A Masterful 'Love Will Conquer All' Fairytale

Rating: 8/10 (8 October 2006)

With enough imagination to rival those boffins at Pixar, master animator Hayao Miyazaki (the Japanese Walt Disney) returns to the big screen with his follow up to the enchanting 'Spirited Away'. These days we are all too familiar with the 'Happy Meal' friendly characters brought to life by western animators through the wonders of CGI. However, this Japanese maestro distinctly resists the use of modern technology in favour of classical cel animation, which makes a refreshing change. Bored with her life in a sleepy town, the film's protagonist Sophie is cursed by an evil witch who transforms her into an elderly woman. Sophie escapes her village to a fantastical roaming castle, owned by the mysterious wizard Howl (voiced by Christian Bale). Howl's Moving Castle is a 'love will conquer all' fairytale that sees Sophie battle to reverse her altered state as she slowly falls for Howl's charms. Some of the visuals are quite Gothic and at times resemble the animated sketches used in Monty Python's Flying Circus. The animation is flawless throughout, engulfing the viewer in a truly bizarre world, whilst simultaneously elevating the film's more fragile moments that comment on war, greed and lost youth.