My Movie Reviews

Release Date: 10 June 2005
Time: 1 hr 59 min
Distributor: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Rating: PG
My Rating: PG
Starring: Christian Bale, Jean Simmons
Grade: B+

Synopsis: Hayao Miyazaki, the Japanese animation director who wowed audiences worldwide with his award-winning film Spirited Away, brings another visually spectacular tale of imagination to the screen. Sophie is an 18-year-old girl who toils in the hat shop opened years ago by her late father. Often harassed by local boys, one day Sophie is unexpectedly befriended by Howl, a strange but flamboyant wizard whose large home can travel under its own power. However, the Witch of the Waste is displeased with Sophie and Howl's budding friendship, and turns the pretty young woman into an ugly and aged hag. Sophie takes shelter in Howl's castle, and attempts to find a way to reverse the witch's spell with the help of Calcifer, a subdued but powerful demon who exists in the form of fire, and Markl, who protects the four-way door which can instantly take visitors to other lands and dimensions. Howl's Moving Castle was released in North America by Walt Disney Pictures, who distributed the film both in its original Japanese and in a dubbed English version;

My Review: This film is something very different from what I normally would watch. My wife brought this animated anime film to me and we watched it. I was pleasantly surprised by the story. The preview definitely shows that this film has a weird storyline, but it is actually drives the story along very well. This is a classic anime story of love and revenge. I really like the moving castle and the job that they did with it. It is a lot of fun to see and it was pretty believable for this tale. The old Sophie is pretty funny too and I really liked her character.

Recommend: I would recommend this film for the whole family. The kids will enjoy the animation of the film and the moving castle is a lot of fun, and the parents will enjoy the underlying themes that are in the film.