Different from the book, but in a good way

Rating: 10/10 (6 November 2006)

Although I haven't seen all his films, I consider myself to be a fan of Hayao Miyazaki. Unlike other Japanese anime directors he doesn't get weighed down in pointless fights and explosions (which the exception of his early film, "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Winds"). When watching his films you get a feeling of beauty in the artwork that can't be experienced through any other genre of animated films. "Howl's Moving Castle" is no exception.
Like a lot of Hayao Miyazaki's films, "Howl's Moving Castle" is lacking somewhat in plot and it is this aspect of his films which causes much distaste among a great deal of Westerners. You can see where they're coming from, things are slow moving, confusing and rarely explained but that's what gives the film its sense of secrecy and mystery. Its sense of magic.
The characters are arguably the best yet providing a believable and indefinable approach to them. They can also be side-splitting; I found myself laughing far more in this film than in any Disney production. Also, as is often a trait with his films, Miyazaki does not create an obvious "baddie" but provides us with real characters to whom you can relate to, even if you don't agree with their cause.
Hayao Miyazaki is at the top of his game. No where else will you find such love and devotion dedicated to all of his films and there is no better film than "Howl's Moving Castle" to illustrate that. Some complain about its differences to the book it's based on by Diana Wynne Jones, and yes, it IS very different, but that was the intention. She was recorded to say in an interview: "It's fantastic. No, I have no inputI write books, not films. Yes it will be different from the bookin fact it's likely to be very different, but that's as it should be. It will still be a fantastic film." I couldn't agree more.