Howl's Moving Castle

Howl's Moving Castle_360P

please we need Eglish dub

♡

I tried liking this movie. I don't get what all the hype is about. It is very hard to follow. Basically, this old witch turns this little girl who works at a hat shop into an old woman. The girl doesn't mind too much, because she's always been sort of an "old soul" anyways. She runs away from home because she doesn't want anyone seeing her as an old woman. She then runs into this random-ass scarecrow. Finally, she comes across the titular moving castle, although at this point in the story she has already had a run-in with the owner, Howl. The moving castle is so confusing. There are so many weird and awkward aspects of it, such as a spinning color wheel by the door. I respect the creative animation, but it just doesn't spark my imagination the way that other films by Miyazaki do. Halfway through the movie, the old witch who turns the protagonist into an old woman suddenly becomes one of the "good guys" for no apparent reason. Howl is supposed to be mysterious and heroic, but he comes off more as arrogant and annoying. He is overall not a very likable character. He's a cliché animé pretty boy. I understand that this movie is a criticism of war. I can respect that. But it's just kind of all over the place. There is no real continuity. Maybe I'm too dumb to grasp how good it really is. I'll give it another shot, but I must say, I was a little underwhelmed and very confused by this movie.

What an amazing achievement! This is by far the best example I have ever seen of animated characterization. The expressions and the nuances and the emotion captured in this film are truly breathtaking. I love all of Miyazaki's work, but in Howl's Moving Castle he has managed to take it to a level that to me sets the standard. It has all of the classic stunning Miyazaki panoramas, rich settings, exciting and unusual machinery, and brilliantly conceived creatures that are often humorous and fanciful. The characters are all very expertly crafted and developed, but what really enchanted me were their expressions and the subtle but powerful ways that he chose to elaborate on their connections and emotions. It is very difficult to describe, but they come to life in such a powerful way as to seem entirely real and unique. He achieves this within the medium - not by really imitating or parroting film or live action, but by artfully exploiting the medium to enhance and capture the subtle interactions that make up relationships. He shows his audience what his characters are thinking and feeling by carefully chosen gestures and facial expressions, rather than relying always on dialog, etc. I was completely swept away by this skillful use of animation - I have never anywhere else seen anything that begins to come close to it. The story is fantastic - I haven't read the novel, but it had all of the elements I have come to enjoy in Miyazaki's work - there is the humour, the lighthearted moments, the strong, insightful, loyal, and honourable characters, the lyrical drama and action sequences. The pace is perfect - it flows nicely and is always exciting, suspenseful - I got very caught up in the characters and their struggles and hopes. The themes were expertly handled with Miyazaki flair - and always richly meaningful and perceptive. I can hardly wait to see what this brilliant artist creates next!

This is a very good movie, but I have a lot of issues with it. This movie, espcially its messy third act, feels like sensory overload. Everything is happening so fast and so loud and the quiet moments of rest (which are always the best parts of every Ghibli film) are very few and far between compared to other Ghibli films. It feels very rushed and overwhelming and it gives me a headache. Also, the exact nature of Sophie's curse (and the movie's world in general) is never really explained. I like how her age changes, but it would be good to know what exactly triggers those changes. A lot in this film is unexplained and it's very frustrating. This is probably Ghibli's most nonsensical movie. With that said, I do like it. While I think that the second half is kind of a mess, the first half is really good. It's a lot slower and more focused. There are less characters and there's actual moments to rest and contemplate the beautiful scenery. The ending is also really nice. The best things about this movie are the visuals (obviously) and Howl, especially when he's being a total drama queen. I want more dramatic Howl please. Overall, this is far from being one of my favorite Ghibli movies, but I think the good outweighs the bad just enough. I know it's really beloved, but I will still take Spirited Away or Whisper of the Heart over this anytime.

Howl's Moving Castle

Howl's Moving Castle_720p(480P)

source: Howl's Moving Castle

Hauru no ugoku shiro