Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli fail to live up to their otherwise well deserved reputation.

Rating: 8/10 (29 September 2005)

Nausicaä, Laputa, My Neighbour Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoké, Spirited Away... each of these films raised the bar for both the quality of art and story telling we expect when Studio Ghibli produces an animé directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Unfortunately, Howl's Moving Castle is not the shining example of Ghibli's/Miyazaki's best work.
The art, often reminiscent of Nausicaä, might have been considered stunning several years ago, but having been spoiled by visual masterpieces like Princess Mononoké and Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle simply fails to impress and often seems dated, both in terms of character drawing and background art. True, there are moments of artistic brilliance; however, the competent but ultimately uninspired body of this picture's artwork overshadows these moments. Perhaps Howl's worst failing is the unacceptably unrealistic rendering of the "old" main character.
As is often the case in movies originating in Japan, character motivation tends not to be explored and may seem confusingly unclear at times. Studio Ghibli/Miyazaki have consistently overcome this stereotype with well-defined scripts and superior direction in their previous films; yet in Howl's they take a step backwards and often leave the audience scratching our heads wondering why the characters are behaving the way they do.
The sound effects, music, and voice acting are all well done -- with one glaring exception: Billy Crystal's performance as the fire demon Calcifer. Try to imagine Billy Crystal's brilliant performance as Miracle Max in The Princess Bride. Now take away the sarcasm and anger, and what you are left with is the almost emotionally dead portrayal of what otherwise could have been a very entertaining character. Why either Rick Dempsey or Peter Docter, who are both experienced voice directors, chose to allow this is truly puzzling.
Overall, Howl's Moving Castle is an enjoyable enough movie, particularly for children who may not notice it's many flaws. However, animé fans have come to expect much more from Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki and are bound to be disappointed.