicious parties are trying desperately to get their hands on, including the Dola Pirate Gang, and the Army, led by the nefarious Colonel Muska (Mark Hammil). It soon becomes clear that the real prize in this race is the ancient, supposedly mythical, floating island of Laputa.
What follows is a grand chase towards the Caste in the Sky, with captures, narrow escapes, air battles, and more. Miyazaki's love of flight is more than apparent at the way the action soars, moving easily from land to air, and the pace of the movie, though the film runs over two hours, only lets up when and for as long as it needs to. Miyazaki showed in both The Castle of Cagliostro and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind that he has a talent for making rousing adventure movies, and, though Castle has some of the ecological messages found in Nausicaa (and later, in Princess Mononoke), they always take a backseat to the events that drive the movie.
The characters here are a varied, strange, and incredibly fun lot. The Dola Pirates are always entertaining when their banter flys, Mark Hammil has a blast as the scheming villian, and Pazu and Sheeta are two of the cutest leads you could ask for. They're also a refreshing taste from the "ordinary" in the anime genre. Sheeta is more than capable of handling herself, and Pazu is a cheerful idealist, a nice break from the surly teenage leads that overpopulate anime. In addition, their relationship is wonderfully done; it's the simplest, most pure form of love imaginable, that neither tries to be romantic or plutonic, but is just shown as it is. There is never a single kiss on screen, but the audience knows, through the body language and the words in their moments together that these two will be together one way or another for life.
And even though this is one of Miyazaki's earlier films, the animation is still fairly impressive. Of course, it looks a little dated next to the likes of Spirited Away, but it still looks and feels like a wonder. The character designs are Miyazaki's usual simplistic but expressionistic fare, and the vehicles that populate the world are imaginative and plausible, and the architecture has a surprising amount of variety.
The real treasure on this DVD release is the completely redone musical score on the English Language version of the film. Back in the mid-'80's, Studio Ghibli was not nearly the powerhouse it is today, and consequently, composer Joe Hisaishi was at times forced to put his rather sparse score on sythesizers and such. However, the new score contains everything from the original release, and a heck of a lot more, all done in beatiful orchestral renditions. And as for actual quality of music, the score for Castle in the Sky easily holds its own against Mononoke in terms of quality and power.
Of course, you have to watch the english dub of the movie to hear this, but having said that, it's not a bad job, arguably superior to Mononoke and Kiki's Delivery Service in terms of the actor's performances. Cloris Leachman is hilarious as Dola, Paquin does a fine job of Sheeta, and even Van Der Beek manages to be only marginally annoying. And really, how can you not like Mark Hammill?
Overall, Castle in the Sky is one of Miyazaki's best films, showcasing some of the most imagination, colorful characters, and dazzling adventure, it also carries some fairly powerful emotions. It also looks great, even after eighteen years, and is simply a great deal of fun to watch.
Movie Review: One Of The Ultimate Movies Of All Time
Summary: 5 Stars
With all the charm and endearment of the best Disney movies, all the adventure and grandeur of "Star Wars", all the fantasy and richly imagined worlds of "Lord Of The Rings", and all the magic and tenderness of "E.T." or "Ghost", you have a thrilling, mysterious, comedically-flourished and deeply moving masterpiece of a movie in "Castle In The Sky", one of the pinnacles of cinema achievement. Full of immensely memorable characters, awesome concepts, and the kind of fantasy that not only substitutes for 'reality' but transcends it. If I were ever to try to compile a list of my all-time top ten (or even top twenty) movies ever made, it would be a next-to-impossible task given the high number of greats I've seen over the years, but "Castle" would be as ferociously strong a contender as any movie of any genre ever made.
Put out by Japan's Studio Ghibli and masterminded by the genius Hayao Miyazaki (also the director of "Kiki's Delivery Service", "Spirited Away", and "Princess Mononokee", among other classics) in 1986, with beautiful animation that still today ranks as among the most breath-taking ever produced, Castle, like Spirited Away, occupies a midway point between traditional western animation (Disney and its peers) and gentler Japanese fare like "Kiki's Delivery Service" on the one hand, and older-themed anime like "Princess Mononoke" and "Haibane Renmei" on the other hand, that is more complex and often darker than the Disney-types. This is not to imply any superiority of any of the three types over the others, just noting the differences. (There is also, in my thinking, a fourth level of animation, significantly older-themed than "Mononoke" and such, which because of high violence, sexuality, and/or intense and complicated dramatic themes, isn't for the wee ones, but has also produced some tremendous motion pictures. "The Animatrix" and "Blood: The Last Vampire" are just 2 examples of this type). "Castle In The Sky" is still fully fine for children, but for the youngest ones a grown-up should perhaps watch it with them the first time just in case; besides which, this is not a "kids" movie if that designation would suggest that only young kids would like it; it's as universally suited to any age group as "Star Wars" or a day at the beach. Now with Mononoke or something, if your kid wants to watch it and is only five or six, I'd recommend you watch it first (you know your own kids better than whoever sticks the age labels on videos and DVDs anyway) and then decide if they're ready for it, and then definately watch it with them the first time.
