Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #930 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-02-27
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 125 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Inspired by Gulliver's Travels, the fantasy-adventure Castle in the Sky was Hayao Miyazaki's third feature, and helped to establish his reputation as a visionary in both Japan and America. The orphan Sheeta inherited a mysterious crystal that links her to the legendary sky-kingdom of Laputa. With the help of resourceful Pazu and a rollicking band of sky pirates, she makes her way to the ruins of the once-great civilization. Sheeta and Pazu must outwit the evil Muska, who plans to use Laputa's science to make himself ruler of the world. Castle echoes elements in Myazaki's earlier Nausicaä, and anticipates imagery in his later films, from My Neighbor Totoro to Spirited Away. Disney's new English dub, which features Anna Paquin (Sheeta), James Van Der Beek (Pazu), and Cloris Leachman (pirate matriarch Dola), is lively and close in tone to the original Japanese, if a bit talkier. The exciting flying sequences, appealing characters, and fantastic vision of a steam-powered future Jules Verne might have imagined make Castle in the Sky a must-have for fans of Japanese and Western animation. --Charles Solomon , Amazon.com

Customer Reviews

A masterpiece in storytelling
This is another Hayao Miyazaki masterpiece. As with his other films, the strength is in the story and the storytelling. Even though this supposed to be a children film, it has a strong appeal to adults, with the intrigue of the power play between the characters and people are not what they first appear. There is the additional puzzle if you want to work out who's providing the voice for the villain, it's Mark Hamill. Always wondered what he did after playing Luke Skywalker! The only downside and why it might not appeal to some is that the animation is a bit dated, it doesn't have the bright pizzazz of some of the more modern Pixar, Disney or Dreamwork animation, but well worth taking the time to watch.

Lovely in parts but a lot of fight/ chase scenes for young children
This film is lovely in parts but a lot of fight/ chase scenes for young children which has put me off watching it with my daughter. I do love Miyazaki though and am slowly working my way through all his films! Delivery was good.

Inspiring
All of the usual colourful characters and outstanding music conspire to make this film one of the best in its genre. You can watch it again and again. It explores themes of love, sacrifice, growth and decay; the animation is consistently beautiful. Greattttt