02/24/06 Howl's Moving Castle

Howl's Moving Castle (2004), directed by Hayao Miyazaki

watched w/ Leslie & Joel; theater (Blue Ridge Cinema, Raleigh, NC)

Maybe I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed. Maybe I'm not the biggest fan of anime in the world. Maybe I should have tried some acid beforehand to make the movie appeal more to me. Whatever the case may be, these Japanese anime films always teeter delicately on the edge of absurdity. I know the idea is to make these fantastical tales spring to life before your amazed eyes, and I give the animators complete credit there. These flicks are pure delight to the senses of watching odd creatures, colorful landscapes, and sci-fi contraptions. That being said, I still find myself with a reality check in the theater saying to myself..."now why did the androgynous midget wearing a cape & beard fight the dancing turnip-head scarecrow jumping into the cursed walking castle?" If you follow that, good luck. Hey, the robotic castle walking the hills and morphing from century to century like a time machine is cool. Billy Crystal as a talking fireball in the hearth, a bit more unconventional. I know this blurb doesn't really explain the film, but if I tried, I'd lose you even more anyway. All I know is that Miyazaki's Spirited Away is much better than this one.

3 out of 5 stars