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.