Howl's Moving Castle is absolutely amazing!

Rating: 10/10 (30 June 2005)

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I went to see this movie, but I was really blown away by its amazing story. I had never heard of Diana Wynne Jones' books, so I knew almost nothing about the plot. The movie may be confusing at points, but I saw it several times and I think you have to watch it more than once to understand exactly what is going on. But, as usual, Hayao Miyazaki did an amazing job with this movie, and it is well worth the price of a movie ticket.
Some Miyazaki fans feel like this movie was a disappointment after the splendor of Spirited Away. But I heard Miyazaki say that Spirited Away would be his last movie because it was so wonderful, so I don't think his fans should expect Moving Castle to surpass Spirited Away in any form. The story lines are so different that you almost can't compare them at all. While Spirited Away is more elegant and Asian in its themes and its storyline, Moving Castle is a much more European. Because the story is so much more western, the music and scenery are very different from Spirited Away, which I think was very appropriate. Overall, I think the techniques Miyazaki used really fit the story well and that's why I gave this movie a 10 out of 10.