Howl's Moving Castle

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Actor(s):

Chieko Baisho, Takuya Kimura, Akihiro Miwa, Tatsuya Gashuin, Ryunosuke Kamiki

Director(s):

Hayao Miyazaki

Label: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Publisher(s):

Walt Disney Home Entertainment

Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Binding: DVD
Brand: Buena Vista Home Video
MPN: DISD41399D
Format(s): Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
List Price: $29.99
Our Price: $23.99
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

Editorial Reviews

Description

In Hayao Miyazaki's latest animated masterpiece, journey beyond imagination and enter a "breathtaking fantasy world" (Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times) filled with adventure, humor and heart. Sophie, a quiet girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. The vain and vengeful Witch of the Waste, jealous of their friendship, puts a spell on Sophie. In a life-changing adventure, Sophie climbs aboard Howl's magnificent flying castle and enters a magical world on a quest to break the spell. Featuring the voice talents of Jean Simmons, Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, Blythe Danner, and Billy Crystal, Miyazaki's artistry comes to life on DVD with inventive characters, unique storytelling and richly detailed animation. (c) 2004 Nibariki ? GNDDDT

Amazon.com

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

The Many Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki

The works of Miyazaki

The Book

The Art of Howls' Moving Castle (book)

Stills from Howl's Moving Castle (click for larger image)

Customer Reviews

Good movie. Better book.

First off, I watched the movie before I read the book so that could change my perspective a little. That being said I love the movie of Howl's Moving Castle. I just love the book more which is why the movie doesn't get five stars from me.
This movie centers around Sophie, an 18 year old girl who is under a curse that makes her look about 90. Howl is a "wimpy wizard" (so says the included trailers) who creates a moving castle to hide from the Witch of the Waste (and the King, and anyone else that might want something from him). Calcifer is the fire demon who makes the castle work. There is also an assortment of amusingly unusual characters to choose from in this movie. Together they make a great movie but I did think that the anti-war theme was a little heavy handed. It ruined the flow of the story and actually took up time that should've been used for character development. That being said, I still love this movie I just don't care much for the last half hour or so. Howl, Sophie, and Calcifer have easily become my favorite characters in a long time. Sophie finally finds her backbone when she's turned into an old woman and makes for a really amusing character. Calcifer provides good comic relief. He's little and cute which doesn't hurt either (though he does turn into a big demonic flame twice in the movie). And Howl is, well, Howl. He's cowardly, vain, and prone to histrionics. What's not to love? Unfortunately with the badly explained war scenes Howl is the one who loses out the most in the book to movie translation. He had so many more tantrums to throw and there just wasn't enough time for it all. Despite that, the scene where his hair dying goes awry is memorable enough to make up for any plot problems. Though if you're sensitive to animated nudity there is a brief flash of Howl's butt in that scene. Just a warning.
This movie has beautiful animation, fun characters, and is pretty satisfying overall. I was even able to watch most of it with my four year old and it's rare that we can both sit down and be equally entertained by a movie. The book by Diana Wynne Jones is understandably better but the movie is still good in a pinch. If you object to Christian Bale's voice as Howl (yes, it is a little deep for such an effeminate man) then try the Japanese audio instead.

Our whole family enjoyes this movie.

After renting this movie, we had to buy it.

Our entire family enjoyed this movie, and keeps enjoying it. It's pretty odd for Dad to watch "a Cartoon" but he even sits down and watches it with the children and myself when we watch it. The kids put it in, and in no time I find myself drawn in, sitting down to watch too.

I even purchased copies for our friends with small children as holiday gifts. So far they all really like it too.

It's a great story, great direction, great animation. Love, witches, wizards, kings, demons, and even beauty in the mist of war.

Visually stunning, but a very weak adaptation

I have been a Miyazaki fan in the past. I thought Spirited Away was both a beautiful piece of work and had an intriguing plot with good characterization. Howl's Moving Castle was a very pretty movie, but it lacked substance. The original story in the novel is fun and engaging and does not leave nearly as many plot holes as what Miyazaki did to this extremely loose interpretation. It is basically the name of the story, the names of the characters, a very simple beginning skeleton of the general "gist" of the book, and then Miyazaki turned the rest of it into a protest against the war in Iraq.

Artistic license to bring something to the screen is one thing, but what Miyazaki did to what is a beloved story to many was much farther along the scale. He would have been better to claim this was merely based on the novel and give the movie a different name, similar to what was done with the adaptation recently of the Dark is Rising, Seeker, as what Miyazaki presented, while pretty, was mostly certainly *not* Howl's Moving Castle.

Most under-rated film of all time

This film stole my heart. I am not even an anime fan, but I reluctantly watched this movie on a recomendation. It is refreshingly original to say the least. Why did I not hear about this movie upon its release?! This is The best thing I have ever seen come from Disney! It will break you out of the box of ordinary movies. Howl's Moving Castle took my imagination on an emotional adventure which I shall never forget. Buy this film without hesitation.

Creative genius at its finest

This is the finest example of creative genius I have seen in years!!!! Destined to be an example which all fantasy wtiters will hold their work up to and see if they have come close. Just buy it and get ready to be dazzled by innovative,fresh,imaginative story telling!

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