Studio Ghibli are quickly becoming one of my favourite studios. Until very recently I had only seen Spirited Away (2001) and I would sing its praises anytime anyone would ask. However, I saw the film over a decade ago and my attempts to see other Ghibli films had fallen flat. They are not available on any streaming services online and the DVDs, even second hand, are very pricey. Then over the summer Film 4 ran a Studio Ghibli season, showcasing several of the studios works. My prayers had been answered (even if I only find out halfway through April and so missed Grave of the Fireflies [1988]). This was my chance to catch up with a Studio whose sole work I had seen I had loved, and whose film library I had heard only great things about. That leads us to now, where I am slowly getting through the films, starting with My Neighbour Totoro (1988), Princess Mononoke (1997) and, the film in question, Castle in the Sky (1986). The film opens with an airship being attacked by Pirates who are after a young girl named Sheeta (Keiko Yokozawa), but we are not sure as to why. In her attempted escape she falls from the airship but is saved by a mysterious stone amulet she is wearing and falls into a mining village where she is found by a young boy named Pazu (Mayumi Tanaka). Pazu nurses Sheeta back to health and soon finds out that she is somehow connect to the legendary Laputa, the castle in the sky, which his father had claimed to have seen years ago. Pazu and Sheeta set out to find the floating castle whilst being pursued by Pirates, the Army and a mysterious spy group who are all attempting to find the castle for their own personal gains.
This film was the first to be animated and released by Studio Ghibli and it is a very strong start. It is a good statement of intent from the studio, even if it doesn't hit the heights of some of their later films and is also the start of their long-lasting relationship with legendary director Hayao Miyazaki. If I was to rank this film out of the other Ghibli films I have seen it would come at the bottom, but this does not mean that I did not enjoy the film, far from it in fact. However, there are elements of the film that I feel could be stronger mainly regarding the story and characters. The story is not exactly the most interesting of stories and some character decisions seem slightly off and not exactly earned, but they are not at all bad, just not the most inspired. The characters are all fun, but many are just standard caricatures, especially the villain who is very stereotypical, stopping short of having the moustache to twirl. But this doesn’t stop them from being enjoyable and fun. The pirates especially are a lot of fun, being the main victims of the slapstick comedy that is used throughout the film. One moment I particularly enjoyed was towards the beginning where one of the pirates squares up to Pazu's boss, flexes, and burst through his short. In response the boss also flexes, and his shirt almost explodes off his body. This is the best example of the ridiculous slapstick that animation allows the film to perform and got the biggest laugh out of me. But the tone that the slapstick gives off is in opposition to the tone of several other scenes where the film attempts to be more serious. This can sometimes be a little jarring but on the whole is not too much of a problem.
The story of the film may not be as strong as it possibly could be, but it is forgivable when the visual style and imager is as good as it is in this film. This film is beautiful. The imagination that has gone into this film is incredible and it leads to just constant stunning imagery, although even with my short experience with Ghibli and Miyazaki I am not at all surprised. The creature design in Ghibli films is always exceptional and this film is no different with there being some brilliantly creative and beautiful animated creatures when we get to the castle. The colours in the film pop beautifully and jump out of the screen, making the world these characters inhabit feel well and truly alive, and it is a world with several stunning locales. The mining town, the army base and the inside and outside of the castle all have beautifully created looks and styles to them which sets them apart and makes them all memorable, with the castle gardens being a favourite locale of mine. The scope of the visuals is superb as well. When the film wants to show you the size of an area or a character they do so brilliantly, and you understand as the audience member the sheer size that the filmmakers are trying to get across. The detail that goes into the imagery is superb and all of these little details that they include only add to the realism of the film (or at least as real as an animated film can feel). The best moment in the film, both visually and within the story, comes as Pazu and Sheeta attempt to traverse a vicious storm to reach the castle. The visuals in this sequence are stunning. Pink flashes of lightning jump at the screen, often times looking like hands trying to grab our protagonists, whilst cloud swirls around them. The scene feels the most visceral, especially when one blast of lightning comes close to hitting our heroes and the sound cuts out completely. The silence accentuates the danger of the scene, similar to how Spielberg uses muffled sound in the opening of Saving Private Ryan (1998). The visuals and sound design in this scene are executed to perfection and it was the standout moment of this film. And speaking of sound design I would be doing the film a disservice if I didn't at least mention the soundtrack of the film which is also brilliant and gives the film an extra dimension that would be sorely missed if the soundtrack was not so superb.
Ghibli is a studio I cannot recommend enough, and Castle in the Sky is a film that I would urge you to see, although I don't think there is any need to rush out to see it. It is a beautifully designed and imagined film with stunning locations and memorable character design, with a great soundtrack to match. But the story is not super strong, and the characters are more memorable for their looks then they are for their actual character. If I was to recommend a Ghibli film for you to rush out and see it would be Princess Mononoke, but that doesn't mean you should overlook Castle in the Sky. Even if you aren't completely sucked in by the narrative the visuals are enough to sell this film to you and give you an enjoyable experience, and it is with these visuals where the film goes from your run of the mill animated film to a beautiful visual experience.