Howl's Moving Castle
|
List Price: Our Price: $13.99 You Save: $16.00 (53%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $12.40 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Howl's Moving Castle
Movie Review: Great for the steampunk otaku!
Summary: 5 Stars
Hiyao Miyazaki came out of retirement for like the third time to do this adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones' book. It was originally going to be directed by Mamoru Hosodu of Digimon(although he went on to do the awesome Summer Wars!), but bugged out early, so Miyazaki stepped in to fill in the part. Like Castle In The Sky, Miyazaki elegently fuses steampunk with magic in this romantic fantasy.
Taking place in a European-like country, Sophie Hatter is a young hatmaker(convenient name!)that has a brief encounter with the bishonen sorcerer Howl. Sophie has a curse put on her by the spiteful Witch of the Waste who is jealous of Howl flirting with her. Sophie is now turned into an old version of herself, so she heads out into into the land known as the Wastes to find a way to break the curse. With the help of a living scarecrow(shades of Wizard Of Oz), Sophie makes her way to the mobile castle of Howl himself, which is powered by the fire demon Calcifur that is under Howl's service. Sophie takes on the role of Howl's housekeeper, although she can't tell him about the curse she's under. Howl on his own becomes aware of Sophie's enchantment, but also starts falling for her inner-self, just as Sophie is stricken with him. While all this is going on, a war has been escalating between Sophie's country and an opposing kingdom. Howl is called in to be of service to their king, but has set up multiple aliases to keep from being drafted. He sends Sophie to the castle to answer for him disguised as his mother, although its trap set by the royal sorceress Madame Suliman. The Witch of the Waste is caught in her trap first and has all her magic stolen from her, reducing her to an old woman. Howl rescues the both of them, and then tries to set up a new life for everyone away from the war. Suliman sends her goons out to hunt down Howl, which seems a bit wasteful of resources since she should be using them to help fight in the war going on. Howl ends up using too much of his magic though, and it causes the castle to fall apart. Sophie has to travel deep inside Howl's psyche in order to bring him back from turning into a monster from his overuse of magic. She manages to save him, and at the same time the curse on her is lifted(even though her hair is still grey). It's revealed that the scarecrow is the prince from the warring country, and returns to stop the conflict, while Sophie and Howl go to live happily ever after in their new "castle in the sky".
The movie goes off in a different direction towards the third act than that of the original novel, plus a few things are altered like Howl being a skirtchaser, as well as less emphasis on the actual war going on around the characters. There is a real sense of romance in this movie as opposed to some of Miyazaki's others, at least in the sense of a more mature nature instead of between two children. Visually, its one of the best anime movies of the 2000s, and finely handles CGI with 2D animation. Its been met with mixed reviews, even though I believe it has a well-thought out storyline, especially for a Miyazaki film which sometimes tends to get a little muddled near the conclusion. The Disney dub is fair too, with Billy Crystal as Calcifur, even though Christain Bale is a little weak at time as Howl(especially when he uses the Batman voice). This is a great storybook fantasy, and one of my personal favorite animated movie classics.
Movie Review: A Joy to Behold
Summary: 5 Stars
"Howl's Moving Castle" directed by Hayao Miyazaki first came to my attention when it was nominated for an Academy Award. I thought the title was ridiculous and what was a `moving castle'? While channel surfing, I was immediately stunned by the imagery of this conventionally-animated film and I've bought the DVD.
Sophie leads a quiet life in her family's hat shop. This imaginary world is like early twentieth century western Europe with significant differences. Magic exists along with technology. One day while going to see her sister, she is aided by a handsome stranger. This stranger (later reveled to be the wizard Howl) has problems of his own and they are chased by mysterious black rubbery creatures. These creatures are henchmen of the Witch of the Wastes. Seemingly cornered, Howl literally sweeps Sophie off her feet to safety.
When he sets her down again, we know she will love him forever.
Later while alone in the shop, she is cursed by the Witch of the Wastes who believes Sophie is her romantic rival for Howl. Instantly Sophie is aged from 19 to 90. She leaves town and ventures out into the countryside. In her journey, she is befriended by an enchanted scarecrow. She helps him and he helps her. She ultimately finds refuge in the moving castle of Howl. She is allowed entry by the fire demon, Calcifer who powers the castle. She later meets Markl, Howl's young apprentice. Then the Wizard Howl returns home. Sophie recognizes the man who rescued her. What she does not realize, is Howl recognizes her despite the curse.
