Unusually detailed animation glides hand in hand with the film’s aura of wonderment.
Castle in the Sky(天空の城ラピュタ)
✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ Read critic reviews
Japan · 1986
Rated PG · 2h 5m
Director Hayao Miyazaki
Starring Keiko Yokozawa, Mayumi Tanaka, Minori Terada, Kotoe Hatsui
Genre Adventure, Fantasy, Animation, Action, Family, Romance
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When a young boy named Pazu meets Sheeta, a girl with a magical crystal, he agrees to help her with her quest, but their journey is more perilous than they expect. Pirates, government agents, and many other dangers threaten them as they make their way to the lost civilization Sheeta calls home.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
The New York Times by Caryn James
Its detailed fantasy world, including a dark turn-of-the-century mining town and candy-colored futuristic space bikes, is as alluring as any live-action film. Yet this two-hour story about a lost princess, a flying island and space pirates is liable to strain the patience of adults and the attention spans of children.
Miyazaki’s concerns with the fragility and wonder of our less tangible surroundings haunt the picture without overpowering it.
ReelViews by James Berardinelli
Viewed from a purely narrative perspective, Castle in the Sky is a fun, engaging two hours. Miyazaki knows how to keep things moving without belaboring certain scenes. He doesn’t speak down to his audience and isn’t afraid to mix in exposition with action.
The A.V. Club by Tasha Robinson
On the lighthearted end of the Miyazaki spectrum, but it features more dashing adventure.
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