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| 5.
Qian Wan 
Sweet lord Bejesus the soundtrack is heavenly. Out of all the
Miyazaki films, this one has the best music and one of the most interesting
plots. This film is recognized as one of the more popular Miyazaki films
and I'll say again that the music is so heavenly that I quit watching violent
anime for a month. The movie has big robots, rescue mission, mysterious stories,
romantic moments, and scenes that will touch your heart more than Disney's
The Lion King. I am truly honored to do a review (if not write a book)
about this anime. Look beyond the clouds, people
once lived there. There was once a civilization hidden within the walls of vapor.
One day, a girl fell from the sky and into the arms of the curious Pazu. The girl,
Sheeta, bore a levistone necklace that enabled her to float. Can this be the root
of the ancient technology in the civilization that lived above? The army was sure
curious about it - as they pursue the stone with every man they got. But Pazu
wasn't about to let it happen, and he promised Sheeta to find out about her mysterious
past and the stone and ultimately, unveil the secrets of the hidden civilization
- Laputa. As a fan of various computer fantasy games,
I think the designs of the aircrafts in Laputa are one of the best. All
of the designs from the robots to the castle itself were unique and special. The
color and graphics might look outdated, but the drawings and detail of each picture
is phenomenal in my eyes. Miyazaki's love for aircrafts were shown in his
other works such as Porco Rosso and Nausicaa but I think it is Laputa
that actually made the Miyazaki aircraft designs a trademark of his work.
I seriously recommend this title to anyone. Why
I have it: Watched it once long time ago in HK. Now I own 2 versions of its DVDs.
High:
Very original illustration/designs. Amazing plot that will keep you in awe.
Low:
Might not appeal to any hardcore single-genre people.
Final Word: Buy
it and say sweet nothings to the dvd box |
| 4.
Marshal of Manga
This movie opened my mind to the world of anime. I remember
watching it when I was about 10 years old and then trying my best to recreate
one of the characters I saw on paper. I've watched
this movie many more times as I progressed through my teen and young adult years,
and now at the height of my maturity (so far), I still love the movie - if simply
for the feelings it evoked in me when I first laid eyes on it. Therefore,
I implore that you try view this movie through the eyes of a 10-year old in order
to see everything it represents - friendship, love, humour, adventure, courage,
freedom, and not just an ordinary attempt at animating the dreams of a young boy.
Laputa is the simple story of a youth named Pazu whose ambition it
is to seek out a legendary island floating in the sky, an island that his father
before him had photographed. Nobody believed in his father's photo however, and
he died in misery. Pazu's mission statement is thus to restore his father's good
name, as well as to complete the job his father had started. Being
a teenager doesn't deter his enthusiasm and it is only strengthened when he meets
and befriends Sheeta, a girl whose possession of a magic pendant may hold a secret
to the island. Unfortunately for the duo, a bunch
of lovable pirates and a battalion of not-so-lovable secret agents and their army
buddies have their eyes on the island too! With three competing factions vying
for the same thing, and each expecting different rewards, the stage is set for
a lot of action, suspense, and even a bit of comedy! The
music alone is almost worth sitting through the movie's two hours, and the stunning
visuals collaborate very well with its audio counterpart to produce a uniquely
innocent and wondrous atmosphere. An excellent movie
for the whole family; one which appeals to the entire spectrum of human emotions. |
| 3.
3rdEyeVision
Let me start by saying that this movie is no acception to the
Miyazaki rule. It's the best of the best. I watched this not too long after
seeing Spriggan, and I gotta say: They just don't make 'em like they used
to. Laputa - Castle in the Sky is now my current favorite Ghibli
movie, although it seems like each new one I watch takes the place of the last
as my favorite. I think it's appeal comes from the fact that it is such solid
story telling, the dated animation never crosses your mind. It's kind of the same
reason that Final Fantasy 3/6 is such a great game still to this day, even
when you put it up against a game like Final Fantasy X. If you have ever
seen any of Miyazaki's work, you will see most of the same elements here,
although I tend to think Sheeta is not as stong a female character as you might
expect. She depends on Pazu a lot to get by, and their friendship is what keeps
the stroy going. Besides the classic feel and great story , I did find some of
the supporting cast to be a little weak and underdeveloped. The Aircraft designs
were some of the worst I've seen since Cowboy Bebop, but it doesn't distract
you as much here, it almost fits. I did like the fact that the world this movie
takes place in a slightly more modern setting and does not seem like such high
fantasy. It has the feel of the wild west or early 1900's. You won't see dragons
or things of that nature, but you will find pirates, airships, crystals, and most
of the things you would expect from an old SNES Final Fantasy game.
I highly suggest it to anyone , but mostly fans of classic console RPGs and Studio
Ghibli fans. |
| 2.
Tempy  
Laputa has all the classic Miyazaki
elements - strong women (in this case Mama Dola the leader of the air pirates),
airships, pigs (not as prominent though), adventure. Sheeta has a mysterious stone
which can lead to the mythical Laputa, a floating castle in the sky. Pursued by
pirates, the army, and a villain named Muska, Sheeta finds herself aided by young
boy Pazu. Once again Miyazaki treats us to an enjoyable adventure with
likable characters. I especially liked the pirates. But somehow I found myself
enjoying this movie a lot less than say, Porco Rosso, Princess
Mononoke or Spirited Away. It has the magical moments
you get when watching Ghibli movies, but they seemed fewer in number.
Joe Hisaishi's score seemed less refined than his later works, Muska
is a totally uninspiring villain, and neither Pazu or Sheeta seemed to be memorable
protagonists as those in Nausicaa, Kiki's Delivery Service,
Princess Mononoke, Porco Rosso, or Whisper
of the Heart. Don't get me wrong though, it's still an entertaining movie,
and I do recommend it to anyone who has an interest in anime. |
| 1.
Hybrid
What do you get when you get flying insect like airplanes,
smutty and hungry air-pirates, a heroine with a mysterious past, a necklace made
out of pure levistone crystal, a mysterious flying giant robot, a young child
who works in a sliver mine and a legend about a mysterious flying island called
Laputa..............well you simply get the best adventure/action/drama movie
ever. Right from the opening scene you know that you in for a wonderful movie
as the designs of the airplanes and warships are simply breathing taking. If you
thought the airplane designs in Porco Rosso were good, well the designs
of the air planes and warships will just simply blow you away. The designs of
the airplanes that feature in this film are simply fantastic, as they definitely
show the love that Miyazaki has for airplanes. The designs of the airplanes
and warships in the movie are like the designs of the Crusade airship in Escaflowne,
but they have a more retro and solid look to them. The animation of the movie
is very detailed and bright. In particular the scene of the where Pazu and Sheeta
are being chased by the air-pirates on the train was simple breathing, as was
the scene of Sheeta and Pazu entering Laputa. The story of Laputa - Castle
in the Sky is about a girl named Sheeta who holds the key to the treasure
that her capturers and the airpirates are after, on the mysterious flying island
called Laputa. Even though that this film did contain a fair amount of action
in it, the movie still contained many humourous and gentle heartwarming moments
that makes Ghibli movies so appealing and universal. In conclusion, this
is a movie that tells storytelling at it's absolute best. Highly recommended. |
| 
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(4.7)