Introducing: Studio Ghibli

Rating: 9/10 (8 April 2018)

The film that officially introduced the world to what would become the greatest animation studio of all time, and it lives up to that honor. All these years later in what now seems to be the twilight era of Studio Ghibli, classic after classic under their belts, Castle in the Sky still manages to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with its best. Hayao Miyazaki's intention with this film was to show off what the studio was capable of, as well as to act as its mission statement - to create animated features of the utmost quality filled with magic, heart, adventure, depth, and purity of artistic intent. It succeeds with flying colors.
It's a notable film in Miyazaki's filmography not only for being his first under the Ghibli banner, but also in that it is perhaps his most traditional work during his time with the studio. It employs many classical storytelling techniques that he would later largely abandon as his voice as an auteur deepened: a solid three-act structure, the MacGuffin plot device, as well as a purely villainous antagonist. This was likely a conscious decision with the intent of laying a sturdy, accessible foundation upon which to build the studio's name, and it's by no means a criticism of the film. Quite the contrary, these tried-and-true techniques are employed in absolutely masterful fashion to create what is a clear contender for the studio's strongest and most narratively satisfying action/adventure film. It also lays the groundwork for what would become many of Ghibli's core themes: coming of age, friendship, awe of the natural world, and rich, morally layered characters who are often not all they may seem at first glance.
Though it may not have quite the same level of experimentation, uniqueness, and artistic virtuosity as some of Miyazaki's later works, it remains one of his seminal films, as well as one of his most tightly-scripted, well-paced, and purely fun. A classic in its own right.
4.5/5