Back to "Castle In The Sky" - its frequent darkness and frightening moments actually enable it to achieve higher heights of brightness and spirituality than most other animated features (or live-actions for that matter),the contrasting elements each making the other more potent. As much of its darker elements relate closer to the real world with which we're most familiar (world cynicism, government trickery, military overzealousness, etc.) while many of its fantastical highlights involve more benevolent realms and races that are not only more powerful than man but kinder, gentler and more knowing as well, "Castle In The Sky" achieves one of Fantasy Entertainment's highest aims in showing not only how different things or worlds Might be, but how they (this world included) Should and Could be. And of course, there are thrilling chases, dazzling sights, strange architectures, and the beauty of the fast-forming friendship and slowly-dawning romance between the movie's young lead characters, Pazu and Sheeta.
All this, and full of more surprises than I'd dream of giving away here. Highest possible recommendation for movie-lovers of all stripes.
Movie Review: 'Castle In The Sky' Will Captivate Your Imagination
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw this film nearly three years ago, and it's one of the greatest movies that I have ever seen. It is an anime and it makes most Hollywood movies look like TV movies of the week which is saying a great deal about the talent of the ingenious Hayao Miyazaki and his Studio Ghibli, the creators of this wonderful film.
Essentially the movie is about a young boy living in a small mining town who one days has a chance encounter with a mysterious girl who has a magical necklace that sends her floating down into his arms on an otherwise ordinary day. The girl is on the run from dictatorial, war-monger authorities who seek the locket in her necklace, which is rumored to have a special secret hidden within. Together Pazu the boy and Sheeta the girl have amazing adventures as they fight and run away from space pirates as well as the evil government agents and their military, power-hungry leaders. The heart of the story, much like Miyazaki's other films, is a message about saving the environment, cherishing nature, the power of love between people and opposing war in all its evil forms.
The soundtrack is excellent and it perfectly complements this magnificent movie, at every scene, brilliant. It's inspirational and makes the audience feel that it is along for the ride on a high flying adventure.
Onto the animation. I could easily tell that it was hand drawn, and as far as I am concerned, hand drawn is far superior to digital/CGI. Hand drawn to me gives that distinct, magic touch and quality, whereas digital can feel emotionless at times, lacking that "human" aspect.
Of course digital can be ingenious when used properly, such as in 'Ghost In the Shell' and 'Blood: The Last Vampire', but if it is overdone it loses its natural quality in the transition. I have always been a fan of the original Disney cartoons and anime, and it is easy to tell that 'Laputa: Castle In the Sky' (original title) was made back in the mid 1980's because it has that old school feel to it, which makes it even better, partly because of nostalgia of an age that was golden for animation but also because it has soul that came from Miyazaki's endless talent and love for his craft.
'Castle In the Sky' set the bar back then for where animation in general should be headed, but it is unfortunate that other companies have not followed the lead. Maybe now with the widespread success of 'Spirited Away' (another amazing Miyazaki film), other animation studios around the world will take notice, and not necessarily emulate the geniousness of Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki, but rather be inspired by it and achieve for greatness in all aspects of animation, in their own unique way.
Words do not do this film justice, but I promise that it is a fantastic story of epic proportions, a truly enchanting tale of awe and mystery, filled with adventure and suspense, but perhaps most importantly, it reels one's spirit in with its imagination, and it certainly pulls at one's heart strings, at least that's what it did to me. A good friend of mine recommended this movie to me, and I'm glad he did, because it totally blew me away. Talk about master story telling at its best, this movie takes the cake in this category, hands down. If you have not seen this movie yet, you owe yourself the favor to do so, because if you're a fan of magical adventures that challenge the norm and uplifts your spirit, this is the film for you.
Movie Review: Floating in the sky
Summary: 5 Stars
Steampunky airships, robots, sky pirates and an ancient city that floats in the sky -- even if it weren't a brilliantly-written movie, Hayao Miyazaki's "Castle in the Sky" would be a glorious experience. And fortunately this simple gem of a fantasy movie is triumphant in every way: vibrant animation, outstanding writing, and a brilliant mix of fiery action, comedy and a teeny bit of romance.
After pirates raid an airship, a young girl named Sheeta escapes and falls from the ship... only to float down slowly to the ground, courtesy of a glowing crystal on her necklace. A miner boy named Pazu catches her and takes her home, and the two kids immediately become fast friends... but then the same sky pirates, working for their crabby mom Dola, have come searching for the crystal and Sheeta.
It turns out that Sheeta's crystal is made of aetherium, a super-awesome mineral that powers the mythical floating city of Laputa, which the pirates are searching for. Pazu has a special interest in this city, since his father claimed to have seen it but was ridiculed.
