Click to read the article
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Runtime: 2 hrs 5 mins
Synopsis: Hayao Miyazaki's CASTLE IN THE SKY is a rousing adventure that follows an orphan named Sheeta as she eludes the clutches of a secret agent named Muska while trying to discern her family's history. After her first escape from Muska, Sheeta meets up with a young boy named Pazu, whose father, a... Hayao Miyazaki's CASTLE IN THE SKY is a rousing adventure that follows an orphan named Sheeta as she eludes the clutches of a secret agent named Muska while trying to discern her family's history. After her first escape from Muska, Sheeta meets up with a young boy named Pazu, whose father, a photographer, was disgraced after he took a picture of the legendary flying island of Laputa and had it dismissed as a hoax. When the two realize that a family heirloom Sheeta carries allows them to levitate, the two begin a search for the lost island, trailed by Muska, who is also searching for Laputa. [More]
Genre: Foreign Films
Starring: James Van Der Beek, Anna Paquin, Cloris Leachman
Reviews
I especially liked the designs of giant floating flying machines that seem taken straight out of 1920s science fiction magazine illustrations . . .
Some of the action verges on the cartoonish, but Miyazaki's extraordinary realism in dealing with his characters is already evident in this fun adventure story.
Castle in the Sky may not have the thematic complexity of Miyazaki’s other films, but it is perhaps his most satisfying in terms of sheer adventure.
Despite the nonstop action, some deeply meditative lessons lurk beneath.
Interesting for the Miyazaki scholar for sure but still feeling its way in terms of the connectivity and brilliance of Miyazaki's later plots.
Related Forums

by: JTurner82 4/25/07


Top Critic