A few rough edges but still a magical film from Miyazaki

Rating: 8/10 (1 October 2008)

I should perhaps begin by saying that this film was my introduction to Miyazaki, although his reputation preceded him. Even in this early directorial effort there is a sense of a genuine artist at work.
"Castle in the Sky" centers on the pursuit of a young girl whose crystal necklace holds the power to guide the way to Laputa, a mystical castle afloat in the clouds. After initially escaping her would-be captors she is befriended by a young boy. Together they join forces to escape the clutches of pirates and the military, each of whom have their own motives for locating Laputa.
The story is refreshingly imaginative and is thankfully devoid of Disney's usual blatant moralizing. I should note that it was the Disney release that I watched, replete with English dubbing. The voice cast didn't seem extremely well-chosen but it wasn't that bad overall. A bigger distraction was the score, which I was unsurprised to learn was greatly expanded at Disney's request. Not only does it insert music where none was needed, it seemed to me to be too prominent in the overall audio mix.
However, these are fairly minor quibbles which will easily be overshadowed as you become wrapped up in the story (and the wonderful visuals). It certainly made me anxious to see more from Studio Ghibli.