Howl's Moving Castle

Based on a children's fantasy novel by Diana Wynne Jones, famed Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle is even better than his Oscar-winning Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke—more affecting, whimsical, and (until a final act that goes rather haywire) coherent. Set in a fictitious war-torn 19th-century land in which wizards coexist with Victorian-era humans, the story revolves around Sophie, a hardworking young seamstress (voiced by Emily Mortimer) who's transformed into an old woman (Jean Simmons) by the wicked Witch of the Waste (Lauren Bacall). Sophie seeks help from the great—and handsome—wizard Howl (Christian Bale), who lives in a huge mechanical contraption that lumbers across the landscape on skinny metal legs, and she meets up with an assortment of lovably eccentric characters along the way. An enchanted fable that skillfully combines Miyazaki's highly idiosyncratic visionary talents with expert voice work, Howl's Moving Castle is—for the most part—a beautifully wrought, dreamily intoxicating parable of personal and social maturation that is also both humorous and charming. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD extras on this double-disc set include the option to view the entire film using just the original storyboards (on the second disc), the 17-minute featurette “Hello Mr. Lasseter: Hayao Miyazaki Visits Pixar” featuring filmmaker Miyazaki and executive producer and Pixar exec John Lasseter (17 min.), a nine-minute “Behind the Microphone” featurette on voice cast members (including Christian Bale and Jena Malone), an eight-minute interview with dialogue director Pete Docter, and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for an Oscar-nominated anime.] (F. Swietek)[Blu-ray Review—May 21, 2013—Walt Disney, 119 min., PG, $39.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2004's Howl's Moving Castle features a fine transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack. Extras include the original Japanese storyboards (119 min.), “Hello Mr. Lasseter: Hayao Miyazaki Visits Pixar Animation Studios” (17 min.), a behind-the-scenes featurette on the voice cast (9 min.), an interview with Pixar director Pete Docter (8 min.), a bonus DVD copy of the film, and trailers. Bottom line: one of Miyazaki's best films shines on Blu-ray.][DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Review—Oct. 17, 2017—Shout! Factory, 120 min., PG, DVD: $19.98, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $29.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and Blu-ray, 2004's Howl's Moving Castle is presented with a great transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack. Extras include storyboards (120 min.), the production featurettes “The Birth Story of the Film Soundtrack” (28 min.), “Explanation of CG” (20 min.), and “Miyazaki's Visits to Pixar” (17 min.), plus a “Behind the Microphone” segment on the voice cast (9 min.), an interview with author Diana Wynne Jones (8 min.), and a booklet. Bottom line: a fine edition of this beloved anime classic.]