ItвЂ™s perhaps unfair to expect perfection every time, and while вЂњHowlвЂ™s Moving CastleвЂќ is far from perfect, itвЂ™s still a very good movie. As it is, movies like вЂњSpirited AwayвЂќ and вЂњCastle in the SkyвЂќ have set the bar ridiculously high. If the man hadnвЂ™t made one of the finest animated movies of all time a few short years ago, his latest effort wouldnвЂ™t suffer so much by comparison. Thinking about it, I blame Miyazaki himself. There are interesting touches, to be sure, and вЂњCastleвЂќ hints at some truly dark subject matter behind the fluff, but this is the only recent Miyazaki film I wouldnвЂ™t unreservedly recommend to adults as well as children.

A compelling story is the main ingredient missing from вЂњHowlвЂ™s Moving Castle.вЂќ Compared to the layered narratives in вЂњSpirited AwayвЂќ and вЂњPrincess Mononoke,вЂќ the tale being spun in вЂњCastleвЂќ is far too simplistic and predictable. But the art isnвЂ™t the problem here, the story is (as is the voice talent, which вЂ“ apart from Billy Crystal вЂ“ is mostly flat and uninspired). The detail is as elaborate as ever, and the setting вЂ“ a combination of Victorian England and вЂњThe Jetsons,вЂќ with wizards thrown in for good measure вЂ“ is rendered in loving fashion. Just to get it out of the way, the visuals in вЂњHowlвЂ™s Moving CastleвЂќ are superb, far surpassing anything weвЂ™ve seen, animation-wise, since вЂњThe IncrediblesвЂќ (which, I admit, is really comparing apples and oranges). Naturally, itвЂ™s up to Sophie to unlock the secret to both her and HowlвЂ™s curses and set things right. HeвЂ™s in his own race against time, however, as every transformation leaves him weaker and makes it more difficult for him to revert to human form. A strong, if simplistic, anti-war message pervades the film, as Howl takes to the air in winged form to do battle with the airships dropping bombs on innocent people. Meanwhile, the two principal countries in the land have gone to war over a missing prince, and Howl has been summoned to fight for both kings (he maintains residences in both nations using his castleвЂ™s nifty inter-dimensional gateway capabilities). SheвЂ™s joined on her journey by a turnip-headed scarecrow she dubs вЂњTurnip HeadвЂќ (didnвЂ™t see that one coming, I bet), but it doesnвЂ™t take her long to find the castle and take up residence as HowlвЂ™s cleaning lady.

Unsure what else to do, Sophie heads off into the wild to hunt for HowlвЂ™s legendary moving castle. In вЂњHowlвЂ™s Moving Castle,вЂќ the action centers around Sophie, a young girl who вЂ“ after a chance encounter with the legendary Howl himself вЂ“ is cursed with old age by the evil Witch of the Waste.

In this case, the film is a loose adaptation of a novel by Diana Wynne Jones, and while the animation is everything youвЂ™d expect from Studio Ghibli, the story itself is a bit sparse, and audiences may find themselves somewhat less than enchanted. Sound familiar? вЂњCastle,вЂќ unlike much of MiyazakiвЂ™s recent feature work, is based on source material created by someone other than Miyazaki himself. Animation demigod Hayao Miyazaki has returned for the first time since 2001вЂ™s Oscar-winning вЂњSpirited AwayвЂќ with вЂњHowlвЂ™s Moving Castle,вЂќ the story of a young girl on a mission, a petulant wizard, a turnip-headed scarecrow, a witch, and a dog.

Howls moving castle movie visuals