Castle in the Sky: 10/10

Tenkû no shiro Rapyuta (1986)
An epic animated adventure worth visiting over and over again, 16 May 2010

Animated films can become a lot of things (especially nowadays with updated technology and a newfound respect for the medium), including romantic, life changing, groundbreaking, political, or sometimes just flatout surreal in scale. No longer are animated films just cartoons for kids to watch and enjoy, that stereotype is long gone. However, epic is not a word you can use to describe animated films, because they just don't happen often. Animated movies with the ability to become compared to the likes of Lawrence of Arabia, Gone with the Wind, Ben-Hur, Seven Samurai and other epic films past and present are extremely rare to find. However if there is a man that can weave a blockbuster animated tale, it would be the Japanese answer to America's Walt Disney. Castle in the Sky is epic in scale, with a massive adventure full of lush scenery, incredible action, memorable characters, and a nice dosage of humor. If there is an epic cartoon, it would be this underrated masterpiece.

Castle in the Sky follows two kids that met under curious circumstances (Sheeta and Pazu) racing against pirates, the army, and mysterious agents in pursuit of a mythical castle located somewhere in the skies above the clouds. Sheeta is aided by a mysterious necklace given to her by her parents when she was younger. All the competition has their differing reasons on why they want to find the castle, ranging from gold to unleashing God-like powers. The film works mainly because the story is very unique, very original, and quite unpredictable. Written by Hayao Miyazaki, this film is the best evidence that his mind is among the most creative in film-making within the past century.

The world displayed here is among the most gorgeous in the history of animation. There are massive airships the size of cities, caves that can look like the bowels of outer space, entire worlds that just float high midair and just entire towns built on the mountainside, leading to some unique and detailed architecture. No computer-work here, as this movie proves that hand-drawn animation's personal touch can be as magical as the best visual effects coming from any computer. The variety in colors and images here trounces those of Miyazaki's more popular works, like Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro.

The epicness can be mainly traced to the consistent amount of peril and action throughout the two hours of pure movie magic. The opening sequence sets the tone for the rest of the film, while a humorous yet impressive train chase half an hour later provides some of the best thrills ever seen in an animated movie. Every so often humor breaks off the epic taint in the production, but it never dwells or outstays its welcome. Steampunk is a tough sell, since it's a historical and contextual contradiction. But in Castle in the Sky, Miyazaki gives the viewers time to adapt and witness the technological advancements and mannerisms of the characters in the film so you don't become too distracted by the unrealistic nature of it all.

Miyazaki is the current Walt Disney, because not only does he avoid sequels (Pixar is unfortunately dwelling in this path) but he does his best to deliver a different animated experience every time he releases something new. Like Walt Disney himself, he can seamlessly blend humor, heart, and suspense all in one. He has the pacing, patience, and abilities of any decent Hollywood director, but with film you can do so much more. You can create shots that real-life cameras could never accomplish; and with animation you can create visuals that not a single CGI machine could ever duplicate. This is perhaps the main reason why Miyazaki avoids too much computer animation and avoids filming real-life altogether. When mentioning great directors like Spielberg, Scorsese, Peter Jackson, and David Fincher, Miyazaki is more than worthy to be mentioned in the sentence.

Bottom Line: Castle in the Sky is a flawless work of art that spins audiences into a beautiful world full of steampunk goodness and lush scenery that's obviously influenced by the underrated landscape of Japan. Within the confides of this beautiful world (that travels by sea, land, and air) lies a wonderful story full of humor, heart, action, suspense, and an underlying message that's present in almost all Miyazaki movies. Pixar obviously has taken notes from the works on Japanese Walt Disney, as this movie has scenes and moments that can be compared to those of Finding Nemo, Toy Story, and even Up. If you enjoy excellent animated movies, you cannot miss this gem, as it's entertaining, thrilling, and mystical from the first second to the last.