An enchanting exploration through heart and imagination, Hayou Miyazaki's Castle in The Sky is a spellbinding journey

Rating: 9/10 (8 November 2017)

There are not many filmmakers like Hayou Miyazaki, especially here in the United States. The Japanese animation director and head of Studio Ghibli films has become a household in both the U.S and Japan for crafting motion pictures bound to push the boundaries of imagination since his directorial debut in the late 70s with 'The Castle of Cagliostro', a film that didn't see the light of day in the U.S until a little over a decade later. Castle in The Sky is a breathtaking adventure that dares to explore the indefinite world of heart and imagination, and what comes about Miyazaki's craftmanship is an journey that is by no means a tear-jerker, but an ultimately moving picture with an appeal for both kids, teens, and adults. Whether you are watching the original Japanese version or the English dub, the magic of Miyazaki's directorial hand shines like gold and transcends the picture into something more than your average family-friendly fairy tale. The film follows young teen Pazu (voiced by James Van Deek), an mechanical engineer who witnesses a young girl Sheeta (voiced by Anna Paquin) floating from the sky by the power of a glowing crystal she wears around your neck. When the two find themselves in a crash course between league of pirates lead by the dubious Dola (voiced by Cloris Leachman) and an army lead by a shady general (voiced by Jim Cummings) and the equally shady Muska (voiced by Mark Hamill), each of whom are after Sheeta to claim the crystal; the two youngster set out on a race to a secret temple floating thousands of feet in the sky. Together, they must learn the secret hidden within the mysterious castle.
What Hayou Miyazaki proves is that he is not a filmmaker who takes ambition to granted. Every inch of storytelling he carries is poured into the picture with no amount of ambition squander in the slightest. And the magic of his efforts shine through nearly every frame. Blending elements of high-classed fantasy and science-fiction with a potent touch of human drama, this beautifully animated film hits the right notes from beginning to end, and the excitement upheld in every scene following the introduction of our young characters dares to leaves us gripped. When young protagonist Paza and his newly found friend Sheeta unexpectedly find themselves cross paths with a group of shady individuals and corrupt army officials, tension almost immediately takes hold and set the story in a sleek, solidly-paced motion. And as the story strolls along, an absorbing humanity within the two characters grows; and that combined with the voiced performances by James Van Deek and Anna Paquin are the leading aspects of the character's winning over the hearts of audiences. Although the story is nothing necessarily revolutionary, Miyazaki proves capable of crafting a plot with complex layers mixed with biblical symbolism which is more than likely to fly over children's heads; and that is only part of the whimsical magic lying within the director's grandeur.
Castle in The Sky is a spellbinding journey of spectacular proportions, and definitely what earns the title of an outstanding achievement in Japanese animation. Whether you are a child, teenager, or an adult, there is something truly magical to be experienced in this adventure, something that many animated pictures are less than likely to uphold. For what Miyazaki accomplishes here, this is not far from the heights of a blistering masterpiece.