opinions about Howl's moving castle

WOW WOW WOW WOW

oh ähm hi
i saw this movie on last Sunday and WOW. I like this movie so much. It is incredible cool. Jiji you had right to say that Miyazaki movies are made for theatre screens. WOW. I like Keizifer he is so cool. Oh I forgot the name of the boy who always pull himself a beard in his face. The OST of this movie is nice and like the OST in other movies of Ghibli. However there were some things which I found not good, but these things have nothing to do with the movie itself. The german voice of the young girl Sophie and the german voice of the old woman Sophie was the same. So the young girl Sophie sounds like the old woman. That was a little strange. Another thing I didn't find good was that the movie was shown in a small room without a surround sound system. Only stereo. I like the scene in which the haircolor of Howl change because he use the wrong stuff for his hairs (Sophie had cleaned the howl castle) . I saw the discussion about the haircolor of Howl on the forum and I think that black is better.
Finaly I say that I will buy this movie immediately when it is released

cu

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... grin .... I just counted and I now have 10 ticket stubs to HMC - and the last theater in town playing it decided to extend it another week... somebody stop me!

I guess I've seen it so many times because I love the art, the story, everything! But I still find some new tiny obscure little detail everytime I watch it. You can't help but be impressed what you get when you put a bunch of cohesive artistic minds together.

That's too bad Sophie's voice is the same, that makes no sense. Part of the coolness, is the ever-changing faces and voices of Sophie.

ps. The official german site has a flash puzzle game which is just too cool! the picture pieces move!
http://www.rtl.de/film/specials/dws/dws_main_content.html

Click on the blue portal and select "Spiel"

I'm so easily amused... sigh....

__________________
Omoide no oku ni
yuragu hohoemi wa
toki no hajime kara no
sekai no yakusoku. - Promise of the World

-- Why did Chihiro have to let go of Haku's hand? Why Chihiro do you make me cry buckets of tears?... sob--

Please report pirated Ghibli/Disney products: tips@disneyantipiracy.com or the confidential Antipiracy voice mail hotline, 818-560-3300.
Please protect Mr. Miyazaki's works.

My Howl's MC viewing addiction - final theatre count: 11 showings

Yea seeing Howl's Moving Castle in a theatre is really incredible and magical. Though Howl is not my favourite Ghibli movie (gotta blame Kiki, Totoro and Sen ), the viewing experience stands out as one of the best in mind. The stunning landscapes and visual effects seem to have teleported you into an alternate universe of fantasy, magic and imagination. I can still vividly remember the scene of the very first appearance of the castle.

In a peaceful grassland, there are two lonely houses and a flock of sheep. Some mountains at a distance are covered with snow. Seemingly from far away, there are strange "pssst" and "thump" sounds. A huge cloud of mist slowly transcends over the land surface, where short blades of grass dance briskly under the light breeze. Something awkward and unrecognizable shows up in the whiteness, blowing out a puff of black smoke. With the strange sound becoming lourder and louder, a gigantic creature gradually emerges, with pieces and parts swinging and moving independently, as if every one of them has a soul of itself. The sudden appearance of the bizarre creature may have disrupted the peace and quietness of the countryside. But surprisingly, the castle, the grasslands and the snowy mountain matches with each other harmoniously, forming a truly breathtaking and unforgettable scenery of a magical world...

Oh well I am far too absorbed into my memory and have almost forgotten that I am facing a tiny PC screen and blocks of boring text in the library . I cannot afford the go to the theatre for multiple times, but I am glad that my memory has done a pretty nice job, at least for the meantime. I just have to recall the scenes again and again to prevent them from fading out into the mist of nowhere. Anyway I will make sure that I will get the DVD as soon as it is released.

Talking about the voice-actors, as far as I know, the Japanese voices for young and old Sophie are also of the same person. But she has tried her best to make the 20-year-old voice as distinct from the 90-year-old one as possible. I wonder if this is the case for the German Sophie? Or did she just read the script throughout the movie and did nothing else at all? And just a reminder, the boy is called Markl.

P.S. I haven't tried the game yet, but I will make sure to check it after I have returned home

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ah yes his name was Markl, thanks Jiji. I will buy the DVD when it is realeased too. I hope thats going fast. I can't wait to long.

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Great film, but way too many plot holes near the end and the ending is practically the definition of deus ex machina, though.

