Castle In The Sky

Castle In The Sky, also known as Laputa: Castle In The Sky, and Laputa: The The Flying Island, was released in 1986 in Japan, and is also the first feature film animated by Studio Ghibli. American audiences were not introduced to Castle In The Sky until much later, when it saw its first English dub in 1989, and then its second English dub was done when it was released by Disney as part of the Studio Ghibli collection in 1998 and re-released in 2003. This classic anime feature is a steampunk classic, and one of the early films influencing the genre. The effects of Castle In The Sky are far reaching as the film has inspired many steampunk anime films and series, as well a books, and video games (including the hugely popular Final Fantasy series). Many polls have put Castle In The Sky as one of the most important animated films of all-time, and have almost unanimously positive reviews. Honestly I have yet to hear anyone say anything negative about this film, they have either never heard of it or love it. The film has had a great impact on Japanese pop-culture. Castle In The Sky's influence is seen also in mainstream American film releases such as the floating islands in films like Avatar, and many Pixar films, and many films in the steampunk genre owe their influence to Castle In The Sky. Earlier I said that this is the first film animated by Studio Ghibli, I feel like that needs explaining, as many fans are likely to be saying, but Nausica of the Valley of the Winds came first. That is true Nausica was released in 1984 and also written by Hayao Miyazaki, however technically Nausica was not animated by Studio Ghibli even though it was re-released by Disney under the Studio Ghibli collection. I just felt that that clarification needed to be made. Also, Castle In The Sky is taken from an earlier Miyazaki anime called Future Boy Conan from 1978 which featured many elements that would be used for Castle In The Sky. The name Laputa comes from the Johnathan Swift novel Gulliver's Travels where it is also depicted as a castle in the sky. The look and the feel of the mining town that is home to Pazu in the film is inspired by the Welsh mining town that Miyazaki visited during the miner's strike of 1985-85 (the strike was also a huge influence on many anarcho-punk bands like Chumbawamba). The working class people in the film were greatly inspired by the miners that he met and learned about, and by the way that the union stood up for the people during the strike. The miners in general were a huge influence on the steampunk genre, where it is a futuristic world still rooted in the industrial revolution. This is a great film, one of my favourite films of all time, and one of the greatest animated films of all-time. It deserves the critical acclaim that it has received. It is on the surface an enjoyable film, but it also has the typical Miyazaki social commentary that is critical of political powers, and features strong children as lead characters, showing strength and importance in even the smallest person. There is a reason that his films have endured through the generations, and will be loved and cherished for many generations to come, these are timeless films, that inspire people to do better, to find the hero within, to think about the natural world that we are a part of not apart of. These films are both visually breathtaking, with some of the most beautiful animation ever done, but also are filled with such great depth. People criticize anime, and there are such negative stereotypes, and that is a shame because films like Castle In The Sky have stood the test of time as being amazing works of art. Anime is an amazing art form, and though there are trash animes out there, the genre should not be simply written off, because there are masterpiece works of art in that genre as well. Would I recommend this film? Yes, Castle In The Sky is a must see film, for viewers of all ages. Honestly every kid should watch this film, and ever adult should re-watch this film, and every elderly person should re-re-watch this film, because it is a film with so much beauty and power that there is no age that can not love and appreciate this beautiful film. This should be placed high on every person's to watch list, and it should be revisited often. I don't care if you are a hardcore tough-guy, or a 4 year old kid, or an 90 year old grandma, this is a film that can be loved and cherished by all. This has been one of my favourite films since the first time that I saw it in my early 20s, and one that I revisit often.