Howl's Moving Castle

A picture from an old man working at the top of his game.

Perfect for anyone with a youthful heart and a rich imagination.

In the best moments of Howl's Moving Castle and in his extraordinary body of work, Miyazaki teaches his viewers more valuable lessons.

Because of its convolutions, Howl's Moving Castle isn't quite as transporting as "Spirited Away." But it's a moving bridge between his lyrical fancies and his outrage. Miyazaki is like a soulful cartographer of the soul, mapping our inner landscape, leaving us bedazzled.

The filmmaker's obsessions have got the better of him. That said, I can't recommend the film highly enough, since bad Miyazaki is still leagues better than anyone else.

While the movie contains delights and inventions without pause and has undeniable charm, while it is always wonderful to watch, while it has the Miyazaki visual wonderment, it's a disappointment, compared to his recent work.

Miyazaki, like an evil sorcerer, has plucked the heart out of Jones's story and left it there to die.

Howl's Moving Castle was my first Ghibli movie, and still is my favourite! the score of 8.6 is far too low.

This is a very good movie, but I have a lot of issues with it. This movie, espcially its messy third act, feels like sensory overload. Everything is happening so fast and so loud and the quiet moments of rest (which are always the best parts of every Ghibli film) are very few and far between compared to other Ghibli films. It feels very rushed and overwhelming and it gives me a headache. Also, the exact nature of Sophie's curse (and the movie's world in general) is never really explained. I like how her age changes, but it would be good to know what exactly triggers those changes. A lot in this film is unexplained and it's very frustrating. This is probably Ghibli's most nonsensical movie. With that said, I do like it. While I think that the second half is kind of a mess, the first half is really good. It's a lot slower and more focused. There are less characters and there's actual moments to rest and contemplate the beautiful scenery. The ending is also really nice. The best things about this movie are the visuals (obviously) and Howl, especially when he's being a total drama queen. I want more dramatic Howl please. Overall, this is far from being one of my favorite Ghibli movies, but I think the good outweighs the bad just enough. I know it's really beloved, but I will still take Spirited Away or Whisper of the Heart over this anytime.

I don't think that this movie is as good as the other ones by Studio Ghibli. Again, just like other movies in the same category, there's much absurdity going on, from the girl being cursed with being an old woman, to the guy who transforms into a bird who fights planes in a fictional war, to fluid monsters who have literally no right to existence after their former master was stripped of her powers, yet they still somehow exist, I genuinely don't know. In terms of theme, sure there's this magic and coming of age, but sometimes it's horrifying, sometimes it's romantic and so on and so on, it's really all over the place. If you want to watch a genuinely good Ghibli movie, watch My Neighbour Totoro or Spirited away, this one's good, but no masterpiece.

first Ghilbi movie here. Was expecting a great anime, since everyone seems surprised i've never watched a Ghilbi movie and apparently they're good. But i was bored to death for the whole 2 hours. 3 points only for the classic art style and animation.

The short answer is that this is a Feminist rant, chick flick, mainly for **** or soon-to-be **** kids. Morales that are prominant: Fat people ****, hero men wear earings on both ears, random people will destroy your life, young girls should clean houses, war is bad. Some of this is true . . . Good luck figuring out which morals are true after watching this.