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Mood:
- AtmosphericStylizedTouching
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Plot:
- Human SpiritCurses Spells and RitualsWizards and MagiciansHopesImaginaryChaosDisorderSelf Discovery more...
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Genres:
- AdventureAnimationFantasyForeignAnimeFamilyRomanceMelodrama
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Time/Period:
- Contemporary21st Century
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Place:
- Palaces Castles and Temples
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Audience:
- Family Outing
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Praise:
- Award WinnerBlockbusterCritically Acclaimed
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Based on:
- Based on Book
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Attitudes:
- SeriousFantastic
Does this gene fit Howl's Moving Castle?
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Howl's Moving Castle, 2004
Japanese
Japan
Profile of Howl's Moving Castle
Howl's Moving Castle can be described as atmospheric, stylized, and touching. The plot revolves around wizards and magicians, chaos, and the human spirit. The main genres are foreign, adventure, and animation. In terms of style, Howl's Moving Castle anime and is a melodrama. In approach, it is fantastical and serious. It is set, at least in part, in a palace, castle, or temple. Howl's Moving Castle takes place in contemporary times. It is based on a book. The movie has received attention for being a blockbuster, an award winner, and critically acclaimed. Howl's Moving Castle is well suited for a family outing.
Summary of Howl's Moving Castle
Acclaimed Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki adapts British writer Diana Wynne Jones's popular fantasy tale for this animated feature, adding his own unique and celebrated dreamlike spin. A young hat-maker named Sophie (voiced by Emily Mortimer) is turned into an old woman by the dreaded Witch of the Waste (Lauren Bacall) when she attracts the notice of Howl (Christian Bale), a young wizard whom the witch desires for herself. As the old woman, (voiced by Jean Simmons), Sophie finds refuge as a cleaning lady in Howl's magical castle, an impressively realized mishmash of anthropomorphic shafts and gears, where she meets, among other wonders, a cantankerous fire demon named Calcifer (Billy Crystal). Howl's courage inspires her to seek a cure for her curse, and vice versa, and the two work together to prevent a major war as the castle roams the countryside on its mechanical legs. There's lots of magic afoot as well, including travel through barriers of space and time, and shape-shifting, requiring full viewer attention to keep track of who, where, and when, but this how dreams really are and the film engages on that same subconscious level. As with Miyazaki's previous work (SPIRITED AWAY, KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE), the emphasis here is on creating a beautiful alternate reality, where anything can happen, and every frame is a breathtaking work of art. See it on the big screen if the chance presents itself; the elaborate intricacies and patiently realized alternate realities of Miyazaki's work makes him a true treasure.
Details
| Language: | Japanese |
| Country: | Japan |
| Release date: | 10 June 2005 |
| Runtime: | 119 min |
Cast and Crew
as Young Sophie
as Howl
Photos
Clips
Critics Reviews
Los Angeles Times
- |
- by: Kenneth Turan
Chicago Tribune
- |
- by: Michael Wilmington
Users Reviews
- 10.January.2011
- |
- by: Netflowers
- Netflowers rated this movie
0/10
- 19.September.2010
- |
- by: cavedueller
- cavedueller rated this movie0/10