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“Miyazaki is the greatest living animator… His frames are brilliantly, sunnily ‘lit’, with exhilarating shifting perspectives and cinematic movement, and a drawing style that is as detailed and dense as Brueghel.” — Philip Lopate, Film Comment

I liked it. It was alittle too confusing tho.....

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Evil Enough For You?

I liked it (as I figured I would), but as mentioned, there were alot of confusing parts (although now that i've read some summaries of the book it was based on, and the film also, it makes alot more sense).

Even without the confusing stuff, I felt the pacing was off. The first part of the movie was well-paced and steady, but the last half seemed really rushed and alot crammed in.

I think maybe if Miyazaki had another hour for the film, he could've explained things better and evened it out more.

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Planning to see it on Friday, looks good

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The film has finally made it out here in England. I had the pleasure of seeing it last night in Manchester, subtitled with an audience who were clearly there to enjoy the film (as opposed to their mobile phones et al).

This, due to extremely bad planning in the past, was the first Miyazaki/Ghibli film I've seen on the big screen. WOW! Leaving aside every other consideration, the visuals alone on the big screen were simply breathtaking. Howl & Sophie's air walk was just an exhilarating, beautiful piece of animation. If anyone does get the chance to see this film on the big screen, grab that chance with both hands. I can only imagine what the train journey in Spirited, the Gyroscope flight in Totoro and similar scenes must look like on the big screen.

Regardless...

The film, to my mind, is another worthy addition to the Miyazaki/Ghibli canon. I'm with Jiji in that it doesn't quite measure up to the perfection of Totoro/Kiki's/Sprited, it is easily the equal of Nausicaa/Laputa and Miyazaki's other works.

The little touches - the manner in which Markl's beard would appear, the way Calcifer would clamber onto logs placed in the fireplace and the idylic field where Howl's childhood retreat was to name but three - are what sets Ghibli's work above all others. Only Pixar, along with Ghibli, seems to understand that animation can set the imagination free. The chasm between SG and the likes of Dreamworks animation and their ilk has just gotten wider still.

On top of this is yet another marvelous score by Hisaishi Joe.

On our way out of the cinema, my wife was in tears from the sheer joy of the film and I was already planning a return trip. The DVD of HMC simply cannot come out quickly enough.

Now to work some overtime to pay for the Art of.., the soundtrack and everything else I've just ordered from Japan.

Should this prove to be Miyazaki's last film, and I sincerely hope it isn't, then it would be a worthy end to a peerless career.

Are there enough good words to say about HMC ?!

Brendon

I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I miss it so!

It is a great thing you saw it on the theatre screen. I think part of the reason why the movie brought so much joy was because I felt like I was stepping into a painting, a beautiful painting at that - and a large theatre screen just adds to the effect.

Speaking of those prize little details - if you see it again. you may notice Calcifer's flames are quite fun to watch too (sometimes his face "splits" when he is speaking, or how he uses his "fire" arm to dry the wood that is getting dripped on), even the leaves falling in the wind are detailed (some have bug bites in them).

Some of my friends have opted to "wait for the dvd." It's too bad they missed out.

__________________
Omoide no oku ni
yuragu hohoemi wa
toki no hajime kara no
sekai no yakusoku. - Promise of the World

-- Why did Chihiro have to let go of Haku's hand? Why Chihiro do you make me cry buckets of tears?... sob--

Please report pirated Ghibli/Disney products: tips@disneyantipiracy.com or the confidential Antipiracy voice mail hotline, 818-560-3300.
Please protect Mr. Miyazaki's works.

My Howl's MC viewing addiction - final theatre count: 11 showings

quote:

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Originally posted by howl_chan_wa_kawaii
Speaking of those prize little details - if you see it again. you may notice Calcifer's flames are quite fun to watch too (sometimes his face "splits" when he is speaking, or how he uses his "fire" arm to dry the wood that is getting dripped on), even the leaves falling in the wind are detailed (some have bug bites in them).

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Loved it, but it was changed too much from the original story.

1. It's MICHAEL not Markle. Yes, I know that the Japanese name is Marukur, but that's as close as they can get. The English should have kept it as Michael. Also he's 15 and has a crush on Sophie's sister...

2. The WotW. a: She's not fat. In fact sometimes she's bony, other times completely different. Also, she's supposed to be PURE EVIL. She shouldn't get turned old and repent. I dislike the touch of her forcing Fanny into hurting Sophie.

