Amazing and mysterious animated film

Rating: Null/10 (13 September 2005)

An 18 year old Sophie is turned into an old woman who cannot talk by the Witch of the Waste. Sophie leaves her home and finds the moving castle of Howl a wizard. She gets inside and meets Calcifer a fire demon who powers the castle. Calcifer agrees to help her if she will help him get free of Howl. Sophie and Howl fall in love.
It's hard to describe this animated film. It's mysterious. You can never really get your bearings with this movie. The moving castle is an amazing invention. It's completely unlike American animated Disney films. The director/animator Hayao Miyazaki is considered a Japanese master and his films are so highly regarded the Disney company is involved in getting them released in the West.
The plot is a curious blend of fantasy and reality. There is definitely a strong anti-war message in the film.
Hayao Miyazaki also did the recent Spirited Away which was released a few years ago in the US.