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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #802 in DVD
• Brand: Buena Vista Home Video
• Released on: 2006-03-07
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French, Japanese
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .30 pounds
• Running time: 119 minutes

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)

DVD features
In addition to the standard behind-the-microphone feature about the extraordinary English cast, the extras include two Japanese documentaries. Pete Docter, the genial director of Monsters, Inc., talks about overseeing the English dub and what sets the film apart for him in the first. In the second, the normally reclusive Miyazaki visits the Pixar Studio and surprises Toy Story director John Lasseter with an enormous plush head of the Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro. But the most interesting supplemental feature is the disc of Miyazaki's storyboards, set to the film's soundtrack. These deceptively simple sketches reveal just how carefully the director thought out every element of the movie--and offer aspiring filmmakers a concise class in how to tell a story effectively. --Charles Solomon

GLEN KENNY, PREMIERE
"So much more than a kid's movie, it's another visionary triumph in an exceptional body of work."

Customer Reviews

Careful, Miyazaki films are addicting!
This is the one that started me out in Anime. I caught it on tv one day and the title interested me. I was mesmerized by the quality of such a good Anime. I did not even own any Anime. (I'm a 58 year old male). I had to find out who was responsible for this artistic film. I was introduced to Hayo Miyazki. He is reviered as one of the best at his craft. Many Animies are compared to his work. What a stroke of luck that I happened on to the (genius). I now own all but "Whisper of the Heart" and "The Yamadas". They are all good and well worth watching over and over.
Howl's Moving Castle is one of his better works. It is filled with fantasy, magic, interesting characters. Even the fire that powers a moving castle is a character with a voice. The castle is magic itself. Doors that enter into other worlds. Absolutely beautiful scenery. Plenty of very imaginitive flying machines that are a trademark of Miyazaki's. Colors that are exceptional. It's so creative that you wonder what will come next. What a mind this man has!
As you can see by the reviews of Miyazaki's films most people love his work. He is compared to Walt Disney. I like both Disney and Miyazaki and would have a hard time choosing who is best. I will say that Disney started it all and had no one to be influenced by.
I recommend any of Miyazki's films. They are all top notch and probably the best of the best. Enjoy!
P.S. Looking forward to the new one "Ponyo on the Cliff".

magic charm and friendship
It a strong film of magic and how things are not what they seem it delivers a breath taken story that fill your heart and make you realize that if we just try we can all succeed and be filled with happiness and be friendship is at times all ones has it carry you thru a world were to survive you must learn the way of the magic so it can work with you in the end its a simple as love that make things all well and how it portrait will leave a tear in your eye and a smile on your face

Completely and utterly beautiful
I prefer the voices of the Korean version better than the English, but other than that, the movie excels in the movie department. In each of Miyazaki's movies, a beautiful score is written, but Howl's Moving Castle's score is especially excellent. While listening to the music, watch the scenery: clouds, lush pastures, a day in a fantastical European city...The story also, though quite different from the book, is pure with a wonderful love. Miyazaki again produces a wonder, and give meaning to cinematographic animation.