Howl's Moving Castle (Steelbook)

I am new to Miyazaki and to anime, and don't usually watch many animated films, although I have enjoyed some titles like Persepolis, Waltz with Bashir, and Secret of Kells in the last couple of years. I had heard some great recommendations for Miyazaki, so thought I would start with Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle, as both are recent titles that I knew had been strong at the UK Box Office and had been an Oscar winner/nominee. They were both great films, but for me HMC has the edge. I think it's a good choice if you are new to Miyazaki and Japanese films, as it has a British/European feel to it, particularly in terms of the character Sophie and the locations. (Also while HMC does feature a few bizarre language-less blobby monsters and creatures, there are fewer of these than in Spirited Away, perhaps this is what makes it seem like it has a better flow and sharper pacing) Visually this film is very beautiful and very striking - both when it is portraying the fantastical (Howl as a bird, the ramshackle moving castle) and when it is portraying the more mundane (the elderly drooping face of Sophie, or the rolling fat of the obese Witch of the Waste). The colours are vibrant and the sense of movement in the film feels very strong. At the centre of the story is the young girl Sophie who is transformed into a 90-year-old by an evil curse, and in the English-dubbed version Sophie is voiced by two actresses - Emily Mortimer as young Sophie and Jean Simmons as elderly Sophie (I think it's a lovely detail explained in the Extras on the DVD, that the producers listened to the voice of Jean Simmons as a young woman, and then chose Emily Mortimer because her voice matched the young Jean). One thing in the film that I found especially imaginative and striking was the moments (particularly towards the end of the film) when the images and voice of Sophie moved between young/old. For example, a frame in which Sophie feels hope and love for Howl might show Sophie as visually old but with the young Sophie's voice. There were also several times that visually she was at some in-between stage moving between young and old (indicated by variations in the greyness of hair, length of hair and posture which were all subtly altered). Very imaginatively done. There are some dark themes in the film (war planes in the night sky, Howl's depression/difficulty adjusting when coming back from the dark side to 'normal' life, the threat of death). However there is also a great deal of humour - for example the character of Calcifer (voiced by the always-funny Billy Crystal, although perhaps a little under-used), and there's a particularly funny scene where the obese Witch of the Waste and the elderly Sophie (carrying a dog) are struggling to climb an extremely long flight of stairs while trying to maintain some dignity! ***** One thing to note: I wish I had know before purchasing from Amazon, that this product was the English dubbed version, as I usually prefer to watch foreign language films in their original language with sub-titles. However I found that it really wasn't distracting (in the way it can be on a 'live action' movie), and it didn't jar with the context of the film (British/European style settings). Apparently in the original Japanese version they only used one voice for Sophie throughout, and as I noted above I felt that the use of two voices for the young/elderly Sophie added to the strengths of the film, so there are advantages to getting the English dubbed version after all!

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.

I watched this film before reading the original book, and now that I have done both i must say I much preferred the film. Although the book is wonderful, the way the world of 'Howls Moving Castle' is portrayed in this beautiful animation is so much better. in a way I find anime films comforting as they have the perfect amount of beauty, fantasy, childlike imagination, intriguing story and of course breathtaking artwork and music. I definitely found that 'Howl's Moving Castle' had this in abundance. The main character is Sophie, a lovely girl who gets taken for granted by her step mother. One day Sophie unintentionally annoys a witch and a curse is put on her which turns her into an old woman. Sophie is thrust into a world she has never known, and with her new found age comes a certain level of confidence. She no longer cares what people think of her so much, and forgets to be scared of the wizard Howl who lives in a moving castle. In fact she pushes her way into his household like only an old nosey woman can. With entrance into his magic home Sophie meets new people and finds she is pulled into Howls magical battles. My favourite character in this film apart from Sophie who i think is best when she's an old woman and very funny. Is Calcifer, the magical flame that resides in Howls castle, he's very funny and endearing, and I must say when i watched the English dubbed version of the film Billy crystal who plays Calcifer makes the character even better. All in all a must watch for anyone who just loves to be swept up in a magical tale.

This film is perhaps the most beautiful, most amazingly scripted Studio Ghibli film yet but still we are getting people complaining that it "isnt like the book". I ask you, since when has ANY film been exactly like a book?!! How can you pick on this film when it has been made so amazingly and when its storylines are so intricate anyway that it does not matter that its not the same. How can you take 2 artforms and expect them to give you the same overview or feeling even if one is based on the other. Secondly people who are saying they didnt understand the storyline have to watch it a few more times. Its not a film where everything becomes clear on the first viewing, therefore making it amazing to watch over and over! Its not a film you watch once and then put it in the case, never to be opened again. And please dont complain that you dont understand why things happen, its well known that anyone with a bit of common sense would realise that it is the most beautiful thing to do by leaving some parts open to interpretation and letting your mind roam free over the subjects that this film is portraying to you. It is the beauty of so many of these films that it lets you do this without ruining your viewing and by giving you small clues as to what is actually happening each time you see it. This film is a MUST BUY for any lover of studio ghibli animated films. And will not let you down as long as you can think a little beyond having to have all the information spoonfed to you like a disney would do.

