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Howl's Moving Castle - Miyazaki's new animated fea

SkullboX
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SkullboX polycounter lvl 18
It's been out a while in japan and I got a chance to see it at a local arthouse cinema yesterday with my girlfriend - though hopefully Disney will release it on a larger scale at some point as well.

The storytelling in this film wasn't as good as it was in Spirited Away in my opinion, but it probably is the best looking 2D animated feature 've ever seen. Especially the first half of the film you're constantly in awe of the amazing detail of a fictional world that seemed to be a mix derived from European fashion, technology and architecture from the past 500 years up until world war one or so.

The story is great as well, about an 18-year-old girl no who a spell is cast where she suddenly turns into an old woman, but I found that the storytelling became a bit inconsistent about halfway into the film. But still, in spite of that, it's still one of the most impressive and certainly the best looking 2D animated film I've ever seen, so make sure you check it out if you have a chance to catch it on a big screen. smile.gif

Anyone else got a chance to see this?

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  • Rick Stirling
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    Rick Stirling polycounter lvl 18
    I was disappointed - it still had all the Studio Ghibli animated charm, but the story seemed weak on the whole. I do honestly beleive that it was puely the surce material that was to blame as Miyazaki is usually great. i haven't read th original story though.

    Totoro is the best love film ever smile.gif
  • rooster
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    rooster mod
    I've read the book, still to see the film which I look forward to. The book is aimed at a youngish audience but I still very much enjoyed it- I actually heard Miyazaki changed a fair bit to suit his own preferences, but thats a rumour my animator friend heard. wont know if thats true till I've been.
  • Rick Stirling
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    Rick Stirling polycounter lvl 18
    Rooster - it's been and gone in the UK.
  • rooster
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    rooster mod
    bugger I always wait too long. DVD it is then.
  • hawken
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    hawken polycounter lvl 19
    lol I watched this in Japan. Not a clue what was going on TBH
  • jzero
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    jzero polycounter lvl 18
    Yeah, it was out in the US this summer, too (noticing that all you guys are on Atlantic Right). I didn't see it, but then my daughter was still 'inside', and coincidentally in the process of becoming a huge Miyazaki fan as well.

    I heard it wasn't one of his best, as well. But Skullbox, saying it's not as good as 'Spirited Away' is like saying any other regular movie isn't as good as 'Citizen Kane'.

    /jzero
  • thomasp
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    thomasp hero character
    so - this "citizen kane" is considered good? wink.gif seriously, never seen it.

    i thought spirited away wasn't considered one of miyazaki's best either, people seem to recommend his older works - princess mononoke comes to mind. loved both.
    let's see if and when howl comes into cinemas over here. but with my usual luck i'll have missed it's run already.
  • jzero
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    jzero polycounter lvl 18
    Oh, you Europeans! Yeah, it's so good it's an idiom... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033467/#comment Uh, I'm scrounging for a contextual equivalent... are Fassbinder and Werner Herzog still the big guys in German cinema? wink.gif

    'Princess Mononoke' is excellent, but more of an adult story. 'Spirited Away' is the best of his children's material that I've seen, it has a fully-formed world and a great fairy-tale storyline that doesn't hit you over the head.

    /jzero
  • SkullboX
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    SkullboX polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    Skullbox, saying it's not as good as 'Spirited Away' is like saying any other regular movie isn't as good as 'Citizen Kane'.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    Well visually I did find it even more impressive, but you have a point. Spirited Away's the best animated film I've ever seen and I didn't expect it to be better either. But with Princess Mononoke being his second best work (imo) only after improving himself with Spirited Away, I did have some hopes. I was still compeltely blown away, though probably in part because it was the first 2D feature I had seen on the big screen since Aladdin....

    Can't say the same about Citizen Kane though. Although I acknowledge its artistic importance, I didn't like it all that much. smile.gif
  • Rhinokey
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    Rhinokey polycounter lvl 18
    we had a day a while back here at mythic where we all took off and went and saw it, i liked it
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