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Howl's Moving Castle

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(In fact 4.5 Stars) Though 'Howl's Moving Castle' ('Hauru-no Ugoku Shiro') may not be Miyazaki's best film, it is still far more enjoyable than many other films, Japanese or American, animated or not. I for one very much enjoyed watching it, and I love the film for its interesting characters and the rich textures of the designs, especially the fantasy world itself where witchcraft and humans' mundane works can be seen side by side. And the titular six-legged castle that really walks among the wilderness is something you never see except in his films.

Miyazaki's new film is based on a book of the same title written by Diana Wynne Jones. The film's story is told from the viewpoint of a 18-year-old girl Sophie, who is working at a milliner's shop every day. But she can hear the sound of bloody battles from the distance, and it is clear that this beautiful country, where witches and wizards live among humans, is going to see another war sooner or later.

But apparently Sophie is still leading an ordianary life until her uneventful routine days are suddenly broken by one accidental meeting with wicked 'Witch of the Waste,' who turns her into an old woman with a curse. Seeking for her place to live, Sophie goes to the wilderness where, the townspeople say, a young wizard named Howl wanders. In fact, Sophie encounters Howl's Moving Castle in the foggy moutainside, and she decides to hop in. There, forbidden to talk about her curse, she starts a new life with young and handsome Howl, who speaks to her kindly like a prince, but at times acts like a spoiled child.

[MIYAZAKI'S LOVE STORY] You will be impressed with many fantastic and colorful images created by Miyazaki. You might find an anti-war message deep in the film's story, but will find the romantic relations between Sophie and Howl is the most touching and impressive part of the film. Sophie's romantic feeling towards Howl is expressed in a unique way (which I don't disclose here), and Miyazaki, as usual, is very good at drawing the character of this independent heroine. One interesting thing is, probably this is the first case in which Miyazaki attempted to show a love story in his films. And a kiss too.

I must say that not everything works in 'Howl's Moving Castle.' I haven't read the original book, but it is obvious that Miyazaki made changes. Not that I'm blaming them. But the story is sometimes told too hurriedly, and when you think something (actions or whatever) will start, it ends abruptly. Howl's character is full of contradictory traits, that's good, but his complicated personality could have been more effective and convincing with more detailed episodes about, say, his mentor magician (and politician) Madam Suliman or Witch of the Waste.

(If I am not mistaken, 'Howl's Moving Castle' is a rare case for Miyazaki who prefers to use his own stories, and this is the first time he adapts someone else's story in 15 years, last time being 'Kiki's Delivery Service. But 'Kiki's' story written by Eiko Kadono is not long -- I know, I read -- while 'Howl's' story is, I think, much longer. Maybe these facts have soemthing to do with my complaint.)

Greatly helped by Jo Hisaishi's beautiful score, 'Howl's Moving Castle' is full of imaginative power, with one strong heroine you can relate to (though she is 90-years-old), plus memorable supports including fire damon Calcifer, (not a bad guy at all), and ubiquitous Prince Turnip who always appears at the right moment. Flawed, to be sure, but enjoyable fantasy tale with a healthy amount of humor and lots of imagination.

The review above refers to the original Japanese version. I know the English version includes the voices of Christian Bale, Jean Simmons, and Billy Crystal, but as I have never seen the version, I did not talk about them. Still, as Mr. Miyazaki is not likely to approve any changes done to his films, I hope what I saw in Japan, you will see in your country.

Not a lot of directors would be brave enough to take on a love story between a girl-turned-old-lady and a wizard missing a vital organ. But Oscar-winning Hayao Miyazaki tackles a new fantasy realm in in "Howl's Moving Castle" -- namely, that of fantasy dowager Diana Wynne Jones.

Sophie (Emily Mortimer) is a plain, unhappy young woman working in a milliner's shop -- lightened only slightly by a mysterious wizard who rescues her one day. But then the evil Witch of the Waste (Lauren Bacall) comes into the shop, and casts a spell on her, turning her into an ancient old lady (Jean Simmons). Sophie ends up wandering into the Moving Castle, a chicken-legged chaos machine, and encountering the sexy if childish wizard Howl (Christian Bale), smart-aleck fire demon Calcifur (Billy Crystal), and preteen apprentice Markl (Josh Hutcherson).

Sophie appoints herself the cleaning lady and starts whipping the castle into shape, trying to deal with Howl's temper tantrums and the war brewing all around them, and trying to cure her peculiar curse. But when she runs an errand to a castle in Howl's place, she finds that her new boss has some sinister problems of his own -- including his missing heart, and impending transformation into a monster.

