My Personal disappointment

Rating: 7/10 (18 June 2005)

Having waited eagerly for "Howl's Moving Castle" ever since I learned Miazaki was directing it I have to say I was disappointed. In my opinion this is the worst of all Miazaki's films.
Please don't get me wrong, this is a really good movie. It was enjoyable and technically beautiful. The animation couldn't have been better, and at times even verge on genius. The character of Sofi moves so naturally from the young girl to the old woman that you completely believe that they are one person. Sometimes you will catch a turn of the old woman's face and see the perfect reflection of the young girl that is trapped inside. This is something only the greatest of artists can accomplish.
Where the movie breaks down is in it's mishmash of a plot and it's few likable characters. Other than the love story going on here the plot is hollow and lacks any motivation. It seems like there's a whole lot going on in the background that we need to know for it to make sense. Everything is ambiguous, and nothing is ever tied up to any real satisfaction. Then, suddenly a plot point will jump out, make an appearance, and never be resolved. I find this unfortunate.
It's sad when of all the characters in the story the one that makes the biggest impression on me is Hin the dog. This weird little mutt steals every scene he's in! Oh, I think the characters of Sofi and the Witch of the Waste are well developed (particularly the Witch of the waste) but other than that I couldn't get involved with anyone. Even Howl seemed one dimensional and lack lustered.
It doesn't help that I was forced to endure Disney's typically poor translation and awful cast. With the notable exceptions of Jean Simmons and Lauren Bacall I thought the casting uninspired. Billy Crystal is particularly bad. He takes what should be, and is, a very important character to the story and makes a poor joke out of it. Un-funny and unsympathetic, he almost single handedly ruined the film for me.
As a Followup to "Spirited Away" this movie was a disappointment for me, but even though I consider it Miazaki's worst film you must consider the caliber of his other films. Everything he touches is magic. The worst Miazaki film is still far superior to almost everything else comparable. This could easily be one of the 5 best movies of the year, however the competition isn't that great.
It's worth seeing.