A Wondrous Adventure

Rating: 9/10 (29 May 2019)

Howl's Moving Castle ranks with some of the finest works Hiayao Miyazaki has done, and that's saying quite a bit because the man has some seriously fantastic films under his belt, almost anything he touches is gold. The astounding animation fully brings to life the booming steampunk world that the director as created, from the smoggy Victorian streets, to the steam powered vehicles roaming the city, it's extremely aesthetically pleasing. It's themes are often light enough for children to enjoy but it does delve into some darker themes that will appeal to older viewers, and the entertainment factor is for all ages, it's a truly magical story with a great message, albeit with a rather overly mushy and sappy ending. Characters have always been a strong suit for the auteur, and while there are some similarities with these characters from other Miyazaki films, they still have their own personality and are never a clear copy of past characters, each bringing their own insight and humor to the story, they just follow a similar formula that strays away from being too familiar adding new set pieces (this one is action packed), twists and elements to make this a wholly original watch.