Review of Castle in the Sky

Laputa begins with a rather dramatic scene where our heroine, Sheeta, appears to have been taken hostage on a military airship. During a sudden pirate attack she tries to make her escape, but falls and plummets from the sky. A young engineer's apprentice named Pazu catches her as she gently floats down to earth, seemingly saved by a mysterious amulet she wears around her neck. Pazu takes the girl home and tells her of his dream to one day fly to Laputa, a legendary castle which floats in the sky. Before long they have both the government, and pirates on their tail, and begin to setout on a fantastic adventure to discover the secret of Laputa.

Like many of Miyazaki's works, this film has a strong plot with many underlying themes. The film appears to openly criticize war and violence. Miyazaki himself could be labled as a pacifist and this shows in his work, though this is by no means a bad thing. Miyazzaki has always excelled in creation fun, exciting films which still manage to maintain a serious message throughout.

The first half of the anime is packed full of action and adventure, while the second half takes on a more serious tone as the plot begins to unravel. All in all, this anime has a memorable story, and like with most of Miyazaki's creations, is likely to leave a rather strong impression on you.

Miyazaki's characters are both imaginative and extremely relatable. No matter what the setting, Miyazaki is always able to create characters the audience is able to relate with. Pazu starts off as an engineers apprentice in a small mining town, and soon grows into a strong, dependent character who is easily able to adapt to his situation. Sheeta is a strong lead from the start. Miyazaki has always made a point of having dependent and reliable female characters and this film is no different. The two have a brilliant chemistry throughout and seem to be unable to live apart. There are subtle hints of romance throughout and the two share an wonderful relationship that is never broken despite how many tribulations the pair are put through.

The villain, Muska, is a rather unique character among Miyazaki's works. Most of the time, the audience is even able to empathize with the villain and we seem able to find goodness in every character. Muska on the other hand has absolutely no redeemable qualities whatsoever. We're made to hate him from the very start. His only goals are to seize the power of Laputa for himself so he may have absolute power over the world. He appears to be greed incarnate and he's loathed every second he appears on screen.

The other main characters are a group of pirates who Pazu eventually joins in order to save Sheeta. While these are initially portrayed as the bad guys, Miyazaki blurs the boundaries of what we really consider to be evil. Despite the fact they are a group of thieves, they are shown to have very human qualities. The head of the group, a comical old lady named Dola, soon becomes a mother figure for both Pazu and Sheeta. While they may be greedy, unlike Muska they have not forsaken their compassion and kindness and by the end of the film, it's almost impossible to view them as anything remotely evil.

The characters are all well defined and the film offers some excellent character development. It's unlikely that you'll ever forget Pazu and Sheeta, or the eccentric group of pirates. Even Muska becomes an unforgettable villain who offers a brillaint peformance.

As expected, Ghibli did a fantastic job with Laputa. The world is so vibrant and detailed that you almost feel as if you could step inside. The portrayal of the small mining village gives us a sense of a warm, kindhearted community bustling with life. The landscapes are astonishing and the floating castle itself is breathtakingly beautiful.

Even for a film created in 1986, the animation holds up extremely well. Ghibli has no problem creating detailed, rich worlds to immerse yourself in.

In terms of sound, Joe Hisaishi provides a stunning accompaniment to Laputa. The opening theme sets the scene perfectly and becomes a recurring melody throughout the film. At times, the music provides a slight sense of melancholy and mystery, while at others fills the audience with a sense of wonder. Joe Hisaishi has a wonderful way of matching music to visuals.

However, it is important to note that Disney commissioned Joe Hisaishi to rework the soundtrack for their 1998 release which Miyazaki himself approved of. While the original soundtrack features many pieces which were composed using a synthesizer, the Disney release contains full 90 minute symphony orchestra. After watching both the original, and the Disney release, I'd say that the soundtrack from the Disney release had much more impact and really helped to set the mood of the film. The original had it's own charm too of course.

In terms of voice acting I'd have to go with the original Japanese, though at this point we'd be leaning towards the age-old debate of dubs versus subs. I felt that the original's voice acting seemed much more expressive and genuine. Mark Hamil provided an excellent performance of Muska however, and ideally it'd be best to watch both versions.

This was one of the first Ghibli films I watched and I knew it'd leave a lasting impression on me from the moment I began watching it. Miyzaki brings us a rich film with realistic characters, beautiful animation, and an unforgettable plot which manages to weave in an important message underneath all the excitement. Like many of Miyazaki's works, this film is a must watch for any fan of anime.