Nice picture, weak storyline

Rating: 6/10 (21 February 2005)

OK here's another Miyazaki's film. As always, its graphics are nice, and its feel is dream-like. I admire Miyazaki's imagination a lot (I haven't read the original novel of this movie).
However, the movie doesn't impress me a lot because of several reasons:
***spoilers ahead***
1, You can always see something familiar from it. Well maybe it's Miyazaki or Gibli's trademark, but when I see characters flying, war, a request to stop the war, etc. etc., I begin to feel a bit disappointed. I'm not saying that Howl's not creative enough, but I was expecting something more creative and original, like Spirited Away.
2, Some ideas are quite vague. For instance, why Howl is always flying around the dangerous war scene, while doing nothing at all but getting tired and hurt? Maybe I'm slow, but I didn't see a point for him doing so. Another example, why that return-to-the-past door suddenly appears in front of Sophie? What's its function besides letting Sophie know Howl's past? To me, this part is not really necessary. Even it's a imaginary world, it still need some logic right?
3, The ending is quite predictable. Well, happy ending. But I can't figure out why the war suddenly ends. They fight so hard, for so long time, the Queen even sends out fluid strange people to gather soldiers, and all of sudden, she agrees to stop the war? It doesn't make a clear sense to me. And the cursed-prince-return-to-human-form part looks a bit stupid and abrupt. I'm not saying the ending is disappointing 'cos it's still a good and happy ending, the story deserves it, but...oh well.
***Spoilers End***
So, yeah that's roughly about it. I still appreciate all the work and effort, and the movie itself is really nice.
6/10, for the nice wonderful word Miyazaki delivers.