Don't expect much fidelity to the novel; Miyazaki takes plenty of liberties with the story. As a result, it feels more like his story than Jones', with all the earmarks he usually has -- blobby monsters, colorful rural settings, intense anti-war messages, strange machines, and a Jules-Verne atmosphere of Victorian technology. But "Howl's Moving Castle" is very different from the others Miyazaki has done, since he kept the British flavour of the original book.

It's also different because it's a love story -- and a surprisingly un-cheesy one. In less skilled hands, having Howl say "I finally found something worth protecting. It's you" would seem inane, but Miyazaki keeps it brief and powerful. And even though Sophie looks elderly through most of the movie, Miyazaki never falls into trite observations about inner beauty. He just lets the story tell us that.

The animation is virtually flawless, from the chaotic absurdity Moving Castle to the breathtaking aerial battles with the bird-man Howl. Tiny details are everywhere, from painted ceiling beams to elaborate doorknobs. But there are also quiet, entertaining moments, such as Sophie attempting to houseclean the entire Moving Castle. Calcifur is the one sore point -- he's not done badly, but he looks vaguely artificial. I suppose a fire demon is hard to animate.

There are a few flaws, in that the story could have used a bit more fleshing out -- at times the relationships between the characters are sketchy. Not much detail, for example, is given about sorceress Suliman (Blythe Danner) and her relationship to Howl, or why she's so peeved at him. Or about the nature of Howl's increasingly dangerous magic and why he did what he did to lose his heart.

While there are the usual "howls" that the English dubbing is inferior to the original Japanese, the assorted voice actors did exceptional work in the American version. Christian Bale and Billy Crystal are the major standouts -- Crystal is funny and dry as usual, while Bale is sultry, sexy, soft-spoken and deep. Except, of course, when Howl runs around the house shrieking that his hair is ruined.

"Howl's Moving Castle" moves on a little too fast in places, but it's still a breathtaking, romantic, colorful ride. A wonderful story, told by one of the few filmmakers who could do it justice.

Probably many people find the story confusing. I felt the same thing when I saw it in the theater for the first time! The story seemed arbitrary and I couldn't connect the pieces together. But when I watch it again on the DVD, I realize the movie is probably about one thing: personal freedom.

Howl is a free person. He doesn't has a heart and even his home (which is usually characterized as a stable point in one's life) can move :-) He is disguised as different wizards in different counties, and when Sophie asks him how many identities he has, he said "Enough to guarantee my freedom". When Sophie confronts Suliman, she comments Howl as "selfish and cowardly and unpredictable, but he's straight as an arrow. He only wants to be free." But in Miyazaki's world, nothing is black and white. According to Suliman, Howl's power is too great for a person without heart, and he will eventually becomes a monster (some political figures come to my mind).

Sophie, on the other hand, is bounded by responsibilities. She is young, but her heart is old. She refuses the invitation from her friends and keep working at the hat shop. When her sister asks her "Are you going to spend your life in that shop?" She replies "It meant so much to papa. Besides, I'm the eldest.". Even her sister asks her to "look out for yourself".

When Sophie is turned to an old lady, it actually set her free because the good thing of being old is that one has "so little to lose" She becomes more adventurous and takes control of her life. She is very assertive as being the cleaning lady in Howl's castle and even tames Calcifer to cook her food. For Howl, his turning point comes when he refuses to move his castle anymore (I'll leave it to the reader as why he does that) By the end of movie, he regains his heart. He feels terrible because it is like "trapped under a stone". And Sophie says, "Yes, a heart is a heavy burden".

There are other wonderful things in the movie. For example, this is probably one of the few movies that tell me what it is really like to be old. But I do want to highlight the thread about personal freedom as it will help you to tie up the pieces of the story.

Not a lot of directors would be brave enough to take on a love story between a girl-turned-old-lady and a wizard missing a vital organ.

But Oscar-winning director/writer Hayao Miyazaki tackles a new fantasy realm in in "Howl's Moving Castle." In this case, it's the world of fantasy dowager Diana Wynne Jones, and he wraps the storyline in humor, romance and genuine flair. No, it's not faithful. But it is fantastic.