Unfortunately, the pirates aren't the only ones after Sheeta. Both kids are apprehended by military forces led by the ruthless Muska, who has found a tangible relic that proves Laputa's existence -- an ancient robot that fell from the sky. Now Pazu must join forces with Dola and her bumbling sons to rescue Sheeta and find Laputa -- and if he doesn't stop Muska quickly, he will use Laputa for his own evil ends.
"Castle in the Sky" is the sort of movie that a lot of people try to make, but only a rare few can actually pull off -- a richly imagined fantasy world with likable characters, and a powerful message about caring for the earth (which thankfully avoids being preachy). Not only does he succeed, but Miyazaki makes the whole thing seem effortless, weaving these themes together with a solid plot is both complex and refreshingly simple
He also does an excellent job juggling comedy (Dola's goofy sons), a hint of romance, and a heavy dose of action -- lots of aerial battles, explosions, gun chases high-speed chases, and one harrowing scene where a broken robot follows Sheeta through a burning fortress. The script (both in English and Japanese) is written well with plenty of amusing moments ("Make your shirt explode!"), but also striking, moving ones, such as Sheeta's final monologue to Muska about the people of Laputa.
The animation deserves a special shout-out -- it's rather simple and somewhat old-fashioned in style, but Miyazaki crafts a world of sunlit cliff-clinging villages, shadowy ruins full of roots, and shimmering seas under a vast swirling storm. And it's in exquisite bright colors that make it seem to have been painted on glass.
Sheeta and Pazu are both likable, pure-hearted heroes for this story -- one a young girl troubled by her ancestral past, and one a hardworking boy determined to save her (and salvage his father's reputation). The gang of pirates are a fun bunch once they've left the "villain" zone, and Dola is a gloriously vivacious, gutsy old lady. And Muska makes an excellent villain for the piece -- amoral, intelligent, and honestly believing himself superior to others.
"Castle in the Sky" is a truly enduring anime classic, a beautifully-animated tale of friendship, adventure and fantastical splendor. Do not give this a miss.
Movie Review: Disney spiraling out of the sky in a flaming airship
Summary: 5 Stars
I got the priviledge of viewing this Anime several years ago through a poor quality fansub that I received from a friend. I must say that this particular movie was the one that left the most indelible impression on my mind as to how Japanese animation is a completely different world than American. The story, visuals and music were all absolutely stunning when I saw this the first and subsequent times. My CD-R containing the fansub is quite beat up due to the repeated viewings, since this is my all time favorite animated movie) It was no surprise that browsing through the DVDs at a chain wholesaler, my eyes grew as big as saucers, my jaw dropped and drool began to appear at the corners of my mouth as this title caught my eye and BOOM, I instantly had to snap this one up above all the others (even Miyazaki's Spirited Away or Kiki's Delivery Service).As a huge fan of Miyazaki I was tempted to speed on the way home since I was as eager as a little child to pop this baby in the XBOX. I was absolutely in love with the remastered digital picture. The experience of hearing it in 5.1 surround promised to awe and inspire in a whole new way. Yet something was different about the English track. I couldn't quite pin it down.
Then Pazu opened his mouth....OUCH! I couldn't believe the assault on my ears! Disney, couldn't you have picked a younger and better voice actor? Then I realized what was bugging me about the movie...THE MUSIC! They changed it! I flipped forward a few chapters to the part of the movie right where Pazu and Sheeta have crash landed on Laputa which IMHO has the best theme of the movie, and discovered that it was much slower and way too orchestrated for that entire sequence.
Joe Hisaishi is one of the premiere and most respected and recognizable composers (along with Yoko Kanno in my book) in Japan, yet what on Earth happened with the English track? I read in an earlier review that Disney had ordered the entire English track rescored. WHY!?!? I can only imagine in my mind the debate by Eisner and ilk before releasing on us poor Americans: "What is with all this silence and blank space in the soundtrack? Music, we must saturate it with MUSIC! MORE MUSIC! <sound of Eisner cracking the whip on Hisaishi> I said MORE!! MORE MUSIC!!!!!" (this would earn the DVD only 3 stars) Disney, when will you ever learn not to tamper with a non-Disney work in an attempt to make it inferior to your own (inferior) movies?
After about 10 minutes of frantically scanning the different chapters, I was disgusted enough to turn it off and go cry. It was then I found the most redeeming quality of this DVD. They included the ORIGINAL Japanese track with Hisaishi's ORIGINAL score. HOORAY! Who cares if it is not in the full 5.1 splendor, the movie would just not be the same without the original music atmosphere. As long as Disney continues to have the guts to swallow their pride and release the rest of Miyazaki's works with the ORIGINAL Japanese soundtrack, I will purchase every single one of them.
5 stars go to this movie, in spite of the English track's flaws.