Miyazaki Is Still King

Rating: Null/10 (26 March 2006)

Howl's Moving Castle has everything that we've come to expect from Hayao Miyazaki - stunning animation, surrealistic touches and a whimsical storyline. Miyazaki has almost created his own genre, such is the distinctiveness of his work. Howl's Moving Castle is yet another example of why Miyazaki is in a league of his own.
On the surface, Howl's Moving Castle appears to be a rather standard animated film for children, albeit with startlingly good production values. The storyline resembles a fairytale with Sophie, our hard working, plain Jane heroine being cursed by an evil witch. In fact, for the first 10 minutes of the film I feared that Miyazaki had lost his edge. My concerns were put to rest from the moment the witch of the waste's blob like henchmen emerge from the surrounding walls and chase Sophie and Howl through an alley. Miyazaki moves from Cinderella sweetness to Donnie Darko -esque weirdness in the blink of an eye without missing a beat.
The weirdness continues as Sophie is transformed into an old woman and goes off in search of a wizard to help lift her curse. This results in Sophie moving into Howl's castle as his cleaning lady. There should be something seriously subversive about a love story between a young wizard, who really is a bird-like monster with feathers, and an old, hunchbacked woman but within Miyazaki's weird and wonderful world it appears perfectly normal. It is this underlying sense of the surreal that truly sets Miyazaki's work apart. Howl's Moving Castle offers strolls through the sky, alternate realities and a hero who occasionally melts into green sludge.
Needless to say, the animation is breathtaking. The level of detail is astonishing and Miyazaki's sense for time and place is unrivalled. In comparison to this film, Pixar's computer animation feels cold and lifeless. Howl's Moving Castle is a work of art, while films like "Robots" and "Madagascar" are simply technically proficient. The animation is well matched by a memorable score and excellent voice work. Lauren Bacall stands out as the Witch of the Waste. If I have one complaint, it is with Billy Crystal being cast as Calcifer. His characterisation is a little too "Dory" for my liking. Unlike "Finding Nemo", this film did not require cheap comedic relief.
By the film's conclusion, Miyazaki has succeeded in taking a fairytale and turning it inside out. Howl's Moving Castle is a magnificent achievement. It may not be quite as audacious as "Spirited Away" but in comparison to most children's films, it is positively twisted. Be a cool parent and hire this for your kid instead of dulling their senses with an artistic void like "Chicken Little".