Rating: PG
Genre:
Fantasy
Theatrical Release: 11/20/2004(Japan),
Release Date: 03/07/2006
Dubbed: English/French/Japanese
Sound: DD5.1
Run Time: 119 Minutes
Flags: Suitable for Children, Scary Moments
Distributor/Studio: Walt Disney Video
Hayao Miyazaki, the Japanese animation director who wowed audiences worldwide with his award-winning film
Spirited Away, brings another visually spectacular tale of imagination to the screen.
Sophie is an 18-year-old girl who toils in the hat shop opened years ago by her late father. Often harassed by local boys, one day
Sophie is unexpectedly befriended by
Howl, a strange but flamboyant wizard whose large home can travel under its own power. However, the
Witch of the Waste is displeased with
Sophie and
Howl's budding friendship, and turns the pretty young woman into an ugly and aged hag.
Sophie takes shelter in
Howl's castle, and attempts to find a way to reverse the witch's spell with the help of
Calcifer, a subdued but powerful demon who exists in the form of fire, and
Markl, who protects the four-way door which can instantly take visitors to other lands and dimensions.
Howl's Moving Castle was released in North America by
Walt Disney Pictures, who distributed the film both in its original Japanese and in a dubbed English version; the English-speaking voice cast includes
Christian Bale,
Emily Mortimer,
Jean Simmons,
Lauren Bacall, and
Billy Crystal.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
;)
