CASTLE IN THE SKY

Year: 1986
Rated PG
Genre: Adventure, Anime, Children, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Language: Japanese
​Runtime: 2:04:00
Director: 宮崎 駿 (Hayao Miyazaki)
Main Cast: 田中 真弓 (Mayumi Tanaka), 難波 啓子 (Keiko Yokozawa)

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I've watched a couple Miyazaki films, including this film, his most famous, universally acclaimed Spirited Away and the lesser known, also very critically acclaimed Princess Mononoke. Both Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke won the Oscar equivalent of Best Picture at the Japanese equivalent of the Oscars. Out of the three films, I like Castle in the Sky the most. Spirited Away was a jumbled mess of incoherent, cool ideas. Princess Mononoke just needed... work. Castle in the Sky was grounded, focused and complete. It's no short of creativity. Difference is all its cool ideas revolve around a core concept, Laputa.

I cried the first time I saw Castle in the Sky. When I was watching the film the second time, I waited for that scene, that trigger that made me cry the first time. Having that expectation ruined the second watch. I recently saw the film for the third time. My ultimate takeaway is Castle in the Sky is a really solid film. It's got a good story. The animation is good. It's a film that can be enjoyed by both children and adult. A great family movie night kind of film.

Castle in the Sky is the first film on the list from the 80s! And it's not 1989, not 1988, or 1987. It's from 1986! Castle in the Sky doesn't feel like an 80s film. The animation, the production feels modern.

May 26, 25.