Not only flies over the head of anyone whose expectations have been stunted by animated Hollywood fare, it soars.
Howl's Moving Castle (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:144
Fresh:123
Rotten:21
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
Reviews for Howl's Moving Castle
If you've yet to take the anime plunge, this is a fine place to start; if you're an old hand, you will not be disappointed.
When it comes to magnificence in anime imagineering, Miyazaki continues to be the man.
Increasingly hard to follow, with too many dull patches along the way.
Fantasy tale from master animator Hayao Miyazaki is a feast for the senses ... that makes no sense.
The world it gives us to live in, for a couple of hours, is pure magic. It is one of those places we might wish never to leave.
Choppy story lines and threadbare characterization often hamper live-action adventures, and Mr. Miyazaki's newest anime endeavor suffers from similar handicaps.
The whole thing has the heavenly whimsy of Ludwig Bemelmans' illustrations from the classic French children's books.
It's hard to imagine a film more imaginative and creative than this latest work from the world's premier animator.
Miyazaki's work is so refreshingly engaging, even his recycled ideas seem as if they spring brand new from his kaleidoscopic imagination.
One of the summer's tastiest treats...a beautifully wrought, intoxicatingly dreamlike parable of personal and social maturation.
The director's grasp of animation techniques is as impressive as the depth and substance of his imaginary worlds.
...heartfelt humanism once again enlivens the filmmaker's craft, yet this time around the film seems quieter, more charming and eccentric than awing.
IN THE ANIMATED WORLDS of Hayao Miyazaki, the border between the domestic and the magical, between the everyday and the astounding, lies no further away than the nearest broom closet or backyard.
A feast of images and ideas for those who still cling to the idea that animation ought to be every bit as expressive as anything that begins with a blank page, a sharp pencil and an unharnessed imagination.
Latest News for Howl's Moving Castle
August 21, 2008:
Japanese Audiences Flocking to Miyazaki's Latest ![]()
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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