Castle in the Sky

1986. Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. English dubbing features the voices of James Van Der Beek, Anna Paquin, Cloris Leachman, and Mark Hamill.

The only thing wrong with watching a bunch of Hayao Miyazaki films in a short span (as I am in the middle of now) is that when you blog your review, you have to try to come up with new ways to describe how amazing the animation is. Castle in the Sky was made in 1986, though it didn't get an American release until after Spirited Away's success in 2002. It is another visual delight. The two lead characters are enchanting, adventurous children whose paths cross in the search for a mysterious castle in the sky that has been long rumored about but seldom believed. The pirate captain (who is also the mother of several of her crew members) is a little over-the-top (and that might be generous), especially as performed by Leachman in the English dubbed version. The story is clever, fun, and exciting with beautiful animation. I wouldn't rank it as high as Spirited Away or Howl's Moving Castle, but it is still terrrific.

My grade: A