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Film Title: Castle in the Sky

 Best for ages: 7 and up.

Movie Website: Click Here

Year Released: 1986

Rated: PG (US)

The Review

For the past few years on video store shelves, I would often browse the animation section to see what kind of films were sitting there.  I was never really into Asian animation at the time, but what sparked my brief curiosity was the Dragonball Z cartoons and Hayao Miyazaki Spirited Away.  Castle in the Sky was one I would pass by all the time, yet never build up the interest in watching.

    The high-flying journey begins when Pazu, a mining apprentice, finds a young girl wearing a glowing pendant and floating down from the sky. Together, they discover both are searching for the legendary floating castle, Laputa, and vow to unravel the mystery of the luminous crystal around her neck. Their quest won't be easy, however. There are air pirates, secret agents, and astounding obstacles to keep them from the truth.

   Castle in the Sky is a long film with a running time of 125 minutes. This is a film that is not for younger children, in fact, its one that I would say is at its very least suitable for kids ages seven and older. While the story is an adventure that rivals that of many other fantasy stories such as Harry Potter and the Twilight series.  It has a lot of violence and war like scenes. There is a giant robot that breaks down walls, light fires and it can even be implied that he might of killed and injured some people, although I don’t recall it happening on screen.

   The film does have some familiar voices in its English language version. Talent such as Anna Paquin, James Van Der Beek, Cloris Leachman and Mark Hamill lend their voices to the animation.  The film was produced in 1986 so the animation is not like it is today, but for it’s time the film was considered innovative. I for one enjoyed its bright colors and attention to detail.  The story is also very entertaining and well written; however, I wish that it were shorter because I did find myself drifting off at times.

     The DVD has a few bonus features such as The World of Ghibli where you can visit Castle in the Sky in an interactive experience right on you DVD player.   You can enter the lands, meet the characters of the film, and go behind the studio where you can discover the inspiration though documentaries about the making of the film and interviews with the people involved in bringing it to life. There is also an introduction by John Lasseter and a storyboard presentation of the film.

    Overall Castle in the Sky is a film that is full of danger and adventure. It is a movie for young boys over the age of seven that are just getting into action films.  It has it’s fair share of fantasy action violence.  I do not recommend showing this DVD to any kids under the age of seven, mainly because of its content but also because it is a very long film which I don’t think will hold a younger child attention for that long. It is a fun and entertaining film and one that I am sure adults and young boys will enjoy. For fans of Asian animation it is necessary add for your DVD collection.

BUY THIS MOVIE.