Laputa: Castle in the Sky: Special Edition DVD (U)

Dir: Hayao Miyazaki, 1986, Japan, 124 mins, Japanese with subtitles

This is thought by many to be Miyazaki’s best film, and the action, as with most anime films is not lacking. Laputa: Castle in the Sky begins with an explosive sequence as sky pirates try to overcome a government airship in order to obtain a luminous magic crystal from its young passenger, Sheeta. First impressions are that the pirates represent the forces of evil against the good law enforcers and special agents. Those impressions are soon switched as an allegiance is formed between Sheeta, the long lost Princess of the island kingdom Laputa, her new friend Pazu, a foundry worker with this heart in the clouds and, the pirates.

Motivation is the key golden thread upon which all the subplots are casually draped. Sheeta’s mysterious crystal along with two secret spells has been passed to her by her grandmother, and has pulled her towards Laputa her entire life. Pazu’s father, a daring pilot, was the only person to have unlocked the secret of getting to the fantasy land, but died without anyone believing him except his son. Pazu thus made it his ambition in life to rediscover his father’s treasure. Stories of treasure of the physical kind drive the sky pirates, and the ultimately deadly power of Laputa is sought by the government agents for world domination purposes.

The action is breathtaking and often spectacular, yet in Laputa: Castle in the Sky, it is poetically punctuated with slower, quieter scenes. The moral quandary of beauty’s ultimately destructive power is broached magnificently and is guaranteed to shiver one’s timbers. The artistry and imagination are typically high end, particularly when it comes to the flying machines and robots that are the keepers of Laputa until the auspicious day that a leader will return.

It is sometimes difficult to keep up with the concepts being hurled towards you as the creatives obviously had free reign on the comic book story, which adds depth and character to the old fashioned take of seeking that Brave New World. As a classic held in the highest esteem, well ahead of its time, it is the best delicate introduction one could hope for into the world of anime films, suiting adults and children alike.

Extras:
Storyboard designs take you through the creative aspect of the film in a Monty Python come Heath Robinson kind of way. Other extras include History of the Castle in the Sky; alternative angle storyboards and trailers for the Studio Ghibli back catalogue.

Matthew Roman Kopinski