LAPUTA:
CASTLE IN THE SKY: It’s so full of action, it doesn’t even have time for
exposition
Legends
tell of a city hidden in the skies, but Pazu thinks that it is not just a mere
legend. One night, Pazu sees a girl gradually falling from the heavens. It
turns out that this girl, Sheeta, has been held captive by prominent people who
believe that she holds the key to the legendary city. The two goes on a journey
to flee from their pursuers. Soon enough, they find themselves in Laputa itself,
only to find out that it’s not the kind of city that they have expected.
This
is definitely the most action-packed story of all of Hayao Miyazaki’s works.
The first thirty minutes features Pazu and Sheeta’s attempt to escape from
their pursuers. Sure, the chase is very interesting, but the problem is, the story
doesn’t give me a reason to care. What is it to me if Sheeta is captured? What
is the gravity of her capture anyway? It has been hinted that her crystal
necklace is an important factor on why she is being pursued, but there is no
solid reason for me to care.
I’m
not saying that I’m indifferent in the first thirty minutes of the film. I just
find the scenes as lacking in emotional attachment. They are really
entertaining though, because of the abundance of action sequences and
prominence of good musical scoring.
Further
in the film, the plot thickens as we are exposed to the vague royal origins of
Sheeta. This is where it gets interesting. Plot elements have been introduced
that will lead them to the legendary city. In their journey, there are a few
conflicts and character interactions here and there, so the film remains
interesting in the micro sense.
Their
arrival at Laputa makes the film more interesting. The city itself portrays the
negative effects of technology and the hunger for power. It’s proof that the
film is one of Hayao Miyazaki’s stories that feature social and political
commentaries, along with Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa and the Valley of the
Wind.
But
again, the anime has its flaws. The vague royal origins of Sheeta are not
expanded. I thought they were going to be explained further in the film, so I
let them pass when they were just vaguely introduced earlier. But it turned out
that they remained vague.
This
is not the only vague plot element. The origins of Colonel Muska, the main antagonist,
are also not explained. His knowledge about Laputa is too convenient. It’s as
if he has gained this knowledge solely for the purpose of moving the plot. It’s
just not justifiable. It’s also such a waste that he hasn’t been moulded enough
as a character.
Speaking
of characters, Laputa: Castle in the Sky has some fairly interesting ones, but
nothing outstanding. Perhaps the reason for this is the fact that the film is
so plot-oriented that it doesn’t even have the time to thoroughly explore its
characters.
The
good thing about this plot-orientation is that it has given room for the
animation department to stand out. There are just so many action sequences to
dazzle the viewers. Not only that, the whole film is also almost consistently
embedded with music -- good music at that. Its style of embedding is very
similar to modern action films; there is music in almost every scene.
Overall,
Laputa: Castle in the Sky is an excellent Studio Ghibli film. The only major problem
I have with it is its failure to explain some of the plot elements. But looking
at the anime in general, I’d go as far to say that it’s the most entertaining
of all of Hayao Miyazaki’s works. The story, the characters, the animation, and
the music, just blend well together to create a film that is not just there to
entertain, but also to teach us the value of humanity and nature.
Sounds like a really fun ride, I definitely need to see this one. Hopefully I can catch and watch all of Miyazaki’s films over my Winter break from college. On another somewhat off topic question, do you usually watch sub or dub? While I have nothing against subs, dubs is what I usually go with since it is usually more enjoyable, especially when it is a good one like Death Note, Code Geass, or Bebop.
ReplyDelete-James
Yes, you should definitely watch Miyazaki films! Though his storytelling is a bit different compared to your usual Hollywood movies. (Just wanted to point that out because you review movies).
DeleteTo answer your question, I watch subs on series, just because. And I watch dubs on movies, because I find it easier to follow the plot on dubs in movies.
Finally watch it and while I did not like it quite as much as Mononoke or Nausicaa, Castle in the Sky was a lot of fun! Any scene with Seeta and Pazu was excellent; I really liked those two characters in the film. The ending was great and so was the action and adventure. Overall, I would say that Castle in Sky is a fun two hours and one of the better animated films around. Thanks for recommending it!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, here is my review for Code Geass if you are interested.
http://jandjproductions1809.blogspot.com/2013/12/code-geass-review_5.html
-James
After watching a lot of Miyazaki films, I still consider Castle in the Sky to be the most entertaining (though that could change in the future!) It's not as heavy as Mononoke and Nausicaa, but it sure knows how to entertain.
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