Castle in the Sky

The Phantom Zone Anime Review Site.

Castle in the Sky

Distributor: Walt-Disney, Buena Vista, Studio Ghibli
Original Story: Hayao Miyazaki
Volumes: N/A
Rating: PG (violence in the sky)
Anime Class: E

Pazu, an engineer's apprentice, meets Sheeta when she literally falls into his arms. Together, the two set out to find the floating caste Laputa. Along the way, they encounter pirates, army, and a deranged businessman who knows more about what's going on than anyone expects.

Review: Ever since I saw Spirited Away, I've been a big fan of Miyazaki's films. In this one, Miyazaki does a perfect job of displaying the characters. While some producers rely on flashy effects and big-name celebrities to make a masterpiece, Miyazaki brings Pazu, Sheeta, Dola, and the rest to life through their personalities. Some of my favorite voice actors lend their talent to this film including Anna Paquin, and Mark Hammill does a great villain. Definitely get this one.

Action Level: 4/5
Lots of shooting but no death by such.

Romance Level: 2/5
You can tell that something's going to eventually develop between Pazu and Sheeta but Miyazaki shows it subtly.

Comedy Level: 3/5
The pirates were overdone a little bit but not bad.

Adult Level: 1/5
Like I said earlier, lots of shooting and not much else.

Drama Level: 4/5
Most of this is from Sheeta discovering her past as well as the relationship between Pazu and Sheeta when Pazu leaves the army castle.

Overall Level: 4/5
This is a great movie. I highly recommend it. The DVD version contains a good bunch of extras. At the very least, rent it.