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Howl's Moving Castle

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Howl's Moving Castle (2005)

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Reviews Counted:143

Fresh:123

Rotten:20

Average Rating:7.4/10

Consensus: Exquisitely illustrated by master animator Miyazaki, Howl's Moving Castle will delight children with its fantastical story and touch the hearts and minds of older viewers as well.

Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins

Genre: Childrens

US Box Office: $4,520,887

Synopsis: Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki ("Spirited Away") takes moviegoers on an amazing new animated adventure that celebrates the power of love to transform and the resiliency of the human... Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki ("Spirited Away") takes moviegoers on an amazing new animated adventure that celebrates the power of love to transform and the resiliency of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Brimming with a blend of imagination, humor, action, and romance, "Howl's Moving Castle" recently played to great acclaim at the 2004 Venice Film Festival, and has become one of the biggest blockbusters of all time in Japan – earning more than $193 million at the box office and still counting. A distinguished cast of actors, under the direction of Pixar's Pete Docter ("Monsters, Inc."), lend their vocal talents to this English-language version of the film. Sophie (voiced by Emily Mortimer), an average teenage 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 (voiced by Christian Bale), and is subsequently turned into a 90-year old woman (voiced by screen legend and two-time Oscar® nominee Jean Simmons) by the vain and conniving Wicked Witch of the Waste (voiced by screen legend and Oscar® nominee Lauren Bacall). Embarking on an incredible odyssey to lift the curse, she finds refuge in Howl's magical moving castle where she becomes acquainted with Markl, Howl's apprentice, and a hot-headed fire demon named Calcifer (voiced by Billy Crystal). Sophie's love and support comes to have a major impact on Howl, who flies in the face of orders from the palace to become a pawn of war and instead risks his life to help bring peace to the kingdom. Extraordinary characters, inventive imagery, and stunning artistry make this latest masterpiece from the visionary Miyazaki an unforgettable filmgoing experience. -- © walt Disney Pictures [More]

Starring: Emily Mortimer, Christian Bale, Jean Simmons, Lauren Bacall

Starring: Emily Mortimer, Christian Bale, Jean Simmons, Lauren Bacall, Billy Crystal, Blythe Danner, Josh Hutcherson

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Screenwriter: Hayao Miyazaki
Composer: Joe Hisaishi
Producer: Toshio Suzuki
Studio: Buena Vista Pictures

[See More Credits]

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    Clip: We're Moving
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    Clip: Sophie Finds Howl's Castle
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1 - 4 of 7

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Reviews for Howl's Moving Castle

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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Another example of how this film maven easily holds the crown in the sadly ever-shrinking traditional animation genre.

Full Review Source: Dark Horizons | comment Comment
10/30/06
Garth Franklin
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Miyazaki has an appeal that crosses generations. Adult audiences are drawn to the depth and variety of his vision, but so are kids, and for exactly the same reasons.

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
01/17/06
Philippa Hawker
Philippa Hawker
Sydney Morning Herald
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There are some truly inspired moments, although this new animation from Japanese writer / director Hayao Miyazaki never reaches the heights of the brilliant Spirited Away.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
09/18/05
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
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Click to read the article

Full Review Source: In Film Australia | comment Comment
08/16/05
Luke Buckmaster
Luke Buckmaster
In Film Australia
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Howl's Moving Castle is a perfect epitome of Miyazaki's work, in all its strengths and weaknesses: it's filled with heart-felt themes...but how these elements connect on a plot level is subjugated to how beautifully they are rendered on screen.

Full Review Source: ESplatter | comment Comment
02/05/09
Steve Biodrowski
Steve Biodrowski
ESplatter

A stunning example of a pure, disorienting dream logic that cinema provides all too rarely.

Full Review Source: Time Out New York | comment Comment
10/18/08
Joshua Rothkopf
Joshua Rothkopf
Time Out New York

Palaces and shimmering lakes, warplanes and fire sprites all come to life at the breath of Miyazaki's graphic genius.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
09/07/08
Richard Corliss
Richard Corliss
TIME Magazine

Another work of great imagination and beauty from Hiyao Miyazaki.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
09/07/08
Daniel Etherington
Daniel Etherington
Channel 4 Film

The film gains a sense of visual wonder almost completely freed from the strains of a narrative-driven film.

Full Review Source: Projection Booth | comment Comment
10/26/07
Rob Humanick
Rob Humanick
Projection Booth

few other films, or indeed filmmakers, would dare take a scene in which two elderly women struggle to climb a staircase and turn it into an extravagant and memorable set piece.

Full Review Source: Eye for Film | comment Comment
07/10/07
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Eye for Film

A delightfully fanciful movie with engaging storytelling, visual wonders, and such worthwhile themes as contrasting wisdom and perspective with age.

Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
09/25/06
Russ Breimeier
Russ Breimeier
Christianity Today

A stunning example of a pure, disorienting dream logic that cinema provides all too rarely.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Joshua Rothkopf
Joshua Rothkopf
Time Out

Miyazaki's stunning animation and characteristically vivid colors make the film a visual feast...

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
05/12/06
Jim Lane
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review

So good that it shames virtually every animated film made since Miyazaki's last, Spirited Away, graced movie screens in 2002.

Full Review Source: SPLICEDWire | comment Comment
03/11/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
SPLICEDWire

Miyazaki has done better, and his epic style might get the best of him in this film a bit. Still, it is nonetheless a journey worth taking.

Full Review Source: 7M Pictures | comment Comment
03/07/06
Kevin Carr
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures

If it weren't for "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit," "Howl's Moving Castle" would be your winner for this year's Academy Award for Best Animated Picture.

Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment Comment
02/16/06
Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

As a lover of Fantasy and Sci-Fi books and movies, this cartoon appealed me to with its detailed plot and unique world.

Full Review Source: Three Movie Buffs | comment Comment
02/12/06
Scott Nash
Scott Nash
Three Movie Buffs

Miyazaki's latest epic (and that's just what it was... epic) lived up to every expectation.

Full Review Source: Now Playing Magazine | comment Comment
12/20/05
Chris Wyatt
Chris Wyatt
Now Playing Magazine

There is giggling, belly-laughing, and gasping to be done watching Howl's Moving Castle.

Full Review Source: New York Magazine | comment Comment
12/09/05
Ken Tucker
Ken Tucker
New York Magazine

A compelling story is the main ingredient missing from Howl's Moving Castle.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Pete Vonder Haar
Pete Vonder Haar
Film Threat
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
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Latest News for Howl's Moving Castle

August 21, 2008: Japanese Audiences Flocking to Miyazaki's Latest Opens in new window
He delighted audiences with Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle -- and now director Hayao Miyazaki is doing it all over again with his latest film, Ponyo on the Cliff by the... More...

March 20, 2007: Will Miyazaki's Next Film Be His Last?
It's been speculated that legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki will retire after the release of his next film, "Ponyo on a Cliff," but now it looks like we'll have at... More...

October 19, 2006: Critical Consensus: "Flags" Flies High; "The Prestige" Is Magic; "Flicka" Is A Pretty Good Ride; "Marie Antoinette" Spared Critical Guillotine
This week at the movies, we've got a complex tale of heroism (Clint Eastwood's "Flags of Our Fathers," starring Ryan Phillippe), a story of dueling magicians... More...

October 03, 2006: Miyazaki Prepares Next Animation Classic
Let's face it: When the director of "Spirited Away," "Princess Mononoke," and a whole bunch of other brilliant pieces of animation announces that he's about... More...

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