Sophie (Emily Mortimer) is a plain, unhappy young woman working in a milliner's shop. But then the evil Witch of the Waste (Lauren Bacall) comes into the shop, and turns her into a hobbled old lady (Jean Simmons). Sophie ends up wandering into the Moving Castle, a chicken-legged chaos machine, and encountering the sexy, immature wizard Howl (Christian Bale), smart-aleck fire demon Calcifur (Billy Crystal), and preteen apprentice Markl (Josh Hutcherson).

Sophie appoints herself the cleaning lady and starts whipping the castle into shape, trying to deal with Howl's temper tantrums and the rapidly deepening war. And, of course, trying to de-curse herself. But when she runs an errand that Howl is too scared to deal with, she finds that her new boss has some sinister problems of his own -- including a missing heart.

Don't expect much fidelity to the humorous fantasy novel. Miyazaki takes plenty of liberties with the story, leaving out characters and adjusting others. As a result, it feels more like his story than Jones', with the earmarks of his style -- blobby monsters, colorful rural settings, intense anti-war messages, strange machines, and a Jules-Verne atmosphere of Victorian technology. But "Howl's Moving Castle" is very different from the others Miyazaki has done, since he kept the British flavour of the original book.

Moreover, it's a love story. Miyazaki has vaguely touched on romance in prior movies, but here it's full-blown, and surprisingly un-cheesy. In less skilled hands, having Howl say "I finally found something worth protecting. It's you" would seem inane. In Miyazaki's hands, it's not. And even though Sophie looks elderly through most of the movie, Miyazaki never falls into trite observations about inner beauty. He just lets the story show it.

Not that it's all lovey-doviness -- Sophie's housecleaning and Calcifur ("Sophie, help! I'm going out!") provide plenty of amusement. And the animation is as close to flawless as you can get, from the chaotic absurdity Castle to the breathtaking aerial battles that Howl swoops in on. Tiny details are everywhere, from painted ceiling beams to elaborate doorknobs. Calcifur is the one sore point -- he's not done badly, but he looks vaguely artificial.

There are a few flaws in that the story could have used a bit more fleshing out -- at times the relationships between the characters are sketchy. Not much detail, for example, is given about sorceress Suliman (Blythe Danner) and her relationship to Howl, why she's so peeved at him. And it's a bit hard to comprehend why Howl's condition would turn him into a monster bird.

And while there are the usual "howls" that the English dubbing is inferior to the original Japanese vocal work, the American voice actors did exceptional work. Christian Bale and Billy Crystal are the major standouts -- Crystal is funny and dry as usual, while Bale is sultry, sexy, soft-spoken and deep. Except, of course, when Howl runs around the house wailing that his hair is ruined.

"Howl's Moving Castle" moves on a little too fast in places, but it's still a breathtaking, romantic, colorful ride. A wonderful story, told by one of the few filmmakers who could do it justice.

Well before HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE, Hayao Miyazaki had established himself as the finest creator of feature length animated films in the history of cinema. So pointing out that this marvelous film isn't quite as good as his very best work really isn't very illuminative. He has done at least three or four films that are better, but that cannot be said of any other animator. This film suffers only by comparison with his own work, not with that of anyone else.

A number of Miyazaki's films have been set in non-Japanese settings, so this one's being imagined in a vaguely European locale really isn't terribly unique. In every other way, this is an exceedingly typical Miyazaki creation. There is, for instance, the preoccupation with flying, fields of non-identical flowers that wave in the breeze (each drawn separately by hand and not computer), richly detailed landscapes, and eccentrically designed rooms. There is hardly a moment in this film that isn't a delight to gaze upon.

In two ways this film stands comparison with anything that Miyazaki has done. First, he has created a host of astonishingly vivid and convincing characters. What is marvelous about them is that none of them are simple, but are wonderfully complex and often deeply flawed. Howl of the title is a powerful sorcerer, horrified by the absurd war being waged in the land, but in danger himself of turning into a giant bird of prey. He is struggling with sanity, infected by the insanity that he sees throughout the world. The central character, Sofia, begins the movie a young, simple girl who embroiders hats in a hat shop, but who is turned into an extremely old woman by a witch's spell. Through the rest of the film the spell waxes and wanes, sometimes maintaining completely the illusion of her being ancient, but sometimes in sleep restoring her completely to her youth. At times she appears a blend of old crone and young girl. There is also a extraordinarily well-conceived scarecrow that lays claim to be the finest such creation since THE WIZARD OF OZ. There is even an animal, a dog that is the utter antithesis of all the too cute, too loud sidekicks that populate the Disney films. Almost immobile, unexpressive, he can't even quite bark, but can only manage a bit of a wheeze.

