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Howl's Moving Castle [2005]

Directors: Hayao Miyazaki, Rick Dempsey, Pete Docter
Actors: Chieko Baisho, Takuya Kimura, Akihiro Miwa, Tatsuya Gashuin, Ryunosuke Kamiki
Studio: Optimum Home Entertainment
Category: DVD

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

100 reviews
Sales Rank: 1280

Format: Anamorphic, Pal
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: Universal, suitable for all
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 120
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6

EAN: 5060034578949
ASIN: B000KRMZAG

Theatrical Release Date: August 25, 2005
Release Date: January 1, 2007
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: New and Sealed Despatched within 2 working days Thanks for your custom.

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.co.uk Review
Like a dream, Howl's Moving Castle carries audiences to vistas beyond their imaginations where they experience excitement, adventure, terror, humor, and romance. With domestic box office receipts of over $210 million, Howl passed Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke to become the #3 film in Japanese history, behind his Spirited Away and James Cameron's Titanic.

Based on a juvenile novel by Diana Wynne Jones, Howl's Moving Castle marks the first time Miyazaki has adapted another writer's work since Kiki's Delivery Service (1989). Sophie, a 19-year-old girl who believes she is plain, has resigned herself to a drab life in her family's hat shop--until the Witch of the Waste transforms her into a 90-year-old woman. In her aged guise, Sophie searches for a way to break the Witch's spell and finds unexpected adventures. Like Chihiro, the heroine of Spirited Away, Sophie discovers her hidden potential in a magical environment--the castle of the title.

Using CG, Miyazaki creates a ramshackle structure that looks like it might disintegrate at any moment. Sophie's honesty and determination win her some valuable new friends: Markl, Howl's young apprentice; a jaunty scarecrow; Calcifer, a temperamental fire demon; and Heen, a hilarious, wheezing dog. She wins the heart of the dashing, irresponsible wizard Howl, and brings an end an unnecessary and destructive war. The film overflows with eclipsing visuals that range from frightening aerial battles to serene landscapes, and few recent features--animated or live action--offer as much magic as Howl's Moving Castle.--Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews: Read 95 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Enchanting July 3, 2008
Howl's Moving Castle is one of those rare gems which seem to have everything and suit everyone. There is a beautiful romance, magic, action, humour, vivid and detailed artwork...

It is a film which can be viewed on many levels - the storyline could be understood without difficulty by a child, yet someone older will find a huge amount to question and, through coming to conclusions themselves, the film's overall message is not dictated to the viewer, making it mean something slightly different to everyone. The strong anti-war message which runs throughout the film is made all the more powerful by the fact there seems to be no clear aim to the fighting- a theme which links to the reality of some of today's warfare.

However, this film is not, as the above paragraph may make it appear, highbrow or depressing. It is heart warming and uplifting, a wonderful fairy tale of the power of love, inner beauty and self esteem in a magical land, with a castle which can be in four places at once, a young girl transformed into an old woman by an evil witch, an extremely handsome but very vain wizard and many more bizarre and imaginative, yet beneath the outer layer, very human characters. The voices in English are brilliant, yet the Japanese subtitles are equally enjoyable, being different to the dubbed English. Howl is slightly old-fashioned in his speech which goes perfectly with his flamboyant attire and his romantic disposition and (for those of us who don't speak Japanese) not being able to understand the characters' speech adds to the magic of the story being set in another world.

No, the film is not loyal to the book- Miyazaki seems to have taken inspiration from the novel, not copied it, which adds the extra bonus of being able to read the book and enjoy it as an (almost) totally new story.

Really, there is very little to fault about this film, so buy and enjoy it; many times over!

5 out of 5 stars

Animation Genius May 18, 2008
Myazaki's often touted as a master of anime, but whenever I've thought of buying one of his works, I've always been put off by what I've thought are pretty lame story-lines.
However, when my brother bought this, I had to see it, and I'm glad I did. The animation is far beyond any I've seen to date. None of this "repeat" animation, where the wind blows through your hair in exactly the same way. You can tell you're in safe hands with the animation, and the colouring is just as comfortable as the movement.
As for the story itself, it's not action-packed, but it does keep moving. There's a story to tell, and it doesn't just dwell on unimportant bits; in fact, it doesn't dwell at all, yet it's never rushed either.

If you like a calm, touching film, and you want to get into anime, this is the best place to start.
If you're into anime and can sit back and just relax, you've got to buy this.
If you're into action packed anime, this might not be for you, but you should rent it just so you can say that you've watched the creation of a masterpeice from the best artist in anime.

5 out of 5 stars

Magical May 3, 2008
See some of the other reviews if you want more detail, but I'm just going to say this film is brilliant. You'll be wishing life was as cosy as this! It just fills you with a warmth from beginning to end. It's definitely on a par with my other favourite animated film, the zany Spirited Away which you must also watch. I viewed it in English, which some say is taboo, but either way you're going to love it. When you buy this it will truly be an unregrettable DVD purchase. Actually, stop reading these reviews and buy it now!

5 out of 5 stars

Magic of The Movies April 1, 2008
This Anime-style adaption of the great book of the same name by British children's author Dianna Wynne Jones is a worthy version of that story and a work of art in its own right.

The art, particularly the Monty Python style Moving Castle, is brilliantly realised. The characters are well established, even the bad guys are given time to develop, and the plot races along without crashing once. Humour and pyrotechnical battle scenes enliven the story without seeming out of place or gratuitous.

The book, inevitably, has more space to develop the crucial relationship of Howl and Sophie, and sadly many of the pleasingly bizarre episodes in the original: e.g.the mighty wizard Howl's brief return to his Welsh roots, are not translated to the screen. Overall, the humanist tone of Dianna Wynne Jones' work is well captured in this film.

Some readers may find rather too much emphasis placed on violent conflict in this cartoon, particularly in its latter stages, but equally,fantasy film fans may be pleased at this level of exciting action, not present in the book.

In all, a very interesting and enjoyable film that will hopefully gain DWJ some more fans too.

5 out of 5 stars

Excellent March 23, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This is perhaps the most accessible of the Studio Ghibli productions for the UK audience ( closely followed by Kiki's Delivery Service )

Unlike "Spirited Away" ( with it's Japanese bath houses and radish spirits ) this has a more british edwardian or european feel for the first half before the bombing sequences

Yes there are gaps in the back story and it does vary from the original book but on its own merits this is a masterpiece