Screen_Blitz
There are not many filmmakers like Hayou Miyazaki, especially here in the United States. The Japanese animation director and head of Studio Ghibli films has become a household in both the U.S and Japan for crafting motion pictures bound to push the boundaries of imagination since his directorial debut in the late 70s with 'The Castle of Cagliostro', a film that didn't see the light of day in the U.S until a little over a decade later. Castle in The Sky is a breathtaking adventure that dares to explore the indefinite world of heart and imagination, and what comes about Miyazaki's craftmanship is an journey that is by no means a tear-jerker, but an ultimately moving picture with an appeal for both kids, teens, and adults. Whether you are watching the original Japanese version or the English dub, the magic of Miyazaki's directorial hand shines like gold and transcends the picture into something more than your average family-friendly fairy tale. The film follows young teen Pazu (voiced by James Van Deek), an mechanical engineer who witnesses a young girl Sheeta (voiced by Anna Paquin) floating from the sky by the power of a glowing crystal she wears around your neck. When the two find themselves in a crash course between league of pirates lead by the dubious Dola (voiced by Cloris Leachman) and an army lead by a shady general (voiced by Jim Cummings) and the equally shady Muska (voiced by Mark Hamill), each of whom are after Sheeta to claim the crystal; the two youngster set out on a race to a secret temple floating thousands of feet in the sky. Together, they must learn the secret hidden within the mysterious castle. What Hayou Miyazaki proves is that he is not a filmmaker who takes ambition to granted. Every inch of storytelling he carries is poured into the picture with no amount of ambition squander in the slightest. And the magic of his efforts shine through nearly every frame. Blending elements of high-classed fantasy and science-fiction with a potent touch of human drama, this beautifully animated film hits the right notes from beginning to end, and the excitement upheld in every scene following the introduction of our young characters dares to leaves us gripped. When young protagonist Paza and his newly found friend Sheeta unexpectedly find themselves cross paths with a group of shady individuals and corrupt army officials, tension almost immediately takes hold and set the story in a sleek, solidly-paced motion. And as the story strolls along, an absorbing humanity within the two characters grows; and that combined with the voiced performances by James Van Deek and Anna Paquin are the leading aspects of the character's winning over the hearts of audiences. Although the story is nothing necessarily revolutionary, Miyazaki proves capable of crafting a plot with complex layers mixed with biblical symbolism which is more than likely to fly over children's heads; and that is only part of the whimsical magic lying within the director's grandeur.Castle in The Sky is a spellbinding journey of spectacular proportions, and definitely what earns the title of an outstanding achievement in Japanese animation. Whether you are a child, teenager, or an adult, there is something truly magical to be experienced in this adventure, something that many animated pictures are less than likely to uphold. For what Miyazaki accomplishes here, this is not far from the heights of a blistering masterpiece.
Jackson Booth-Millard
This is one the many films from Japanese cartoon creators Studio Ghibli I had not seen, but remembered the title of and really wanted to see, I'm glad when I got the opportunity, directed by Hayao Miyazaki (Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Ponyo). Basically young girl Sheeta (Anna Paquin) has been abducted by secret government agent Muska (Mark Hamill), the airship she is on is attacked by Captain Dola (Cloris Leachman) and her air pirate sons, they are in search of Sheeta's crystal amulet, given to her by her father. Sheeta falls from the airship, but the amulet starts glowing and her descent is slowed by its power, she lands in a small mining town and is discovered by boy Pazu (Dawson's Creek's James Van Der Beek). Sheeta is surprised to be alive when she wakes, Pazu explains what he witnessed, he is building a small aeroplane with the intention to go in search of the the lost city of Laputa, a flying castle thought to be a legend or myth, but Pazu's took a photograph of. Dola's pirates show up and pursue them, as well as Muska's soldiers, eventually the two fall into a mine, there they encounter eccentric local Uncle Pom (Richard Dysart), he recognises Sheeta's amulet and informs them it is made of 'Aetherium', a material used to keep flying cities, like Laputa, aloft, after leaving the mines Sheeta tells Pazu that her full name is 'Lusheeta Toel Ul Laputa'. Sheeta and Pazu are captured by Muska and imprisoned in the fortress of Tedis, Muska shows Sheeta a dormant Laputan robot, he knows about her secret name and interprets it to be that of the Laputan royal line, Pazu's life is threatened unless Sheeta cooperates, and he is sent away and forget about her. Pazu returns home distraught, there Dola's sons ambush him, Dola is eventually persuaded to help Pazu, to stop Muska, intercept the airship Goliath and capture the crystal. Sheeta recites a magical verse and unexpectedly activates the amulet and the robot, which destroys the fortress, Pazu arrives to rescue Sheeta, but Muska obtains the amulet. The pirates, accompanied by Pazu and Sheeta, return to their airship the Tiger Moth, they pursue the Goliath, it is following directions by Sheeta's amulet to locate Laputa. The lost castle in the sky is found, it is devoid of human life, but overgrown by woodland, with a gigantic "eternal tree of life" in the centre, it is maintained by another robot. Dola's pirates are captured while Muska's soldiers explore the ancient city and crumbling, overgrown, yet beautiful ruin of a castle, it is the ultimate evolution of the crystal levitation technology, and also has the powers of holography, magnetic cohesion, pseudo-nuclear weaponry and a veritable army of the semi-sentient robots. While Pazu and the freed pirates escape, Muska captures Sheeta and takes her with him into the centre of Laputa, containing the immense Aetherium crystal keeping the city aloft, there he identifies himself as 'Romuska Palo Ul Laputa', a member of another royal line, and he uses Sheeta's amulet as the key to access the advanced Laputian technology. After Muska massacres his own soldiers and destroys the Goliath, Sheeta escapes with her amulet, she encounters Pazu and passes it to him, in a confrontation with Muska, Sheeta realises that the people of Laputa left because humans were meant to live on earth, not in the sky. Muska refuses her argument and threatens to kill her if she does not give him the amulet, Pazu enters and says he will give him the amulet if he is allowed to talk to Sheeta, Muska grants him one minute, Sheeta and Pazu recite a "Spell of Destruction", destroying much of the city, and Muska dies. Sheeta and Pazu survive the collapse, protected by the tree's gigantic roots, they reunite with Dola and her pirates, who have swiped the city's treasure, they part with Sheeta and Pazu who are heading to start a new life together, Laputa is left floating in the sky, with a robot guardian still tending the garden, and maintained by the Aetherium crystal. Also starring Jim Cummings as General, Mandy Patinkin as Louis and Andy Dick as Henri. It is a simple story of a quest to find a magical city that floats high in the sky, with are nods to the works of HG Wells and Jules Verne, and retro-futuristic stuff, the voices for the English dubbing are alright, more than anything you pay attention to the fantastically colourful and imaginative animation, an enjoyable animated fantasy adventure. Worth watching!