In time, she becomes a member of the family. Howl is also cursed along with other problems. Events in the outside world intrude in their personal lives when their nation goes to war. If you want to know what else, watch the movie...... :-)
This film is nothing short of a masterpiece. I never would have thought of Christian Bale as having a romantic voice. His voice is the perfect compliment to the beautifully animated Howl. The characters are vivid. Howl can be dashing and the man certainly knows how to make an exit. Sophie is insecure as a young woman but oddly comfortable as a old woman. As her confidence and love for Howl comes through, her appearance returns to normal. It as though the curse is a physical manifestation of her insecurities. Young Markl is initially annoyed by this old lady but she soon fills a void in his life.
The DVD extras were interesting. Remember this is a foreign film. Even though it is a cartoon, it is dubbed. The animated characters lips were originally synced to a Japanese language script. When American voices were used, the translated script had to take into account the lip movements of the animated characters.
The movement is based on a novel by Diana Wynne Jones. Having read the novel, I think the movie is an improvement. It seems Pixar Director Pete Doctor has not. While pointing out the interesting plot elements made by Miyazaki, he names things created by Ms. Jones. While this is a wonderful film, it is based on Ms. Jones work. It would've been nice if she'd been given proper credit.
Even though this is a cartoon, it isn't necessarily a children's film. Adults will love this also.
Movie Review: Is That Really Christian Bale?
Summary: 5 Stars
Still hard for me to believe that the man who, while on the set for Terminator Salvation, dropped enough F-Bombs to defeat the Germans in World War II is the same man doing the voice of Howl. But such is the nature of voice-over, I suppose. Part of my disillusionment is that I really liked Howl's Moving Castle, and for that matter, the character Howl. Howl has the reputation of a playboy, stealing the hearts of women. It gets a little scary when we learn that the reputation also includes eating their hearts. So maybe Christian Bale knew what he was doing when he took on this role. Actually, he probably knew exactly what he was doing. One of the most engaging parts about Howl is that he fits the celebrity persona to a "T". I'm serious. He's flashy, cocky, self-absorbed and cowardly. And worse, he has the good looks to get away with all of it! However, like some celebrities, he actually turns out to be a likable narcissist.
Howl meets Sophie, who is diametrically different than himself. She's plain in appearance and without an ounce of pretense; and somehow this garners a genuine interest from Howl. Sophie pays the price though when a jealous witch retaliates by turning her into an old woman. From here the story begins. And what a story it is. After all, it's not often that you get to see a child-friendly story about a loving attraction between a Magician Playboy and a 90 year old woman. Sure, underneath the elderly spell Sophie is really only 18 years old (qualifying her as the ideal celebrity obsessed groupie). But until she can break the witch's spell she'll have to wrestle with her achy breaky heart and her achy breaky bones. Howl may be a magician, but he has no magic to help her arthritis, and Celebrex hasn't yet hit the market.
The magic of this magical tale comes part from the source book of the same name by Diana Wynne Jones; but also because of the storytelling flair of director Hayao Miyazaki. Unlike Disney films that have a predictable story structure, Miyazaki's films usually indulge in a playful circuitous "2nd act" that gives no indication of when it will ever get back on track and head for the end of the story. In this case, the visuals are so lush that this is exactly what you want: to forget that you are watching a movie and get lost in Miyazaki's meandering imagination.
The other thing about Miyazaki is that his characters walk right up to the line of cliché and then make a sharp detour. For instance, the witch that casts her spell on Sophie turns out to be, well, not quite a bad woman after all. In fact, she's an endearing old lady herself with a bit of sass. And as I pointed out before, Howl is not the perfectly mannered male that we're used to in most kid-cozy animations. He's a brat, but a very likable one. These character twists keep the story from being a typical tale of good and evil. Instead, everybody is delightfully idiosyncratic - especially the fire demon Calcifer, who is voiced by Billy Crystal.
And then, of course, there's the castle itself, which I'd triple what I currently pay in rent to turn into my new abode. But until the castle comes a-walkin' in my 'hood, I'll settle for repeat viewings of this excellent DVD, which I've done more times than I'll ever admit.
Movie Review: A visual feast! Just as good as Spirited Away
Summary: 5 Stars
Despite the looming war, 19-year old Sophie Hatter continues to quietly toil in a hatshop and live a staid, humdrum existence. One day, she is rescued from boorish soldiers by a magical, charismatic man, who we later discover is Howl, the rumoredly horrible sorcerer. Displeased with Howl's attention on Sophie, the jealous Witch of the Waste transforms our heroine into a feeble 90-year old crone and makes her unable to speak of her curse. Sophie makes her way to the wastelands and chances upon Howl's ensorcelled castle, which is only the beginning of her many magical adventures...
