It's fun!

Rating: 7/10 (2 August 2019)

Only from the opening sequence, I knew that this would be completely different from anything I've seen from Miyazaki. This is not your typical Miyazaki; it's your typical adventure/sci-fi anime film...almost! And this kind of films is not really my cup of tea.
The story is by no means special. I felt that I've seen it a hundred thousand times before. The same goes even with the ending that's only unsatisfying because how familiar it is. But one of the things that elevates the story is its nuances and details. This film has story that's extremely rich in details that managed to make me engaged with the story after about 40 minutes of disappointment. Needless to say, there are some deeply meditative lessons and precious messages at the heart of the story.
The animation is simply astounding! Actually, I think its even more vibrant and vigorous than in some other later Miyazaki films. Not to mention the creative designs of all the robots and machines that you can only expect to see in this genius's works.
I felt that this isn't for me, because it's quite obvious that I didn't enjoy it as much as most people did. I found this a run-of-the-mill adventure story. Still, I had a fun time with Castle in the Sky. I really liked how Miyazaki blends fantasy with science fiction in a way that is reminiscent of Star Wars, and how he the film never lost its dramatic heft despite the non-stop action, which is so good that reminded me of Indiana Jones!
(7.5/10)