Another stunner from Studio Ghibli

Rating: 9/10 (19 December 2006)

Sophie is forced to leave home because of a curse and becomes caught up with the wizard Howl and his companions, a young apprentice and a fire demon. What follows is a quest to break not just one curse but many while a pointless war rages across the land.
Visually, this is the most stunning animation I have ever seen, even exceeding the heights achieved in Spirited Away, Miyazaki's previous feature. The attention to detail in the drawing, colouring and design in every single frame is without equal. The images are so vibrant that at times they almost saturate the senses: cities with a fantastic splendour from an imagined Europe of a century ago; mountain meadows with clouds scudding across them and drifts of wild flowers; a wizard's bedroom crammed with magical instruments and rendered in such detail that you could discover some unseen facet if you watched the scene a score of times. Unforgettable image follows unforgettable image through out this film.
All the characters are well drawn, with the usual Ghibli trait of ambiguity as to the "good" or "evil" status of each. If there is a weakness in this movie then it is possibly in the plot. More precisely the plot resolution, which does seem to leave a few loose ends. Given the strength of every other part of this film, this is a point that is easily forgiven. A brilliant film that can be appreciated by anyone from the age of five to ninety-five.