Product Description: Acclaimed Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki adapts British writer Diana Wynne Jones's popular fantasy tale for this animated feature adding his own unique and celebrated dreamlike spin. A young hat-maker named Sophie (voiced by Emily Mortimer) is turned into an old woman by the dreaded Witch of the Waste (Lauren Bacall) when she attracts the notice of Howl (Christian Bale) a young wizard whom the witch desires for herself. As the old woman (voiced by Jean Simmons) Sophie finds refuge as a cleaning lady in Howl's magical castle an impressively realized mishmash of anthropomorphic shafts and gears where she meets among other wonders a cantankerous fire demon named Calcifer (Billy Crystal). Howl's courage inspires her to seek a cure for her curse and vice versa and the two work together to prevent a major war as the castle roams the countryside on its mechanical legs. There's lots of magic afoot as well including travel through barriers of space and time and shape-shifting requiring full viewer attention to keep track of who where and when but this how dreams really are and the film engages on that same subconscious level. As with Miyazaki's previous work (SPIRITED AWAY KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE) the emphasis here is on creating a beautiful alternate reality where anything can happen and every frame is a breathtaking work of art. See it on the big screen if the chance presents itself; the elaborate intricacies and patiently realized alternate realities of Miyazaki's work makes him a true treasure.System Requirements:Running Time 119 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: PG UPC: 786936296662 Manufacturer No: 04139900
Amazon.com: Like a dream, Howl's Moving Castle carries audiences to vistas beyond their imaginations where they experience excitement, adventure, terror, humor, and romance. With domestic box office receipts of over $210 million, Howl passed Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke to become the #3 film in Japanese history, behind his Spirited Away and James Cameron's Titanic. Based on a juvenile novel by Diana Wynne Jones, Howl's Moving Castle marks the first time Miyazaki has adapted another writer's work since Kiki's Delivery Service (1989). Sophie, a 19-year-old girl who believes she is plain, has resigned herself to a drab life in her family's hat shop--until the Witch of the Waste transforms her into a 90-year-old woman. In her aged guise, Sophie searches for a way to break the Witch's spell and finds unexpected adventures. Like Chihiro, the heroine of Spirited Away, Sophie discovers her hidden potential in a magical environment--the castle of the title. Using CG, Miyazaki creates a ramshackle structure that looks like it might disintegrate at any moment. Sophie's honesty and determination win her some valuable new friends: Markl, Howl's young apprentice; a jaunty scarecrow; Calcifer, a temperamental fire demon; and Heen, a hilarious, wheezing dog. She wins the heart of the dashing, irresponsible wizard Howl, and brings an end an unnecessary and destructive war. The film overflows with eclipsing visuals that range from frightening aerial battles to serene landscapes, and few recent features--animated or live action--offer as much magic as Howl's Moving Castle. --Charles Solomon
The Many Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki
The works of Miyazaki
The Book
The Art of Howls' Moving Castle (book)
Stills from Howl's Moving Castle (click for larger image)
2-disc special edition features both the original Japanese soundtrack and an English language soundtrack
Behind the Microphone featurette with the English language voice cast and footage from the dubbing sessions
Interview with Pixar Animation Studios Director, Pete Docter
Hayao Miyazaki Visits Pixar Animation Studios with Pixar director John Lasseter
Complete storyboards set to the movie soundtrack
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Binding: DVD Brand: Disney EAN: 0786936296662 Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC Item Dimensions:30 Label: Walt Disney Home Entertainment Languages:EnglishOriginal LanguageDolby Digital 5.1FrenchOriginal LanguageDolby Digital 5.1JapaneseOriginal LanguageDolby Digital 5.1EnglishSubtitled Manufacturer: Walt Disney Home Entertainment MPN: D41399D Number Of Items: 2 Publisher: Walt Disney Home Entertainment Region Code: 1 Release Date: March 07, 2006 Running Time: 119 minutes Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment Theatrical Release Date: 2004
Customer Reviews
A little like "The Wizard of Oz" but a story in its own right
***SPOILER ALERT*** I WILL DISCLOSE SOME THOUGHTS YOU MAY NOT WANT TO READ PRIOR TO WATCHING THE MOVIE*** I generally love Miyazaki's work, but after Princess Mononoke (read: I did NOT enjoy), I wasn't keen to see Howl's Moving Castle. However, I did see it recently and found it wonderful, and I've watched it a number of times to try to figure things out.
First, it seems to be making a loose nod towards "The Wizard of Oz." Sophie is like Dorothy, a young woman who has a run-in with ... Read More