One of the Best Movies Ever!

Rating: 10/10 (17 April 2015)

Another great movie from a great director - Hayao Miyazaki. In his usual aesthetically pleasing fashion, he conjures a fantasy realm beyond the viewer's wildest beliefs, and he somehow manages to shoehorn this majesty onto a single DVD! I liked the chemistry between Howl and Sophie, which is one of the central elements to this story; at first, Howl is fussy about his appearance, and he makes Sophie cry when they have the argument. Eventually, though, Howl learns to cope with his altered appearance, and he and Sophie develop a relationship with each other. It is a storyline that is almost like Beauty and the Beast in a sense; in both instances, you have the man in the relationship who has been "dehumanized" or turned into a monster, while you have the woman who wants to bring out the man trapped inside the monster. Some of the other characters, like Calcifer and Turnip Head, provide plenty of comic relief in this film, which further helps to engage the viewer. A must-see for any fan of animation, Hayao Miyazaki, fantasy, steampunk, or anyone who is a fan of great cinema.