DVD Review: Castle in the Sky (2-Disc Studio Ghibli Edition)

Release Date: March 2nd, 2010
Running Time: 125 minutes

The Film

The film revolves around a young girl named Sheeta (Anna Paquin) who gets kidnapped by the nefarious Colonel Muska (Mark Hamill) because he is obsessed with a crystal pendant Sheeta received from her grandmother. The zeppelin she is held hostage on is attacked by sky pirates under the leadership of a woman named Dola (Cloris Leachman), also apparently after the pendant. During the commotion Sheeta falls over board, but her pendant releases a blue light that helps her float down to safety.

Sheeta soon encounters a boy named Pazu (James Van Der Beek) with a penchant for exploration. He regales her with tales about a lost city called Laputa filled with ancient technology that lets it float in the sky. Pazu’s father lost his credibility for believing in this city, and Patu wants to prove the naysayers wrong. Sheeta’s pendant may hold the key to discovering the lost treasures of Laputa, causing the pair to be endlessly pursued by Muksa and Dola.

Castle in the Sky has a more archetypal, traditional story and characters than most of Miyazaki’s later work. It is essentially girl gets captured, girl meets boy, girl and boy go on an adventure. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, the action-filled pacing of the film is unique among Miyazaki’s work, featuring air ships, pirates, explosions, trains, and the titular flying castle. The adventure moves forward at a blistering speed that is sure to appeal to American audiences who haven’t appreciated Miyazaki’s other films. Though it is different and lacks the same level of emotional depth, Castle in the Sky maintains a common Studio Ghibli theme of the dangers of technology and finding balance with nature. These universal threads ensure that Castle in the Sky never feels out of place.

The art design is as impressive as ever. Mechanical elements blend with natural ones, and the result is wholly Miyazaki. The fantasy world is every bit as memorable as his other films. Being over two decades old, the animation isn’t quite as smooth as more current Studio Ghibli titles, but it is still riddled with nuanced detail, natural movements, and other trademark Miyazaki characteristics.

Simply put, Castle in the Sky is a grand adventure with a widespread appeal that is a perfect title to introduce new audiences to Miyazaki’s style. It’s not necessarily Miyazaki’s most celebrated film, but it is at the roots of Studio Ghibli’s success and is an artistic achievement worth celebrating in its own right.

The Disc

The video is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. Primary colors are exceptionally vivid, especially in the scenery. Fine detail shows of the intricate artwork and gorgeous hand-drawn animation, but many shots do suffer from some blurriness. Compression artifacts and print damage also lessen the visual quality. This is one of Miyazaki’s oldest films and it shows, but even with these moderate problems the art style still leaps off of the screen.

The audio is offered in English/Japanese/French Dolby Digital Surround Sound with English/French subtitles. Though the audio is mostly crisp, it is a very front-heavy track. Seeing as how this is one of Miyazaki’s most action-heavy films, the mix could have been more immersive. The rear channels are reserved mostly for music (which sounds amazing) and some occasional ambience. Dialogue is balanced, but it sounds a touch flat.

The Extras

Pixar legend John Lasseter offers a brief introduction to the film and Miyazaki, praising the director’s influential body of work.

Animation buffs will be happy to know you can watch the entire film with the Original Japanese Storyboards. Take note future animators—this is how it is done.

The rest of the special features are similar to the other Ghibli releases under the heading of “The World of Ghibli.” The content is split between two sub-categories.

“Behind the Studio” contains behind-the-scenes featurettes about the film:

“The World of Laputa” (2 minutes) has Miyazaki discussing his design influences from Wales to the work of John Ford.

“Creating Castle in the Sky” (4 minutes) covers the genesis of the project, more influences, and the themes of the film.

“Character Sketches” (3 minutes) has Miyazaki discussing the creation of Sheeta and Pazu against a backdrop of design sketches.

“Producer’s Perspective: Meeting Miyazaki” (3 minutes) is an interview with Studio Ghibli Producer Toshio Suzuki recalling how he first met Miyazaki.

“Scoring Miyazaki” (7 minutes) is a segment with Composer Joe Hisaishi while “Behind the Microphone” (4 minutes) interviews the English voice cast and shows behind-the-scenes footage of their recording sessions.

The Original Japanese Trailers are offered as well.

The other section is “Enter the Lands” where you can click on an interactive map to see character/story information and video clips for other Ghibli films. This is the same as the other Ghibli re-releases and includes: Creating Ponyo (4 minutes); Creating My Neighbor Totoro (3 minutes); and Creating Kiki’s Delivery Service (3 minutes).

Lastly, a collectible lithograph is included with the set.

Final Thoughts

Castle in the Sky may not be Miyazaki’s best, but it is still leagues ahead of most other animated films. Even though the video transfer shows the film’s age and could have used more restoration, the film should still be a staple entry in any Miyazaki collection.