Miyazaki Takes to the Sky: A Review of Castle in the Sky

Rating: 10/10 (10 October 2005)

Hayao Miyazaki has become the toast of the animation world with his effortless successfully epics, like Princess Monoke and Spirited Away, establishing a reputation of international acclaim. But, long before he made epics with environmental messages and films with more magic than you can shake a magic wand with, he made this; Tenk청 no shiro Rapyuta, better known as Castle in the Sky, which pre-dates all of his box-office grossing fantasies he has become renowned for the world over. In addition, in my humble opinion, Castle in the Sky remains his best film by far.
For those of you who have not viewed this epic yet, the storyline is a boy becomes friend with this girl, who has fallen from the sky but landed safe fully with a magic medallion she wears. They soon end up being chased by pirates and agents trying to hunt down her medallion, as this is the only artefact to a floating castle known as Laputa; you need to bear in mind that the boy always wanted to explore this legendary castle. So, with his passion in mind, the boy and girl eventually team up with the pirates, and set off to find this castle, although they have been followed by the agents to steal its treasures. I will leave the story there, but will note that the ending is climatic and exciting, as they work out who the girl really is.
With such a story that is never that straightforward at times, there is more that such a fantastic story that makes this my all-time favourite animated film. Why, you ask? For starters, there are action-packed sequences, like the chase sequence through the mines, executed with great suspense as well as being entertaining to the audience. There are also some great comic moments, such as the men showing off their muscles before they start a fight in the street. Trust me, with the character designs for these guys, and the character animation done well to exploit their expressions; it is only just the tip of the iceberg of some great comic moments present in Miyazaki's masterpiece. Also, as a member of the audience, the development of the main characters is done brilliantly, as we view a relationship between the boy and the girl throughout this film. This is something you do not see that much in animated cinema, as such schmaltz in over polished western animated films spoil this progression tragically.
So, for those who think Hayao Miyazaki is just another celebrated animation director for this current climate of animated cinema in recent years, they better think again. This is because he has been successfully establishing his trademarks, such as the focus on children and his indulgent passion for flight, brilliantly for a long time before he made his truly deserved impact on the international scene. Castle in the Sky shows Miyazaki at his best, which is a standard he has been developing ever since, entertaining and fascinating millions worldwide along the way.