Maybe too 'typical' of Miyazaki's work to be appreciated on its 'atypical' level...

Rating: 8/10 (12 September 2017)

"Castle in the Sky" is the eighth Hayao Miyazaki I discover and discover is the word, because despite the patterns you start noticing from one film to another, each one carries a mark of uniqueness like a sacred crystal amulet of its own.
And the more I see his work, the more routinely (I must confess) my amazement grows. I don't even watch them in chronological order and it doesn't affect my judgments, "Nausicaa" looked more accomplished than "Porco Rosso" or "Kiki" and while not being as sophisticated as "Mono-noke", "Ponyo" hit a more sensitive chord. Now, what can I say about "Castle in the Sky" without being taken in a maze of hackneyed and boring superlatives? Let me think a little
Well, I'll borrow a compliment Roger Ebert made about Wes Anderson, which I think applies perfectly for Myazaki: the Japanese master's mind would be a wonderful place to visit, it seems that even animated frames are too limited, too small a space to carry all the expansive range of ideas that can flourish out of his imagination. "A Castle in the Sky" is only his third animated feature and yet it is so close to an unprecedented level of animated perfection even on the field of storytelling, it is so rich your own mind can lose track.
I guess I could have said the same about "Nausicaa", you've got to wonder how he managed to outdo himself one film after another, and he hadn't made "My Neighbor Totoro" yet. Still, I can see in "Totoro" or even "Kiki Delivery Service", a desire to get back to a simpler story-line, and not to my displeasure because this is the kind of plot I enjoy more in Miyazaki. "Castle in the Sky" is nothing short of a masterpiece but I have a soft spot for his character-driven movies. Miyazaki is never as hypnotic and impressive when his frames are more in states of contemplation, as if they were in an awe of their own material.
Of course, action is outstanding, and Miyazaki had already demonstrated that he mastered the sky as the background to thrilling fights and chases, showcasing a level of dedication that only Disney movies can compete with (barely) but Miyazaki, the spiritual man, the poet, is so capable of transcending the limits of action that some parts from "Castle in the Sky" are too unsurprising especially since they came after "Nausicaa". To be fair though, there's more to enjoy than a series of chases in the air starting with the heroine. I loved the way the character of Sheeta didn't duplicate the "Nausicaa" model, she's not a fighter but a simple girl who hides a secret, symbolized by a mysterious amulet.
And even the revelation about her regal ancestry doesn't turn her into some kick-ass heroine. Miyazaki doesn't insult his audience's intelligence, while Nausicaa had her skills from the start, Sheeta is really caught in a coming-of-age narrative. The second character Pazu, a boy working in a mine factory, is eager to follow her, embodying the adventurous spirit of childhood (he's like Fio in "Porco Rosso" and Tombo In "Kiki") but his lack of experience makes him commit some blatant mistakes in judgment, he's just a kid after all. As a matter of fact, even the big bad pirates from the start are only kids when confronted to their bossy and experienced mother Dola, who's like a mixture between Ma Baker, Agnes Skinner, Grandma Addams and Captain Hook.
I loved all the peripheral characters... from those who brought up the comedic element the film would have severely lacked to Uncle Pomme who provided the obligatory Miyazaki moment of meditation of the virtues we should all treasure from Earth. Miyazaki has covered the sky, the sea and the earth, he's indeed the most environmentalist director ever and "Castle in the Sky" combines the idea of earth with the spiritual elevation through the castle of Laputa, a legendary city whose name was borrowed from Gulliver's Travel and that used to rule over the world and incarnate the boundless ambition of men. The antagonist, Prince Muska wants to take a hold of the amulet to be the Earth new ruler.
He's helped by a whole army and a giant robot who reveals the first inspiration of Miyazaki, French masterpiece "The King and the Mockingbird", which could have been called "Castle in the Sky".The film belongs to the complex realm of Miyazaki's stories, with so many layers you've got to keep yourself pretty focused to enjoy it. In fact, it's perhaps the one flaw I can concede to this particular film, it requires a certain conscience of the inspiration, understanding before enjoyment, and two hours of such deep and rich writing might be too difficult for younger audiences. I'm not implying that this is a film aimed for children as it provides a sweet and a nice friendship story between a boy and a girl so it would be a shame if children missed that story.
Miyazaki has always been an expert when it came to concoct mixtures of mature and inspiring material. This time, the film flies in many directions before we can identify the main plot line, and there are a few disorienting changes of tone. It's all visually rich and entertaining but I didn't feel as engaged as in the previous movies, if not the best Miyazaki, it was probably the one with the best potential. Which might explain why there's another Miyazaki named "Howl's Moving Castle".