Howl's Moving Castle (2004) :
Brief Review -
Hayao Miyazaki's fascinating world of war, love, sorcery, and curse. I enjoyed it more than his other works. Miyazaki needs no further introduction; he is a world-famous director for his animated films that have been hailed as universal classics (not that I agree). I personally didn't like those films-that is, as classics. That doesn't mean they were bad. That's one of the reasons that kept me away from Howl's Moving Castle, because I failed to understand the hype around his other films that I watched with high expectations but didn't reach that certain level. I get it; it's some kind of phenomenon in Japanese cinema and animation cinema, and rightfully so, but that isn't enough to get such high ratings. Anyways, I still made my way to watch Howl's Moving Castle, and thankfully, this one did not disappoint. Out of all the Miyazaki films I have seen, I enjoyed this one the most. It's fascinating, it's mystical, it's magical, and despite having all those theories of sorcery, demons, witches, curses, love, kisses, and time travel, Howl's story has something of its own. Maybe, heart. I am not being technical here, but logically, the story had a heart and moving drama in the right amount. The visual effects were great. That castle thing was really nice to see. Not just that, but those battleships, Queen's crystal globe, Howl's bird version, and Calcifer-we have a lot of things to cherish. The screenplay has a grip, despite some slow portions in the middle, and then there is an action-packed finale to enthral us with its cinematic appeal. The characters have been structured smartly. Sophie has three looks, sometimes mixed, and that's what we call the entanglement of multiple personalities in one character. The same goes for Howl's character. When you have so many things well established and constructed, it's too much for an animated flick, I guess. Miyazaki believed in the same.
RATING - 7.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Hayao Miyazaki's fascinating world of war, love, sorcery, and curse. I enjoyed it more than his other works. Miyazaki needs no further introduction; he is a world-famous director for his animated films that have been hailed as universal classics (not that I agree). I personally didn't like those films-that is, as classics. That doesn't mean they were bad. That's one of the reasons that kept me away from Howl's Moving Castle, because I failed to understand the hype around his other films that I watched with high expectations but didn't reach that certain level. I get it; it's some kind of phenomenon in Japanese cinema and animation cinema, and rightfully so, but that isn't enough to get such high ratings. Anyways, I still made my way to watch Howl's Moving Castle, and thankfully, this one did not disappoint. Out of all the Miyazaki films I have seen, I enjoyed this one the most. It's fascinating, it's mystical, it's magical, and despite having all those theories of sorcery, demons, witches, curses, love, kisses, and time travel, Howl's story has something of its own. Maybe, heart. I am not being technical here, but logically, the story had a heart and moving drama in the right amount. The visual effects were great. That castle thing was really nice to see. Not just that, but those battleships, Queen's crystal globe, Howl's bird version, and Calcifer-we have a lot of things to cherish. The screenplay has a grip, despite some slow portions in the middle, and then there is an action-packed finale to enthral us with its cinematic appeal. The characters have been structured smartly. Sophie has three looks, sometimes mixed, and that's what we call the entanglement of multiple personalities in one character. The same goes for Howl's character. When you have so many things well established and constructed, it's too much for an animated flick, I guess. Miyazaki believed in the same.
RATING - 7.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.