Castle in the SkyAirships, magic crystals, flying towers and gardens lost amidst a cyclone...such fantasy stirs the imagination. Castle in the Sky is an animated film from acclaimed Studio Ghibli (their first), written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. This is a world that is a bit like ours, but different, due to the aforementioned fantastical elements. Whether it is set in the past or the future is ambiguous. Regardless, it is a touching and delightful tale of innocence pitted against greed, of everyday people against an oppressive military, of adventure in the skies and a secret lost to time.
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Made in 1986, Castle in the Sky represented a watershed moment for anime. It is an early example of high-quality Japanese animation with a compelling story and setting, with especially gorgeous imagery and design. Furthermore, the film is altogether appropriate for virtually all ages, and its main characters--the enigmatic pigtailed girl named Sheeta, and the boy named Pazu from the impoverished cliffside mining town--are both teenagers, meaning that younger audiences will be more apt to identify with them. But don't let that make you think that Castle in the Sky is a "kids" movie. On the contrary, following its release, the film was influential in unexpected ways. For example, the airships that are ubiquitous in this film inspired those in the "Final Fantasy" series of video games. (I suspect the idea of magic crystals wasn't disregarded by them, either.) The "dieselpunk" look of Castle in the Sky also can be seen in many other Japanese anime and video games made since. But more than being just a charming looking movie, Castle in the Sky has a fun and engaging story that reveals itself little by little as the action progresses. The film doesn't start out slow; it begins with a group of sky pirates--led by the pink-pigtailed Captain Dola--who at first appear to be the movie's antagonists. They are out to kidnap Sheeta, who tries to escape them but plummets from out the window, seemingly to her death. Dola fixates on her loss of the "crystal", which immediately marks her as unsympathetic, but the movie isn't done with her yet. As Sheeta falls, she floats downward toward a mining shaft, but is caught by Pazu, who gives her shelter and food--a meager egg on toast, but it is seemingly all that the orphaned Pazu can afford. Before long, Dola's pirates take to the land and begin searching for Sheeta, leading to a fistfight and then a frenetic chase by elevated railway. Property damage is copious--it is curious that the bridge can support the weight of the train, but not Dola's car--and the intensity of the chase heightens when a military train gets involved. This train is manned by a special agent to the government, a schemer named Colonel Muska--who, it turns out, kidnapped Sheeta in the first place. After repossessing her, Pazu finds an unlikely ally in Dola, and the party sets out to rescue Sheeta for their own reasons.
Something that's interesting about Castle in the Sky is how it evolves by playing off of audience expectations. Consider how Dola appears to be the villain at first and Sheeta appears to be under the guardianship of Muska. Pazu is eager to prove his late father was right about the eponymous castle in the sky called "Laputa", that it isn't just a tall tale; he is building a glider to try to reach it to honor his father. And yet when Sheeta is abducted by Muska and they set sail (so to speak) for Laputa in the massive air fortress, Goliath, Pazu and Sheeta ultimately use Dola's glider to reach the floating castle instead. And that castle, reputed to contain vast wealth--hence Dola's interest--has been overtaken by nature, with a massive tree growing right through the center of it. Wildlife has made this floating ruin its home, and there is no sign of humanity anywhere. All that remains is a lone, moss-ridden robotic sentinel to greet Pazu and Sheeta when they arrive. Laputa is a parallel to lost civilizations like Atlantis, possessed of immense and nigh-mystical power or scientific acumen since lost to the ages. The crystals, made from a mysterious and luminescent mineral called "aetherium", hold the power to displace gravity (at least), and the largest of these is what keeps Laputa airborne. Before long, it is revealed that Sheeta is descended from Laputan royalty; she has also known her Laputan name and heritage from the start. She was taught "good" and "destructive" spells to use in conjunction with aetherium by her grandmother, adding another fantastical element to the story which becomes important later. Muska's interest in Laputa isn't one of wealth, yet he uses the military's greed to protect him on his venture there. Once there, he reveals that he is also Laputan royalty, and intends to use the castle as a great weapon on the world. So Sheeta is more than just a young girl caught up in circumstances (like Pazu); she is someone destined to bring closure to this lost civilization. And yet Pazu's role in her destiny is crucial, from the moment she descends weightlessly into his arms at the beginning of the story. Theirs isn't a romantic relationship, but one of common interests (Laputa) and good-natured friendship. And their good nature is apparently infectious enough to compel Dola and her crew into putting these children's welfare first...even if treasure hunting remains a close second. It is endearing that these two strangers possess such innocent hearts that others in proximity rush to help them whenneeded, except for the corrupt military, which gets what's coming--as it should be in stories like these.
