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Movies / On DVD / Howl's Moving Castle
Howl's Moving Castle

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Howl's Moving Castle (2005)

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Reviews Counted: 142

Fresh: 122

Rotten:20

Average Rating: 7.4/10

Consensus: Exquisitely illustrated by master animator Miyazaki, Howl's Moving Castle will delight children with its fantastical story and touch the hearts and minds of older viewers as well.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for frightening images and brief mild language

Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins

Genre: Childrens

Theatrical Release:Jun 10, 2005 Limited

Box Office: $4,520,887

Synopsis: Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki ("Spirited Away") takes moviegoers on an amazing new animated adventure that celebrates the power of love to transform and the resiliency of the human... Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki ("Spirited Away") takes moviegoers on an amazing new animated adventure that celebrates the power of love to transform and the resiliency of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Brimming with a blend of imagination, humor, action, and romance, "Howl's Moving Castle" recently played to great acclaim at the 2004 Venice Film Festival, and has become one of the biggest blockbusters of all time in Japan – earning more than $193 million at the box office and still counting. A distinguished cast of actors, under the direction of Pixar's Pete Docter ("Monsters, Inc."), lend their vocal talents to this English-language version of the film. Sophie (voiced by Emily Mortimer), an average teenage girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome-but-mysterious wizard named Howl (voiced by Christian Bale), and is subsequently turned into a 90-year old woman (voiced by screen legend and two-time Oscar® nominee Jean Simmons) by the vain and conniving Wicked Witch of the Waste (voiced by screen legend and Oscar® nominee Lauren Bacall). Embarking on an incredible odyssey to lift the curse, she finds refuge in Howl's magical moving castle where she becomes acquainted with Markl, Howl's apprentice, and a hot-headed fire demon named Calcifer (voiced by Billy Crystal). Sophie's love and support comes to have a major impact on Howl, who flies in the face of orders from the palace to become a pawn of war and instead risks his life to help bring peace to the kingdom. Extraordinary characters, inventive imagery, and stunning artistry make this latest masterpiece from the visionary Miyazaki an unforgettable filmgoing experience. -- © walt Disney Pictures [More]

Starring: Emily Mortimer, Christian Bale, Jean Simmons, Lauren Bacall

Starring: Emily Mortimer, Christian Bale, Jean Simmons, Lauren Bacall, Billy Crystal, Blythe Danner, Josh Hutcherson

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Screenwriter: Hayao Miyazaki
Composer: Joe Hisaishi
Producer: Toshio Suzuki
Studio: Buena Vista Pictures

[See More Credits]

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    Exclusive Clip: 'Howl in Battle'
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    Clip: We're Moving
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    Clip: Sophie Finds Howl's Castle
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  • Clip: Escape from Suliman
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    Howl's Moving Castle Trailer
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Release:

Mar 7, 2006

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • Howl's Moving Castle
  • In Hayao Miyazaki's latest animated masterpiece, journey beyond imagination and enter a "breathtaking fantasy world" (Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times) filled with adventure, humor and heart. Sophie, a quiet girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. The vain and vengeful Witch of the Waste, jealous of their friendship, puts a spell on Sophie. In a life-changing adventure, Sophie climbs aboard Howl's magnificent flying castle and enters a magical world on a quest to break the spell. Featuring the voice talents of Jean Simmons, Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, Blythe Danner, and Billy Crystal, Miyazaki's artistry comes to life on DVD with inventive characters, unique storytelling and richly detailed animation.
  • Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for Howl's Moving Castle

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    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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    Howl's Moving Castle is a perfect epitome of Miyazaki's work, in all its strengths and weaknesses: it's filled with heart-felt themes...but how these elements connect on a plot level is subjugated to how beautifully they are rendered on screen.

    Full Review Source: ESplatter | comment Comment
    02/05/09
    Steve Biodrowski
    ESplatter

    A stunning example of a pure, disorienting dream logic that cinema provides all too rarely.

    Full Review Source: Time Out New York | comment Comment
    10/18/08
    Joshua Rothkopf
    Time Out New York

    Palaces and shimmering lakes, warplanes and fire sprites all come to life at the breath of Miyazaki's graphic genius.

    Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
    09/07/08
    Richard Corliss
    TIME Magazine
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Another work of great imagination and beauty from Hiyao Miyazaki.

    Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
    09/07/08
    Daniel Etherington
    Channel 4 Film

    The film gains a sense of visual wonder almost completely freed from the strains of a narrative-driven film.