3. The Elimination of:

1. Wizard Suliman
2. Madam Penstemmon
3. Martha Hatter
4. Miss Angorian
They elimanted Martha entirely, which is a HUGE part of the book. Michael falls in love with her, thinking it's Sophie's other sister Lettie. The switched places, Bakery (Cesari's) and Mrs. Fairfax's (Witch).

They elimated they bit of sorrow you'd have for the WotW, her fire demon. Miss Angorian was an evil/corrupt version of Calcifer.

Combining Wizard Suliman and Mrs. Pentsemmon is a No-no. Seeing as Mrs. Penstemmon dies, and Lettie marries the Wizard...

4. The WAR. There is no war in the book. This along with Howl turning into a monster, and Prince Justin being the scarecrow...


I hated the changes, but it was still a great movie.

I can't describe my feeling for this film. It's just so...so....magical. I really x10000 love Howl and every time when I see the end I have to cry, not because it's sooo good but because the Howl-ness has ended. I want to see more ;_; It just gives me a kick everytime I see the first scene with Howl.
It's not that it's the best Ghibli-film ever, but it just gives me a strange (nice) feeling inside every time I watch it.

That's my opinion about HMC

I didn't particularly liked it, actually. Felt weak.

Will elaborate when I have the time, but in a nutshell: too many holes, too rushed, abrupt ending.

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I am Roarkiller.
No one else is me.

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quote:

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Originally posted by fenkashi
Screw your opinions, they are not relevant ^^.

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Hi, I'm a newbie, n I'm from Indonesia.

I crushed on GHIBLI just when I watched Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakusei.
So, I can't say much about GHIBLI's movies,
but... I like Howl's!!!

even thou they said that the story isn't good enough,
but I like the adventure in Howl's Moving Castle!!

You see, since I was a little, I lived in the big city,
and the village out town ain't cool enough to be explored. They all looks like a small town, instead of a village, with green grass, just like in Howl's secret hideaway. hehehe...

So, somehow, Howl's MC really gives me a thrill of an adventure taste...
(Pardon me if my english is such a mess... I'm still learning... XP )

Ah, yes! I think, I love Howl's Moving Castle....

Post last edited by rurito on 12.29.2005, 08:52 AM.

What's strange is that I've heard that the people in the U.S. that live in the East (NC, SC, etc) like HMC more than the people in the West...I wonder why? But, I REALLY enjoy HMC, and although it's confusing (the movie, if you've read the book first) I quite enjoyed the characters, and the OST.

quote:

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Originally posted by The Legend Of Ashitaka
Loved it, but it was changed too much from the original story.

1. It's MICHAEL not Markle. Yes, I know that the Japanese name is Marukur, but that's as close as they can get. The English should have kept it as Michael. Also he's 15 and has a crush on Sophie's sister...

2. The WotW. a: She's not fat. In fact sometimes she's bony, other times completely different. Also, she's supposed to be PURE EVIL. She shouldn't get turned old and repent. I dislike the touch of her forcing Fanny into hurting Sophie.

3. The Elimination of:

1. Wizard Suliman
2. Madam Penstemmon
3. Martha Hatter
4. Miss Angorian
They elimanted Martha entirely, which is a HUGE part of the book. Michael falls in love with her, thinking it's Sophie's other sister Lettie. The switched places, Bakery (Cesari's) and Mrs. Fairfax's (Witch).

They elimated they bit of sorrow you'd have for the WotW, her fire demon. Miss Angorian was an evil/corrupt version of Calcifer.

Combining Wizard Suliman and Mrs. Pentsemmon is a No-no. Seeing as Mrs. Penstemmon dies, and Lettie marries the Wizard...

4. The WAR. There is no war in the book. This along with Howl turning into a monster, and Prince Justin being the scarecrow...


I hated the changes, but it was still a great movie.

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You cant take to much credit off the movie from the book, they were VERY different. I would say to different to compare. But no matter what I love them both

I saw it in theaters too (so happy!) And cant wait fr it to come out here in the US. I think it comes out in march, sometime in spring anyway.

Yeah...the movie was completely different. The parts that I kind of disliked the most is...


1.) The fact that Howl's Moving Castle didn't show that Howl actually was from England...
2.) That it didn't really show the whole prophecy thing occurring...and
3.) It wasn't as funny as was the book. OH WELL! It's still good!!!!

The movie comes like what, March 7?