For week three of my tribute to Miyazaki, I am reviewing "Castle in the Sky," yet another wonderful animated fantasy adventure.
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki
Written by: Hayao Miyazaki
"Castle in the Sky" opens with a remarkable sight: a girl gently floating down from the sky. Pazu, a boy training as a mechanic in the mines, catches her before she lands and cares for her. When she wakes up, Pazu finds out that her name is Sheeta, and that she is running away from government agents who have kidnapped her because of the family heirloom she wears around her neck - a stone that glows when she is in danger.
Pazu soon finds himself not only helping Sheeta hide and escape from the government, but also from a family of sky pirates, who are more comical than scary. Together Pazu and Sheeta try to unravel the mystery of her family's past, the importance of the stone, and what it all has to do with the mythical place Pazu's father once saw : a castle in the sky.
"Castle in the Sky" once again follows Miyazaki's common theme of how human greed and corruption can ruin a beautiful and peaceful environment. In this film, the government's desire to find and utilize the technology that can be found in the abandoned castle causes them to take drastic measures, such as kidnapping and threatening a young girl. The government's desire for the technology is also for military reasons, not peaceful purposes that would benefit mankind.
I give "Castle in the Sky" two paws up for being an animated feature that was ahead of its time. Not only does it have romance and adventure, it also has giant robots, glowing stones, mystery, air ships, and a lost civilization floating in the clouds!