    Full Review Source: Projection Booth | comment Comment
    10/26/07
    Rob Humanick
    Projection Booth

    few other films, or indeed filmmakers, would dare take a scene in which two elderly women struggle to climb a staircase and turn it into an extravagant and memorable set piece.

    Full Review Source: Eye for Film | comment Comment
    07/10/07
    Anton Bitel
    Eye for Film

    Another example of how this film maven easily holds the crown in the sadly ever-shrinking traditional animation genre.

    Full Review Source: Dark Horizons | comment Comment
    10/30/06
    Garth Franklin
    Dark Horizons

    A delightfully fanciful movie with engaging storytelling, visual wonders, and such worthwhile themes as contrasting wisdom and perspective with age.

    Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
    09/25/06
    Russ Breimeier
    Christianity Today

    A stunning example of a pure, disorienting dream logic that cinema provides all too rarely.

    Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
    06/24/06
    Joshua Rothkopf
    Time Out

    Miyazaki's stunning animation and characteristically vivid colors make the film a visual feast...

    Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
    05/12/06
    Jim Lane
    Sacramento News & Review

    So good that it shames virtually every animated film made since Miyazaki's last, Spirited Away, graced movie screens in 2002.

    Full Review Source: SPLICEDWire | comment Comment
    03/11/06
    Jeffrey M. Anderson
    SPLICEDWire

    Miyazaki has done better, and his epic style might get the best of him in this film a bit. Still, it is nonetheless a journey worth taking.

    Full Review Source: 7M Pictures | comment Comment
    03/07/06
    Kevin Carr
    7M Pictures

    If it weren't for "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit," "Howl's Moving Castle" would be your winner for this year's Academy Award for Best Animated Picture.

    Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment Comment
    02/16/06
    Christopher Smith
    Bangor Daily News (Maine)

    As a lover of Fantasy and Sci-Fi books and movies, this cartoon appealed me to with its detailed plot and unique world.

    Full Review Source: Three Movie Buffs | comment Comment
    02/12/06
    Scott Nash
    Three Movie Buffs

    Miyazaki has an appeal that crosses generations. Adult audiences are drawn to the depth and variety of his vision, but so are kids, and for exactly the same reasons.

    Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
    01/17/06
    Philippa Hawker
    Sydney Morning Herald

    Miyazaki's latest epic (and that's just what it was... epic) lived up to every expectation.

    Full Review Source: Now Playing Magazine | comment Comment
    12/20/05
    Chris Wyatt
    Now Playing Magazine

    There is giggling, belly-laughing, and gasping to be done watching Howl's Moving Castle.

    Full Review Source: New York Magazine | comment Comment
    12/09/05
    Ken Tucker
    New York Magazine
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    A compelling story is the main ingredient missing from Howl's Moving Castle.

    Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
    12/06/05
    Pete Vonder Haar
    Film Threat

    If you're in the market for a brilliant piece of family animation you'd be hard-pressed to find anything better this year.

    Full Review Source: FilmFocus | comment Comment
    09/26/05
    Joe Utichi
    FilmFocus

    Miyazaki's animated adaptation of Jones' book is a charming and thoroughly absorbing treat.

    Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
    09/26/05
    Tasha Robinson
    AV Club
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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    Latest News for Howl's Moving Castle

    August 21, 2008: Japanese Audiences Flocking to Miyazaki's Latest Opens in new window
    He delighted audiences with Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle -- and now director Hayao Miyazaki is doing it all over again with his latest film, Ponyo on the Cliff by the... More...

    March 20, 2007: Will Miyazaki's Next Film Be His Last?
    It's been speculated that legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki will retire after the release of his next film, "Ponyo on a Cliff," but now it looks like we'll have at... More...

    October 19, 2006: Critical Consensus: "Flags" Flies High; "The Prestige" Is Magic; "Flicka" Is A Pretty Good Ride; "Marie Antoinette" Spared Critical Guillotine
    This week at the movies, we've got a complex tale of heroism (Clint Eastwood's "Flags of Our Fathers," starring Ryan Phillippe), a story of dueling magicians... More...

    October 03, 2006: Miyazaki Prepares Next Animation Classic
    Let's face it: When the director of "Spirited Away," "Princess Mononoke," and a whole bunch of other brilliant pieces of animation announces that he's about... More...

    See More Topics...

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