Howl’s Moving Castle

Reviewed By:  Andrew Kaplan

DVD (Two disks) Walt Disney Home Entertainment

ISBN 0-7888-6145-X

What it’s (basically) all about: Sophie, a quiet young girl working in a hat shop, finds herself caught up in a world of wizards, witches, and warfare when she encounters the mysterious wizard, Howl.  The jealous Witch of the Wastes lays a spell on Sophie, aging her into a ninety-year old woman.  Meanwhile, Sophie’s country is going to war, and all witches and wizards are being conscripted into the fight, including the freedom-loving Howl.  Can Sophie save Howl from being conscripted into the army and transformed into a demonic monster, unravel the relationship between him and the fire demon Calcifer, break the spell that has been cast upon her, and live a life of love and happiness?

Nitty Gritty: Director Hayao Miyazaki has justifiably earned his reputation as one of Japan’s foremost anime directors, and Howl’s Moving Castle does nothing to change that.  Based upon the novel by Diana Wynne Jones, this film delivers a fully realized fantasy world based on late nineteenth/early twentieth century Europe.  You really get the sense that this world extends beyond the frame of the film, and every fantastic element fits logically into a consistent framework.

As with most of Miyazaki’s works, the emphasis is on emotion and character, rather than plot twists and action.  Except for the magic spells, bomb-dropping zeppelins, walking castles, and fire demons, this film is almost a straight romantic drama.  The mundane minutiae of everyday life—Sophie cleaning Howl’s castle, for example—is given more attention and focus than the epic battles.  This helps ground the story, giving it an appeal broader than just fantasy or anime fans.

The voice cast, consisting of such big names as Jean Simmons, Lauren Bacall, Blythe Danner, Christian Bale, and Billy Crystal, deliver uniformly strong performances.  The cast, and the process of dubbing a foreign-language animated film into English, is spotlighted in one of the DVD extras, “Behind the Microphone.”

Other extras include an interview with English adaptation co-director Pete Docter, and a short film about Hayao Miyazaki visiting Pixar Animation Studios.  Both pieces were clearly produced for either the Japanese DVD or Japanese television.  The Miyazaki Pixar piece feels the least polished, and perhaps a little overlong.  However, both pieces offer some insight into the interpretation and appreciation of the film.

The lengthiest extra is the complete storyboard for the film, played over the final soundtrack.  Hardcore animation fans should have a field day comparing the storyboards to the finished product.

The disk also includes previews for Disney’s Studio Ghibli collection, the upcoming DVD releases of Chicken Little and The Little Mermaid, and the upcoming Pixar/Disney theatrical film, Cars.

Survey says: Because this was released theatrically, it has an MPAA rating of PG for frightening images and brief mild language.  There is no graphic violence or nudity in this film, and no adult language.  (There is almost a shot of Howl’s naked rear end, but it’s from the side and lasts less than two seconds.)  Because of the focus on character and relationships over action, it will appeal more strongly to YA audiences and older. 

Personal Ad: Hayao Miyazaki is a hit-or-miss filmmaker for me.  I love My Neighbor Totoro, Castle of Cagliostro, and Kiki’s Delivery Service.  And Laputa.  His more recent work, not so much.  This is very much a return to the Myazaki that I like, and a film that holds up to multiple viewings.