Rating  - Studio Ghibli may be to Japan what Dreamworks and Universal are to America...
I can remember a long time ago seeing a preview for "Kiki's Delivery Service" on a Disney sing along video, unaware that it was a Japanese film made almost 10 years before in the year I was born by whom I now consider to be a legend, Hayao Miyazaki. It intrigued my 8 year old self, but I never got around to watching it. Then, about a month ago, on the recommendations of my already acquainted friends and having already having had some experience in watching anime, I started to watch some of the Studio Ghibli productions. They became like potato chips, I couldn't watch just one one time.
As of now, I have seen in this order Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Kiki's Delivery Service (finally!), Princess Mononoke, and Laputa Castle in the Sky
I have to say that Howl's Moving Castle is my favorite one right now, with Castle in the Sky and Spirited Away close behind. Part of that may be the fact that the character of Howl has captured my heart in a way that no other animated character has ever done before. You girls thought Aladdin was cute when you were kids? Uh-uh, Howl is someone worth crushing on, at least for me ;)
All that aside, the animation is much better than Disney has ever done, and Disney has done a lot. I think this is on par in terms of plot and animation with The Prince of Egypt and The Road to El Dorado, two of my favorite Dreamworks movies. In fact, Miyazaki-san has perhaps made me come to love animation in any country much more at 19 than at 9. I look at classics like Pinocchio and Sword in the Stone with new eyes.
As for the voice casting, I am quite pleased with who they have. I always like to hear larger name voices in a Japanese movie dub than the people who are only known for dubbing anime. Christian Bale's voiceover of Howl is one of the main reasons that I am fawning so much over him right now. That quiet, smooth voice of his makes me become giddy whenever he talks. Also, I did not realize that Jean Simmons, the woman who voiced the old Sophie, who was also very memorable, was the same person who was Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls over 50 years ago. It was one of those movies I had grown up with, so knowing that made me admire her even more. Also, Billy Crystal had managed to play a comedic fire demon, but he also had some more serious moments as well, such as when he was a blue flame in Sophie's hands about to be freed from the spell. This was definitely not a copy of Mike Wizowsky here.
All and all, this is an absolute must see for any lovers of anime, or animation in general. Miyazaki's other movies must be seen too. Do it!
Rating - Another wonderful Miyazaki film!
I loved this movie. Yes, I've read the book, and yes, it is far different from the movie, but I loved them both independently. I read Diana Wynne Jones's book because of this movie. I so loved the film, that I wanted to read the book. Actually, I understood the movie a bit more after reading the book, but I still enjoyed them both immensely on their own--despite the differences.
My kids watch this movie over and over again. They love it just as much as Totoro, Castle in the Sky, Spirited Away, and Nausicaa. This is a great Hayao Miyazaki film--and probably one of our favorites. Don't let the negative reviews scare you away. Even if it doesn't stay true to the book, it is still a great film.
Rating - The first time I enjoyed watching an old woman climb some stairs!
Let me preface this review by saying that I have never read the book that this was based on, and I don't really care to. I've heard the book's very different and I think it would ruin my enjoyment of this fantastic film.
Okay, I love this movie, it may be my favorite Miyazaki movie of all time (though The Cat Returns comes pretty close). There's just something magical in this fantasy tale that really draws me in. First off, some people complain that this movie made no sense, but I really enjoy Miyazaki's narrative style; he doesn't spell things out for you plot point by plot point (the story is not very hard to understand anyway, I don't understand people's confusion). It really gives this movie good replay value; everytime I rewatch it, I learn/notice something new.
Secondly, the animation is beautiful. Just the sweeping scenes of the landscape was gorgeous and really helped you get a feel for the setting.
Thirdly, I felt the characters were very endearing. Especially Calcifer. I really loved his character (with Billy Crystal voicing), he is very humorous ("Sophie, it looks like it's gonna RAIN!"; this line just wouldn't be as funny if someone else voiced it). The other characters were also very likeable, and showed excellent character depth and development. Especially Sophie, who we see transform from a timid, mousy girl to a woman who isn't afraid to speak her mind.
Overall, I highly recommend this movie to anyone who's a fan of fantasy films.
Rating - One of Miyazaki's best.
I'm surprised there are some people on here complaining about the book to movie adaptation. Studio Ghibli rarely follows the few novels they've based movies on... Tales Of Earthsea was totally different than any book in the series!
Anyway, this is the movie that got me into Miyazaki/Ghibli a few years back. It's beyond words how good the storyline and animation are. The only Miyazaki movie I think is better is Princess Mononoke.
BUY NOW!!!
Rating  - Choose the book not the movie
If you have read the book *and liked it*, then i recommend that you don't watch this movie. It shares very few things in common with the book, one of which is the title. The plot is almost completely different. It was like the director read the back of the book and then made up a new story.
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