The second way the film stands out is visually. With one exception, every aspect of this film is magical and unique. For instance, the scarecrow is fascinating to watch at every moment, despite the fact that except for being able to hop about on its post as if it were mounted on a pogo stick, it is incapable of facial expressions or moving either arms or hands or legs. As usual in Miyazaki, every aspect of nature is vibrant and alive, but even more than in previous films his interiors are stunning. Each room is filled with bric-a-brac and personal items that make them feel actual and lived-in unprecedented in animation.

So why does HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE fall short of Miyazaki's very best work, even while it surpasses the work of most others? There are two reasons. First, Calcifer the Fire Demon, at least in the English version (I have not seen the Japanese original), is both uninventively drawn and poorly voiced by Billy Crystal. The drawing I dislike because in contrast with everything else in the movie, Calcifer is drawn as an orange blob with eyes and mouth, a hunk of poorly differentiated color in contrast with everything else onscreen, which is carefully nuanced and hued. It is one of the least imaginatively executed characters in all of Miyazaki. I love Billy Crystal, and have thoroughly enjoyed his work way back in the days of SOAP to the present, but he just wasn't appropriate for this film. His loud, somewhat brash New York accent simply didn't mesh with all of the others. The second major problem I had the film was the last quarter of the story. At a certain point the story lost both its coherence and its pacing, and failed to maintain pace with the earlier parts of the movie. The movie did not fall apart, but neither did it remain equally marvelous throughout.

One other element in the film was both a delight and a mild disappointment: the Castle itself. Visually, this is one of the most amazing things one will see in an animated film, and the magical door that allows one to exit in any of four places suited it perfect. The only problem is that we don't get to see much of the interior. Virtually the entire action is kept inside one room in which all seem to eat and sleep. I wanted Sophie to explore!

These minor points aside, I enjoyed this film very nearly as much as I have any of Miyazaki's other films. If you are a Miyazaki fan, it is highly unlikely that you will have any reaction other than sheer delight, and if have not seen Miyazaki before and love this one, you will be delighted to learn that he has done even better.

I have seen every Miyazaki film that has been released in the U.S. and loved them all. Out of all of them, this is my favorite (closely followed by Spirited Away). The plot was perfectly paced and well constructed. The visuals were gorgeous. The message was sweet. In every way that matters, this film is perfect.

I took my four hyperactive children (17, 9, 5, 3yrs) to the subtitle version of this film. It held their attention. We went the following week to the dubbed version (excellent voices) and again the film held them enthralled. The only other films that have come close to this are from Pixar.

BTW -- One aspect I do not see discussed in this thread is the fluidity of Sophie's curse and what that implies.

Should Miyazaki be pleased or despairing that his handcrafted animations have reached their zenith just as their computer generated cousins threaten them with redundance? At age 64, he's probably beyond worrying. This is a celebration of the human touch, in a similar vein to Nic Park's whacky, Grommit. The care lavished on the subtle tonalities of colour and texture is one of their shared domains. Another, at least with,'Howl' is a predelection for an earlier, and now only a dimly familiar, period of the early C20th, where freeways were lanes, and cobblestones and woodgrain were yet to be superceeded by synthetics. And, inventor's magic reigns supreme. The parable in 'Howl' is about the transforming power of love, a power of the most potent magic. Witches cast spells and wizards are sought for counsel by kings. Wars churn along with machine-like inevitability, the consequential milieu of a bewildered populace. The animated heart, aflutter with infatuation, burdened by outward appearance, stretched by loyalty to compassion, promotes the narrative. Howl's Castle, an unlikely chunk of Boschlike junk on four legs(flashes of Frank Zappa's, 'Billy The Mountain', for me) is the resevoir of recouperation and regeneration for the wounded hearts, kept alive by a spirited flame. The narrative asserts that appearances deceive and that youthful ones in particular, can be an encumbrance. There are no such encumbrances with the appearance of Miyazaki's films, which are a liberating, elevating joy. His reach is considerable: from the aforementioned details out to superb panoramas, be they the incendiary glimmer of a distant city under nocturnal aerial seige, or a pellucid valley lake enthroned by ice-capped peaks. For me, the animator's artistry with halated colour and whimsical line is the fiat to the elusive powers of his characters. What facility! Together with 'Princess Mononoke' and 'Spirited Away', Miyazaki enters the pantheon of cinematic geniuses.

