At Paul's request, here are my thought's on Miyazaki's latest, I expect a few people on here have seen it by now. There's a very brief summary below (in white just in case any viewers don't want to know ANYTHING about the plot before seeing the film- highlight to view)
Based on the book by Bristol-based Dianna Wynne Jones, the film follows the story of Sophie, an independent young lady working in her late father's shop as a hat maker. After she is transformed in to an old lady by a local witch, she sets out to find and seek help from Howl, the mysterious and legendary wizard living in an enchanted moving castle outside the town. Working there as a cleaning lady, she soon realises that there is a lot more to Howl (and his castle) than meets the eye and as war besets their nation, endeavors to save him from the ensuing dangers and overcome the curse on her.
A fairy tale through and through, HMC is very much in line with recent Ghibli productions and fans familiar with the studio's output will be able to spot aesthetic and narrative influences from just about every one of their previous films here. While the use of computer-assisted animation is more prominent than in any other Ghibli film so far, it has been used very tastefully and does nothing more than compliment the wonderful cell animation. Drama, humour and romance come together as Sophie adjusts to life in the castle with Howl and his friends, the fire spirit Calcifer in particular providing a lot of comic relief. Visually, the film is astonishing, Miyazaki pushing his style to new heights of detail and innovation (I heard that Howl's bedroom represents Miyazaki's mind, and its as wierd and beautiful as you'd expect). Basically, Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli have done it again, creating a timeless and hugely entertaining film for people of all ages- highly recommended
Based on the book by Bristol-based Dianna Wynne Jones, the film follows the story of Sophie, an independent young lady working in her late father's shop as a hat maker. After she is transformed in to an old lady by a local witch, she sets out to find and seek help from Howl, the mysterious and legendary wizard living in an enchanted moving castle outside the town. Working there as a cleaning lady, she soon realises that there is a lot more to Howl (and his castle) than meets the eye and as war besets their nation, endeavors to save him from the ensuing dangers and overcome the curse on her.
A fairy tale through and through, HMC is very much in line with recent Ghibli productions and fans familiar with the studio's output will be able to spot aesthetic and narrative influences from just about every one of their previous films here. While the use of computer-assisted animation is more prominent than in any other Ghibli film so far, it has been used very tastefully and does nothing more than compliment the wonderful cell animation. Drama, humour and romance come together as Sophie adjusts to life in the castle with Howl and his friends, the fire spirit Calcifer in particular providing a lot of comic relief. Visually, the film is astonishing, Miyazaki pushing his style to new heights of detail and innovation (I heard that Howl's bedroom represents Miyazaki's mind, and its as wierd and beautiful as you'd expect). Basically, Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli have done it again, creating a timeless and hugely entertaining film for people of all ages- highly recommended
