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Laputa - Castle In The Sky
RRP: £19.99
Our Price: £7.44 (subject to change)
Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
Inspired by Gulliver's Travels, the fantasy-adventure Castle in the Sky 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. --Charles Solomon , Amazon.com
Lovely in parts but a lot of fight/ chase scenes for young children
Review date: 2008-05-30 Rating: 8 out of 10
This film is lovely in parts but a lot of fight/ chase scenes for young children which has put me off watching it with my daughter. I do love Miyazaki though and am slowly working my way through all his films! Delivery was good.
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Reviews
Inspiring
Review date: 2008-04-29 Rating: 10 out of 10
All of the usual colourful characters and outstanding music conspire to make this film one of the best in its genre. You can watch it again and again. It explores themes of love, sacrifice, growth and decay; the animation is consistently beautiful. Greattttt
In the mould of Spirited Away
Review date: 2008-02-03 Rating: 10 out of 10
Although made fifteen years before one of the Miyazaki films that it most resembles, Laputa exhibits many of the characteristics of Spirited Away, and anyone who has been introduced to Studio Ghibli's work through the later film, will find much to enjoy in this charming story of the Castle in the Sky.
Visually, although the animation isn't quite as sharp as Miyazaki's later work (it was made in 1986), it doesn't look dated. Many of the hallmark features of a Miyazaki animation are present - the small, innocent girl who embarks on a voyage of discovery and grows during the course of the story; the wizened old lady who begins as a grotesque figure, but becomes loveable and engaging as the film progresses, and industrial imagery of coal and mining.
The narrative structure is also familiar. The two leading characters embark on a perilous quest, aiming to stop a group of villains from acquiring the mystical castle in the sky. Along the way, they encounter a vivid cast of characters, from the ragged band of pirates, to the old man in the cave who explains some of the significance of the crystal that Sheeta carries.
Its all done with Miyazaki's typical blend of charm, confidence and vision. There are moments where his sheer inventiveness take your breath away, and there are points where the combination of superb animation and vivid storytelling prove highly exciting.
For anyone familiar with Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle, Laputa will prove a rewarding and thoroughly enjoyable film. Highly recommended.
wonderful
Review date: 2008-01-23 Rating: 10 out of 10
I'm new to Japanimation (is this movie anime?) and I have to say when I saw it on Film4 a few days ago (the English dubbed version - I was interested to see that Mark Hamill was included in the voice credit list) I couldn't stop watching it. Now, I'm 32 and I thought I'd stopped watching cartoons decades ago, but this was something more than that. In fact, my "awakening" actually happened after I watched another Japanimation, again on Film4, at Christmas, called 'Princess Mononoke'. Ever since then I've actually had more interest in Japanimation as a whole, and 'Castle in the Sky' more or less galvanized that for me. Both movies are definitely on my "to-buy" list.
If you're new to this kind of animation, these two movies are certainly a great introduction.
Childhood favourite
Review date: 2007-09-16 Rating: 8 out of 10
This film was a childhood favourite of mine, so when I saw it on Amazon, I just had to buy it. Nostalgia is a very powerful marketing tool.
The film is wonderfully animated, and has a great story. The only thing that disappointed me (and the reason for the 4 star rating) was that this is not the original English dub, which I was expecting.
In spite of the different dub, I still found the film to be highly enjoyable, and would recommend it to anybody who likes this type of film.
Product Details/Specifications
Director(s):
Recording label: Optimum Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Optimum Home Entertainment
EAN: 5060034573319
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2006-02-27
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 125 minutes
Language: English (Original Language)