This movie is superb. Contrary to a few critics who babble out the line "I don't get it" and then proceed to rip on this movie, I think the fact that many parts of this movie are not dumbed down and explained to you word-for-word (one of Director Miyazaki's trademarks - letting you use your mind, letting you as the viewer, use your imagination) is what makes it one-of-a-kind. Unique.

Howl's Moving Castle is not only a very entertaining movie, its artwork is pheonomenal. You can see Studio Ghibli's animators' talents in amazing detail - from the beautiful landscapes (the studio capitalized on their artists who were trained in impressionistic artwork), gorgeous scenery, and the beautiful color, character drawings that can display so much emotion without words, and creativity that unfortunately cannot be seen in much of mainstream animation today. And I have yet to mention the amazing score by Joe Hisaishi. Music so lovely it will sweep you off your feet.

A warning to fans of Diana Wynne Jones's novel from which this movie is loosely based, and "loosely" is a good word. The story does deviate much from the book. But before those loyal to the novel start screaming in outrage, it is good to note that Miyazaki creates a beautiful story separate of Diana Jones, using her much loved characters, and in my opinion, enhances them, adds a bit of visual magic, and adds to their appeal. And a final note to hopefully mollify the novel-faithful, Diana Wynne Jones herself was very pleased with the outcome of the movie and Miyazaki's rendition of her works.

Finally, the English dubbing. I was horrified with Disney's English dubbing of Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi), Miyazaki's predecessor to Howl. Not only did they add English dubbing that dumbed down the script, the main characters voices were incongruent with the ages of the characters. Disney added a horrific commercialized voice for one of the main characters as well. BUT! I must go against all of my previous beliefs for Howl's Moving Castle. I've seen both the English and Japanese versions, and for once.... I almost feel the English version is BETTER (yes.. never in my life). The voice actors do a great job conveying the emotions of the movie. There is no deviance in the storyline. And if anything does seems confusing, its not due to the script, its more due the fact that it is a busy movie with lots of subplots.

The storyline briefly, is about a young girl, Sophie Hatter, who encounters a mysterious young wizard named Howl. (Chance encounter, or fate?) The jealous Witch of the Waste transforms Sophie into an aged woman. This takes Sophie on a journey where she discovers Howl's Moving Castle, a host of other interesting characters, and Howl himself, the enigmatic wizard to which her fate is entwined....

Watch, enjoy, and use your mind and imagination to figure out the parts you may not understand at first glance, and you may find this movie to be truly delightful. It is really very "heart"-warming.

Once again the grand master of animation makes his own world. I have seen all of Mayazaki's films and this one with out a doubt is my favorite. I did not think it possible that Mayzaki could create another film that I would love more that Spirited Away. However when I was in the theater I was found to be very wrong. Each time the grand master film maker and storyteller graces us a film he creates a whole new world. This one is my favorite because there is so much in it you have to watch two or three times to get everything. Sophie is so identifiable because I am sure anyone and everyone has felt unattractive and unloved. Howl is very childish and selfish but you fall in love with his character anyway. The visuals are stunning and I challenge anyone to not want to take the Hine the dog home with them. I have own many animes and have seen even more. However as to date this is my favorite film. The plot, the music, and the characters make this in my opinion Mayazaki's second master peace with Spirited Away being a close second. Oh yes if you like soundtracks at all get this one Joe Hisaishi really outdid himself this time. In the end I cannot recommend this film enough for anyone and everyone who believes in love and magic. You shall not be disappointed.

My two young kids (8 & 6) and I enjoyed this film very much. We have never heard or read the book which the movie is based on before. I love and have watched almost every movie done by Mr. Miyazaki. This one is no exception. The visual, the story and the charactors are all wonderful. We have watched the movie over and over and never got tired of it.

After enjoy so much about the movie version of "Howl's Moving Castle", I decided to read the book written by Diana Wynne-Jones. It is a really fascinating work with lively charactors and incredible imagination through out. Then I found out that I was slightly disappointed by the change Mr. Miyazaki made to his movie. I hope that he would follow the book more truthfully. I don't really care much about the "Anti-War" theme in the movie with a confusing plot. I would rather watch the battles between Howl and the Witch of the Waste.

However, if you can seperate them and view them as two unrelated work, I really enjoy and love both of them because they both feature my favorite charactors including Howl, Sophie and Calcifer.

p.s. I rate this film 4 stars but it shows only 1 star. And I can't change it!