Castle in the Sky (1986) Review

Title: Castle in the Sky

Year: 1986

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Country: Japan

Language: Japanese

Hayao Miyazaki wanted his third feature-length animated picture, Castle in the Sky, to be simple and entertaining enough to please "elementary school age" children. As a result, Miyazaki created self-imposed limitations in regards to scope and style of animation and the film compares to more classic forms of anime. With this picture he sought to “help resurrect traditionally entertaining manga- or cartoon-style films.” 

A young boy (James Van Der Beek)  and a girl (Anna Paquin) with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle.

Miyazaki avoids clear signifiers of time and setting, despite designing his film’s pseudo-Celtic culture from the mining culture of Wales. He juxtaposes varied clothing styles and technologies as non-indicators representative of an alternate world. The castle itself derives its shape from an inspired mixture of M.C. Esher, classic fairy tale imagery, and the ruins of ancient civilizations all wrapped up into a single construct.  The castle represents the ideologies of the past and the potential dangers of the future

The intended ease of Castle in the Sky presents a Miyazaki work that doesn't tread far beyond shallow water. Granted, this is still a greater picture than anything Disney had released in the 1980's. Often Miyazaki's pictures appeal to adults and children somewhat equally, but this picture is the exception in regards to tipping the scale too far towards children. 

Minor environmentalist and anti-technology themes reveal a little bit of depth, but the picture is mainly comprised of exciting chases and remarkable imagery. At heart its an escapist picture meant to make its audience lose itself in the feeling of adventure. Certainly a fine viewing.