Howl’s Moving Castle

As the movie that brought Hayao Miyazaki out of retirement, there’ll always be a soft spot in my heart for Howl’s Moving Castle. But something about the 2004 picture doesn’t quite carry the same flow and heart of Miyazaki’s other movies, even though the animation is still top quality and the film moves well enough. The creativity goes without saying, too, elevating what is “average Miyazaki” beyond the realm of normal animated feature films.

Based on Diana Wynne Jones’ novel of the same name, Howl’s Moving Castle is one of the most financially successful Japanese films in history. It was originally planned as a project for Digimon director Mamoru Hosoda, but it wound up in the hands of the retired Miyazaki after Hosoda dropped out. The movie differs from Jones’ novel considerably, but the author was still quoted as being rather found of the finished picture.

We are introduced to 18-year-old Sophie at the beginning of the film. She soon encounters the mysterious Howl, a wizard who happens to live in a castle that moves from place to place. Howl takes a liking to Sophie, which in turn manages to get the attention of the Witch of the Waste, a rather plump magical woman. The Witch turns Sophie into an old woman, which leads to Sophie running away from it all.

Sophie finds herself in Howl’s castle, rolling through various locations with Howl and other characters. When the Witch runs into Sophie again, the relationship changes with new information about Howl’s past and the king’s head sorceress, the villainous Madame Suliman. Howl’s personal issues come into play, especially his fearfulness and vainness, and Sophie soon realizes that all is not sweet perfection in the fantastical land.

Miyazaki places his world somewhere in 19^th century Europe, using the backdrops and architecture of the era to fill the film with amazing visuals. There is a war going on, too, which always presents a sense of dread and panic. Along with the shape-shifting objects and characters, Howl’s Moving Castle provides viewers with a lot to look at.

The plot of Howl’s Moving Castle increases in its convolution as the movie progresses. It gets a little weighed down in characters and subplots, often leaving the sheer majesty of it all in the dust. The invention and overall detail of Miyazaki’s film is soon overshadowed by constantly changing characters and surroundings.

The characters themselves are rather average, with Sophie being one of Miyazaki’s most uninteresting heroines. That’s not to say that there isn’t a lot to like about her, of course, and her transformation into an old woman is fantastic stuff. But when she is “herself,” things are decidedly less interesting. As an old woman, her interactions with the Witch are priceless. As young Sophie, however, similar situations feature far less spark.

Overall, Howl’s Moving Castle is still head and shoulders above most modern animation. It is, unfortunately, one of Studio Ghibli’s weakest pictures and certainly one of my least favourite films by Miyazaki. It is still impeccably drawn and features loads of creative design, but it lacks the heart and compelling plotlines of his other great works.

Trailer: