Hey folks, Harry here... It seems that Disney has done another bang up job on a Miyazaki film... This time with LAPUTA aka CASTLE IN THE SKY... a film that I personally feel is a superior work to MONONOKE HIME, but still not Miyazaki's best work, which I consider to be PORCO ROSSO (hey, so I make a connection to the flying pig), but right now I'm more fascinated with Miyazaki's latest film SPIRITED AWAY which from what rudimentary tidbits of knowledge that I've gleamed from ASIA AICN and ANIME AICN reports as well as the clips that have appeared online, seems to be the story of a girl who's parents are turned to pigs and must serve the whims of witches and gods... There is something magical about SPIRITED AWAY that is all at once seeming to be sad, joyous and tragic. I can't wait to see it. But for now, let's see this... the latest Miyazaki that Mouse-Willing, may come to a screen near you or me soon.
Long-time reader, first time reviewer, blah blah blah....let's cut to the chase.
Fantasia 2001 premiered the English dub of Hayao Miyazaki's "Castle in the Sky" (Disney cut off "Laputa" from the title because it means "filthy whore" in spanish) yesterday to a crowd that ranged from the kiddies with their mommies to die-hard Miyazaki fans (one even wearing a baseball jersey with those little forest creatures from Princess Mononoke). I personally anticipated it ever since i saw the trailer for the VHS release on the "Kiki's Delivery Service" tape. (hell, it's taken them so long to release the damn thing that DVD's had time to be invented AND go mainstream)
Like the other two Miyazaki pictures i've seen (Mononoke and), "Castle in the Sky" boasts some kick-ass animation, lovable characters and a story you will be hooked to the minute the movie starts. Most people in the audience, i suspect, came to the screening for two reasons : to see a landmark anime on the big screen and to see if disney has massacred their beloved classic.
Well, the answer is DISNEY HAS NOT RUINED THIS ONE, folks. Like Mononoke and Kiki, the dub is absolutely fantastic. Having never seen the movie in it's original version, i cannot vouch for how accurate it is but i can say that it did not have any holes in the plot, nor lack any of Miyazaki's signature humour.
James Van der Beek (aka Dawson, the whiner) seems to be having the time of his life voicing Pazu, one half of our heroes. He speaks with a believable earnestness, he laughs with such enthousiasm (but without making it go overboard)....i even forgot he was Dawson for most of the movie.
Anna Paquin, on the other hand, does a lesser but still competent job with Sheeta, the other protagonist. Cloris Leachman (voicing Mama, the leader of the Pirates) sadly spends a lot of the movie screaming but still manages to pass off her character as three-dimensional. It's also great to note that Disney did not feel the need to add these marquee names in the opening credits, saving them for the traditional scrolling ones at the end.
The animation, story and general wit of the whole thing is what you would expect (and more!) from any Miyazaki picture : lush, ingenious, creative and well-planned out. This movie functions on different layers and doesn't spare us of the usual Nature/Humanity relationship, oh-so present in all Miyazaki movies.
Although the story is lighter then Mononoke (nor so dark and intense either), "Castle in the Sky" is a great movie : it's entertaining, stimulating and just pretty-darned nice to look at. Let yourself fall under it's spell; you won't regret it.
"This film was brought to you courtesy of Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Please look for "Laput : Castle in the Sky" coming soon to video and DVD" says the catalog entry, for those anticipating it.
Next up : "Millenium Actress" from Satoshi Kon (aka "Perfect Blue" 's director)
