MOVIE: Howl's Moving Castle
(Hauru No Ugoku Shiro)
Starring Jane Alan, Christian Bale, Billy Crystal
Written and Directed by Hayao Miayzaki (Disney/Studio Ghibli)
Reviewed by Rusty Pipes

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Hayao Miyazaki has been one of my favorite animation directors for a long time. Check that. He's my favorite because he presents stories that are original and fanciful delights. Howl's Moving Castle is no exception, it just doesn't quite have the sweep of his other works.

Based on the novel by Dianna Wynn Jones, it's full of unusual characters, like the fire demon Calicifer (Billy Crystal), Witch Of The Waste (voiced by none other than Lauren Bacall!), Madam Suliman (Blythe Danner), and the mute scarecrow that hops around, pointing out helpful pieces of the puzzle.

This is much more a love story and a personal voyage of discovery than an action fantasy. Sophie (voiced by Jane Alan) labors in a hat making shop in a small city that appears vaguely 19th century except that people have flying machines. Ones that are propelled with large wings like dragonflies and ridden open air like horses! There is definitely some magic in the air-- there's also a huge mechanical construct that roams the countryside, containing a wizard named Howl (Christian Bale). Howl turns out to be a handsome young man and by chance Sophie meets him on a clandestine trip to the city. He saves her from some nasty spirits that were after him, then, as if in punishment for her meeting him, she gets ensorceled by the Witch Of The Waste. Suddenly Sophie becomes an old maid. While in this guise she ends up working for Howl and has a series of adventures as she tries to find her way back to her youthful self, stop a war and save Howl all at the same time.

One thing's for sure, computer graphics are not the star here (remember Robots earlier this year? Of course you don't!). Howl's Moving Castle is whimsical, magical and a must for all lovers of fantastic animation.

The Skinny:
Did I enjoy the movie? Hey it's Miyazaki, of course I did.
Would I go to see it again? I'd sooner watch Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke, but I wouldn't turn it off.

© 2005 - Rusty Pipes