A young woman named Sophie is cursed by the Witch of the Waste, turns into an old woman, and is unable to tell anyone of her plight. Unable to continue her job at her mother's hat shop, she goes to the ambulatory castle of the notorious wizard Howl and insinuates herself into his household. Sophie befriends Calcifer, the fire demon who powers the castle and who is bound to Howl by a contract, the terms of which Calcifer cannot reveal. They promise to help each other with their problems. Like Calcifer, Howl can also see through the Witch's spell, and he and Sophie fall in love. Sophie helps Howl confront his former teacher, and the Witch of the Waste. (from IMDB)
Recently my wife and I have been on a Hayao Miyazaki kick and last night's offering was Howl's Moving Castle. I had seen this once before but my wife had not. Apparently (and she can attest to this) my recollection is not what it used to be because I didn't remember this movie being as great as it is!
We watched the English dub (with subtitles on of course) since we like to screen some of these 'softer' movies for our kids and I have to admit the voices were done very well.
This may be one of his longer movies at right around 2 hrs but it didn't feel like it dragged much at all. There is not a ton of action but what is there is appropriately spaced out and the elements of fantasy and the world Hayao is portraying is so satisfyingly interesting it really grips you and holds your attention.
Technically, this film is animated much like other Ghibli productions in the same easily-recognizable style. The artwork is detailed, colourful, and alive. Animation is smooth and the soundtrack is full enough to complete the ambience.
Yes, there is a typical theme that is present in this work like in all Hayao's masterpieces, but unlike other reviews, I didn't feel that the anti-war message was overbearing or 'in your face'. Mostly I was able to sit back and enjoy a good piece of story-telling reminiscent of Grimm's fairy tales or something in that vein. And, to my wife's delight (mine too I'll admit) the romance aspect was strong throughout and concluded with a neatly wrapped up, happy conclusion...
If you haven't seen Howl's, you're in for a real treat - it does not disappoint!