My opinion of howl's moving castle brings me to fight with myself over what i really believe. There are many things i love and many things i feel could have been better in this presentation. I will explain as follows in my review: I think the first thing i will mention, the single most important thing that made Howl's moving castle a success. Fans of Miyazaki will know his name and most probably have shrines of him on your bedroom walls. This is one of the things that made Miyazaki's animations brilliance. This is Joe Hisaishi. The soundtrack for this film is Hisaishi's best work for Miyazaki yet. The classical waltz, the fanfares and the chases are pure classic works of passionate genious. The most memorable moment in the film for myself is the scene where Howl takes a stroll through the sky with Sophie. The song for this scene convieniently named "stroll through the sky". Beautiful, genuinly beautiful. Strings with typical european piano to back it up joining together with fan fares and drums to create this memorable and literally almost tear drawing peice of music! You all know what i mean. Another thing i noticed about this film was the characterisation, i think it is spot on. We feel sorry for sophie the whole way through and genuinly admire her confidence and bright atitude towards all her hardships. A pretty young girl standing up for what she beleives in throughout with only the best intentions, well most of the time! And then there is howl, for me not Christian Bale, for obvious reasons. The vain, stoppy, romantic typical teenager with nothing more on his mind than to be great and come across as the best thing since sliced water. I think we've all been there, (i'm still there). And we have the scarecrow. A somewhat very Miyazaki idea, but nessacerry to drum into you that this place, is FULL of magical surprises. That's enough about the characters i think, you've all seen it anyway! Another thing that makes this great is of course the animation, Miyazaki is renound for his elegance in animation, bright colours, not cutting corners anywhere! Moving Castle is full of colour and humor, it draws you in and doesnt let go. It's like being in another world, and i certainly did'nt want to come out. Some of the not so good points i felt about this film was perhaps, (Very vuage.. i just cant pin point it) the story was not as perfectly adapted as many others, or perhaps too adapted? that we lost focus on the main point of the movie Sophie.Forgetting what was going on. Perhaps there was just too much to worry about compared to Spirited away and other works of wonderbrill. All in all Moving Castle is stunning, funny, charming and true to Miyazaki's ethics. Perhaps not so much to my taste, but no doubt a cirtain classic.

Great film

I was apprehensive about this movie as it received some lukewarm reviews but the film really charmed me and is my favourite of all Miyazaki films I've seen. The lead character is Sophie, a 19 yr old girl transformed into a 90 yr old woman, who has to find a way to break the spell put on her. She finds her way into the moving castle of Howl; the elusive handsome wizard with a reputation for eating pretty girls' hearts. The plot moves at a gentle pace and the story does not talk down to the audience. Having an old lady as the protagonist may not sound appealing at first but Sophie is a feisty character with plenty of life in her and I liked her a lot more than I thought I would. The visual set pieces are lush, dreamy and striking all at once, which create a wonderful spectacle of a film. I may be in the minority of people who prefer the English dubs to subtitles (for anime films) as I really liked Christian Bale's voicing of Howl (squeeing fangirl moment!). The film isn't perfect but if you let the imperfections wash over you and surrender to the film experience you will find a moving story and message.

I didn't expect much from this film when I first bought it as my boyfriend was the one who recommended this film to me, I hadn't been one for animated japanese style films. But this film surprised me, the characters are beautiful, funny and touching, they are so engaging and the english voice actors are superb compared to the usual standard we get. The musical score just adds to the beauty of the film. This is a film if you MUST see if your looking for a nice feel good film, not too much depth but great characters, then see it without a doubt! But if your looking for some sort of action film, war film, phycological thriller or just anything other than family friendly really then advised not to watch. Although i do believe this film with surprise everyone. Other than its fast wrapped up ending, i give this film a big 5/5 for just how it makes you feel during and after.

"Show me something I haven't seen before", says John Lasseter of Pixar. Howl's Moving Castle is so overflowing with original ideas, characters and visuals that a lesser film maker or studio would have tried to carve it up into three different movies. (ahem, Peter Jackson) While some object to the freewheeling nature of the storytelling structure, I found it mysterious and consistently surprising upon first viewing and now rank it among the most rewatchable of the Miyazaki films. Like Spirited Away, HMC is best experienced with an open mind and open eyes. At first, just let the film wash over you and enjoy every moment of artistry and music filled magical moments. The plot, which I will not go into here, is easy enough to understand once your brain recovers from the incredible sights and sounds that studio Ghibli has produced here. At it's heart, the story is about a powerful young wizard Howl, who is rejecting authority and living on the outskirts of society in his moving castle. He fears being obligated, he fears responsibility and he fears involvement. He can be like a surly teenager who only asks that the world leave him alone while he sorts himself out. At the other end of the spectrum is Sophie, a mousy hat maker working in a small room in a hat shop until she becomes caught up in Howl's grand adventure. Where Howl has large public display of magic power and might, Sophie is the one who displays the quiet and consistent kind of strength that Howl lacks. As these two circle each other and learn the ins and outs about the curses and spells they are under, it becomes clear that his grand flights of fancy and chronic insecurities are a perfect match for the mousy girl with level head and unassuming strength of character. This is not a story for viewers who insist on every loose thread being tied up and every back story explained. In Miyazaki's world there are things that simply ARE and the viewer is expected to keep up. If you are like me and really just want to see something that you have never seen before, get Howl's Moving Castle on Blu Ray and make a special spot for it on your shelf. There is absolute artistry here that can take your breath away. I view movies on a large HD projection system and I cannot remember a movie with more vivid colors and visuals that made me frequently pause the movie and simply stare at the screen in wonder like you are standing on the edge of a scenic overlook. Just fantastic.

Magnifique film d’animation

Molto originale la storia, bellissimi i disegni, stupendi i fondali ed i colori brillanti. Un’opera che vale la pena possedere e conservare per sempre. Un autentico gioiello d’animazione del grande regista giapponese Hayao Miyazaki.

木村拓哉のハウルの声が良い

Gran producción y muy bonita. Otra espectacular película de Studio Ghibli, así que con estas dos palabras digo todo lo necesario para saber que vale la pena.