The venerable Hayao Miyazaki, most recently of Spirited Away fame, has again outdone himself with the leisurely-paced Howl's Moving Castle, his film adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones's fantasy novel. This man is an exquisite artist, pure and plain. He once more combines stunning pastoral imagery with quirky yet opulent fantasy sequences. He seamlessly marries the mundaneness of his steam-powered world of science with the wild nature of inexplicable, powerful magic. Another cool thing about his films is that he takes full advantage of the cinematic scope, filling the screen's edges and corners with visual delights.
Howl's Moving Castle is also a gentle love story between the shy Sophie and the brash but irresponsible Howl. And, like Spirited Away, this offering also focuses on the maturity and growing confidence of the female lead, on her bravery and loyalty to her friends. And speaking of friends, the ones she makes are peculiar and wondrous: Calcifer, the belligerent fire demon who is the engine of Howl's castle; Howl's young, eager apprentice Markl; Hin, the court sorceress's asthmatic runaway dog; and my personal favorite, the very obliging, non-talking, animated scarecrow Turniphead.
I pretty much rate the voice actors by how unintrusive they are in the animated film. If I don't notice them, then it means I became so immersed in the picture's goings-on that I fully bought into the reality of the characters. In this film, the English voices are convincingly synchronized with the animation. It's nice to see Jean Simmons and Lauren Bacall back in the cinema, and they do a marvelous job respectively as the aged, fatigue-wracked Sophie and the selfish wicked Witch of the Waste. Emily Mortimer is equally proficient as young Sophie, who initially is lacking in confidence but over time, becomes more assertive and assured. Christian Bale (Batman Begins) correctly plays Howl as dashing, undoubting, reckless and yet, underneath the surface, filled with a certain uncertainty. And Billy Crystal's Calcifer, of course, is perfectly contentious yet endowed with a good heart.
The Special Features are sweeeet: Disc 1 contains: "Behind the Microphone," an informative breakdown of the intricacies of voicing an animated film; an interview with Pete Docter (Co-Director of the English voices); "Hello, Mr. Lasseter: Hayao Miyazaki visits Pixar" feature; and T.V. spots & trailers. Disc 2 has the whole rough storyboard played out to the movie's actual soundtrack.
Movie Review: ANOTHER DAZZLING ACCOMPLISHMENT BY THE WORLD'S GREATEST STORYTELLER!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Based loosely on the book by british author diana wynne jones, Howl's moving castle is a dazzling and spectacular, make-believe fantasy directed by the legend Hayao miyazaki. It has all the Miyazaki brilliance and charm, it has amazing characters trapped in circumstances beyond one's imagination, it has breathtakingly beautiful landscapes and open spaces, it has its hearfelt uplifting moments, it has Joe hisaishi's heavenly score, capable enough of transporting the viewer into a magical, mystical world on its own, it has everything else one ever expects from a Miyazaki or a Studio Ghibli film....and above all it has a message! Howl's moving castle is Studio Ghibli's strongest anti-war statement after "Grave of the fireflies".
The story of Howl's moving castle revolves around a young girl sophie who works in a hat shop. After she is saved by a wizard, Howl, from the dark forces, Sophie is turned into a 90 year old wrinkled old woman by the witch of the waste, out of jealousy. In the wilderness, Sophie comes across this strange moving castle wherein she takes refuge. Howl happens to be the master of the castle. While howl fights demons and dark forces in the war torn land, Sophie is left alone alongwith a fire demon Calcifer to take care of the magical moving castle which seems to posses supernatural powers in itself. Even its doors lead to different worlds! The plot gets deeper and complex as Sophie and Howl, alongwith few other amazing characters such as a scarecrow and a very strange dog, try finding resolutions to all the problems surrounding them. Due to its interwoven sub-plots and complexities, Howl's moving castle easily calls for multiple viewings.
Only Miyazaki could have told a story as complex as this one with such a grace and charm! Even the most unbelievable and wierdest characters come alive amidst gorgeous settings in a Miyazaki film!! Howl is an unforgettable experience which certainly leaves the viewer spellbound, craving for more. Miyazaki's attention to details in the film is, as usual, stunning. Character animation looks absolutely flawless and is certainly more complex and richer than in any other ghibli film. Animation on the castle alone is jawdropping. Each and every frame of the film is lush, detailed, a true piece of art, putting to shame anyone who thinks traditional animation is a thing of the past. The hand drawn beauty and feel of the film Howl's moving castle easily surpasses any of the recent digitally animated films by leaps and bounds.
With Howl's moving castle, Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli have once again successfully proved that they work only for the projects they believe in. Without succumbing to the market needs or giving a damn to the ongoing trend or formulas in the industry, they rather follow their own hearts and minds, exploring new horizons in art and cinema with their unusual storylines and experimental subjects.
Howl's moving castle is a grand film with a soul, a meaning and a purpose.