The greatest mystery of Castle in the Sky, however, is whether the world in this film is meant to be ours or an alternate reality. I favor the idea that this is set in some distant future (like another anime classic, Vampire Hunter D, for instance), where the world we know has become foreign to the survivors of our species, and that civilization is still regaining its footing. Consider the predominance of craters and canyons that surround Pazu's town; what caused them? Or the mystery of what it is, exactly, that the townsfolk are mining, and for what purpose. Or why airships have become a favored method of transportation, suggesting that ground travel over vast distances is impossible. Or why there are floating or elevated land masses at all. The mind is quick to speculate that this might have been what the offspring of an ancient people were forced to salvage after a terrible world war. After all, Laputa is equipped with what is essentially a devastating satellite laser; what other terrible weaponry did they have at their disposal before humanity's fall? These questions do not detract from the story or worldbuilding of Castle in the Sky; rather, they add an additional flavor to the experience, making its mysteries a part of its unique and memorable identity.
Recommended for: Fans of an expertly crafted anime that set the standard for many animated films and more like it from Japan following its release. As mentioned, Castle in the Sky is appropriate for all ages, and makes for both an exciting adventure for the whole family or just anyone who can enjoy an inventive and imaginative fairy tale like this one.
Something that's interesting about Castle in the Sky is how it evolves by playing off of audience expectations. Consider how Dola appears to be the villain at first and Sheeta appears to be under the guardianship of Muska. Pazu is eager to prove his late father was right about the eponymous castle in the sky called "Laputa", that it isn't just a tall tale; he is building a glider to try to reach it to honor his father. And yet when Sheeta is abducted by Muska and they set sail (so to speak) for Laputa in the massive air fortress, Goliath, Pazu and Sheeta ultimately use Dola's glider to reach the floating castle instead. And that castle, reputed to contain vast wealth--hence Dola's interest--has been overtaken by nature, with a massive tree growing right through the center of it. Wildlife has made this floating ruin its home, and there is no sign of humanity anywhere. All that remains is a lone, moss-ridden robotic sentinel to greet Pazu and Sheeta when they arrive. Laputa is a parallel to lost civilizations like Atlantis, possessed of immense and nigh-mystical power or scientific acumen since lost to the ages. The crystals, made from a mysterious and luminescent mineral called "aetherium", hold the power to displace gravity (at least), and the largest of these is what keeps Laputa airborne. Before long, it is revealed that Sheeta is descended from Laputan royalty; she has also known her Laputan name and heritage from the start. She was taught "good" and "destructive" spells to use in conjunction with aetherium by her grandmother, adding another fantastical element to the story which becomes important later. Muska's interest in Laputa isn't one of wealth, yet he uses the military's greed to protect him on his venture there. Once there, he reveals that he is also Laputan royalty, and intends to use the castle as a great weapon on the world. So Sheeta is more than just a young girl caught up in circumstances (like Pazu); she is someone destined to bring closure to this lost civilization. And yet Pazu's role in her destiny is crucial, from the moment she descends weightlessly into his arms at the beginning of the story. Theirs isn't a romantic relationship, but one of common interests (Laputa) and good-natured friendship. And their good nature is apparently infectious enough to compel Dola and her crew into putting these children's welfare first...even if treasure hunting remains a close second. It is endearing that these two strangers possess such innocent hearts that others in proximity rush to help them whenneeded, except for the corrupt military, which gets what's coming--as it should be in stories like these.
The greatest mystery of Castle in the Sky, however, is whether the world in this film is meant to be ours or an alternate reality. I favor the idea that this is set in some distant future (like another anime classic, Vampire Hunter D, for instance), where the world we know has become foreign to the survivors of our species, and that civilization is still regaining its footing. Consider the predominance of craters and canyons that surround Pazu's town; what caused them? Or the mystery of what it is, exactly, that the townsfolk are mining, and for what purpose. Or why airships have become a favored method of transportation, suggesting that ground travel over vast distances is impossible. Or why there are floating or elevated land masses at all. The mind is quick to speculate that this might have been what the offspring of an ancient people were forced to salvage after a terrible world war. After all, Laputa is equipped with what is essentially a devastating satellite laser; what other terrible weaponry did they have at their disposal before humanity's fall? These questions do not detract from the story or worldbuilding of Castle in the Sky; rather, they add an additional flavor to the experience, making its mysteries a part of its unique and memorable identity.
Recommended for: Fans of an expertly crafted anime that set the standard for many animated films and more like it from Japan following its release. As mentioned, Castle in the Sky is appropriate for all ages, and makes for both an exciting adventure for the whole family or just anyone who can enjoy an inventive and imaginative fairy tale like this one.