Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1975 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-04-15
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French, Japanese
• Subtitled in: English
• Dubbed in: French
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 125 minutes

Amazon.com
Inspired by "Gulliver's Travels," the fantasy-adventure Castle in the Sky (1986) was Hayao Miyazaki's third feature, and helped to establish his reputation as a visionary in both Japan and America. The orphan Sheeta inherited a mysterious crystal that links her to the legendary sky-kingdom of Laputa. With the help of resourceful Pazu and a rollicking band of sky pirates, she makes her way to the ruins of the once-great civilization. Sheeta and Pazu must outwit the evil Muska, who plans to use Laputa's science to make himself ruler of the world. Castle echoes elements in Myazaki's earlier Nausicaä, and anticipates imagery in his later films, from My Neighbor Totoro to Spirited Away. Disney's new English dub, which features Anna Paquin (Sheeta), James Van Der Beek (Pazu), and Cloris Leachman (pirate matriarch Dola), is lively and close in tone to the original Japanese, if a bit talkier. The exciting flying sequences, appealing characters, and fantastic vision of a steam-powered future Jules Verne might have imagined make Castle in the Sky a must-have for fans of Japanese and Western animation. (Unrated: suitable for ages 10 and older: violence) --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

Not Miyazaki's best, but very exciting
Laputa, also known as "Castle in the Sky," is yet another Miyazaki masterpiece. However, the messages and themes are not quite up to his standards, which is why I can't give it my highest ranking.

The film opens with a group of bandits raiding a zeppelin to get a valuable necklace from a young girl, named Sheeta. She falls while trying to escape the bandits. The necklace, however, gives her floating powers. Pasu, a miner orphan, finds the girl and lays her to rest in his home, not too far from the mine where he works.

After the girl wakes up, Pasu and Sheeta become good friends. When Sheeta finds a picture of a floating castle, however, Pasu tells her about the legend of Laputa, based on the castle in "Gilligan's Island." His father took the picture of the floating castle.

However, he soon discovers that bandits and the army are after Sheeta and her necklace. In fact, Sheeta's last name is Laputa. And she knows quite a few spells, some of which could destroy the world. And a man in the government also needs Sheeta and her necklace to gain the ultimate power.

As much as I love the premise of this film, I can't fully recommend it. Although the chase sequences are exciting and the sentimental moments are truly memorable, I couldn't help but think that the film wasn't quite as empowering for women as Miyazaki's other films. Sheeta's shy character makes for excellent drama, but she's not quite as aware of her powers as female characters in later Miyazaki films.

It's true that the film's message against nuclear proliferation is important. However, I wish that Sheeta didn't have to depend on Pasu so much. Especially after the ending, I think Sheeta really could have ended the entire film a lot sooner, without Pasu.

With all that aside, I'd have to say that this is a great film for young kids. However, in my opinion, "Nausicaa" was a much more empowering film for girls and women. Still, the designs of the airships and zeppelins in this movie are worth the purchase.

The Search for Laputa
"Castle in the Sky" is another Studio Ghibli film by Hayao Miyazaki. The directors name alone is a mark of quality. It's been classified as an anime' film. The word `anime'' has become a generic name for any Japanese animation. Under this condition, I'd rather not use the term. Studio Ghibli's work varies as much as that of any major studio.

The movie begins with a magnificent airship coming under attack by aerial bandits, the Dola Gang. Their objective is a girl held in the custody by government agents. We know they're government agents because they wear suits and sunglasses at night indoors. The girl, Sheeta, escapes from both groups only to fall off the airship into the night.

She loses consciousness. The crystal in her necklace begins to glow. Instead of crashing to her death, she floats down right into the arms of a most capable boy named Potsu.

Potsu is an apprentice mechanic working for a broken down silver mine. Orphaned, he is the son of a discredited airman. Potsu's father claimed to have discovered the legendary floating island of Laputa. Laputa is real and Sheeta is the key to finding it. That's why she is being pursued by both the government and the Dola Gang. Laputa is reputed to be a place of great wealth and terrible power.

This movie is a grand adventure in the traditions of "Raiders of the Lost Ark". The action is fast paced. The look and feel is the early twentieth century. There is an incredible array of flying machines and airships none of which could fly in reality but they are cool nonetheless.

Casting Cloris Leachman as the voice of Ma Dola was a stroke of genius.

This film had a look I thought familiar but not from Studio Ghibli. On my third watching I made the connection. The artwork has been heavily influenced by Max Fleischer's Superman cartoons of the 1940's. I also detect a hint of Herve's Tin-Tin.

This cartoon would work as an action film. If I were Steven Spielberg, I'd raid Studio Ghibli for their story boards.

My daughter enjoyed the movie
My 14 year old daughter had requested this movie. I typically do not care for this type of movie especially the graphics; but I thought I would give it a chance. I survived the experience and will probably watch the movie again.