Castle in the Sky (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

"Castle in the Sky" is another Studio Ghibli film by Hayao Miyazaki. The directors name alone is a mark of quality. It's been classified as an anime' film. The word `anime'' has become a generic name for any Japanese animation. Under this condition, I'd rather not use the term. Studio Ghibli's work varies as much as that of any major studio.The movie begins with a magnificent airship coming under attack by aerial bandits, the Dola Gang. Their objective is a girl held in the custody by government agents. We know they're government agents because they wear suits and sunglasses at night indoors. The girl, Sheeta, escapes from both groups only to fall off the airship into the night.She loses consciousness. The crystal in her necklace begins to glow. Instead of crashing to her death, she floats down right into the arms of a most capable boy named Potsu.Potsu is an apprentice mechanic working for a broken down silver mine. Orphaned, he is the son of a discredited airman. Potsu's father claimed to have discovered the legendary floating island of Laputa. Laputa is real and Sheeta is the key to finding it. That's why she is being pursued by both the government and the Dola Gang. Laputa is reputed to be a place of great wealth and terrible power.This movie is a grand adventure in the traditions of "Raiders of the Lost Ark". The action is fast paced. The look and feel is the early twentieth century. There is an incredible array of flying machines and airships none of which could fly in reality but they are cool nonetheless.Casting Cloris Leachman as the voice of Ma Dola was a stroke of genius.This film had a look I thought familiar but not from Studio Ghibli. On my third watching I made the connection. The artwork has been heavily influenced by Max Fleischer's Superman cartoons of the 1940's. I also detect a hint of Herve's Tin-Tin.This cartoon would work as an action film. If I were Steven Spielberg, I'd raid Studio Ghibli for their story boards.

Taking place in a fantasy world, a young girl, Sheeta (Anna Paquin), has been kidnapped and is also pursued by a gang of pirates all using flying contraptions. In the ensuing struggle, she falls from the sky and is rescued by a boy, Pazu (James Van Der Beek). Pazu tells Sheeta about a legendary flying castle, called Laputa, that his father once saw and he wants to discover for himself. But the pleasantries do not last long for them as both the pirates and government agents are still after them.This was Studio Ghibli's first feature film and it features many of the elements that Ghibli would become known for. Starting off, there is fantastic animation that really brings to life the many action and adventure sequences and the lush beauty of Laputa itself. Also of note is the music composed by Joe Hisaishi. This particular Blu-ray set contains the score from the original Japanese soundtrack. Although this movie does lack a deeper message that is often found in other Ghibli works, this movie is nonetheless a fun adventure. The only weak spot is the dubbing of the main characters. While they do a decent job, I felt that it was not Disney's best work.This set also contains as bonus features some behind-the-scenes features and the original storyboards.All in all, this movie is an enjoyable adventure that is sure to be enjoyed by fans of Ghibli and animation.

Update:There are currently 3 versions of this film on modern formats: 2 DVD versions and the new Blu-Ray. Here is the breakdown and why I hate Disney:The initial DVD release of Castle in the Sky was and still is the best of the three for purists. Here is why: The original DVD (the 2003 release with the cover showing Laputa in the background) has two subtitle options:Subtitle 1: the closed captions for the English dubbing, or 'dubtitles'.Subtitle 2: the accurate translation of the Japanese voice track.The disc also has the original Japanese audio, the TERRIBLE English dub, and a French dub.Let me expound on the TERRIBLE comment. If you scroll between English and Japanese you can instantly hear that Disney has muted most of the background noise. In certain parts the noise very low to the point it is annoying, other times it is so low you cannot hear it. Listen to the first chapter once in Japanese, then in English to hear the difference. On the English dub you don't hear the propeller whirring, you don't hear the 'whoosh' as the Pirate skiffs take off or kick the engines into high speed. Also, and most horribly, Disney has decided to add dialogue where none existed before. For a fun test of this, turn the Japanese audio on and put it on Subtitle 1. You will see subtitles for various moments when no one is talking.Also, Disney added in music. Listen to when Pazu plays his horn. In the English track you have a Spanish guitar in addition to the trumpet. I looked but couldn't locate the invisible guitarist.NOW. The next release causes me to curse Disney until the end of time. BOTH SUBTITLE OPTIONS ARE THE 'DUBTITLES'. This means you can watch the Japanese audio but that you have the horrible, mis-translated, and often curiously added in subtitles. This doesn't matter if you want to watch the sub-par English dub. But for those who want to truly experience Laputa, you want the rich sounds and pure Joe Hishashi score without Disney add on.Sadly, the Blu-Ray is the same way. It looks good, but there are no true subtitles. Granted, it's better than Ponyo on Blu-Ray which has no Japanese audio selection! (Except on the extra DVD copy included with).So I have my 2009 re-release for sale and I purchased a used copy of the 2003 release.Shame on you Disney. I don't mind them including the dubbed version, but don't remove the proper subtitles and stop messing with the background sound and music.------------------There are several audio and subtitle options here. If you listen to the Japanese voice track, make sure you pick the correct subtitles and not the closed captions that match the English dub. Here is why: The English dubbing takes a dramatic departure from the original Japanese script. There are instances where entire conversations are changed, or even where dialogue is added. I'm not saying it is worse or better this way, but for those who want the true Miyazaki story line, the Japanese audio with English subtitles is the best option here. You'll know the difference if you watch the English dialogue with the subtitles intended for the Japanese audio. Huge difference. I'm not sure if the subtitles were in place with the actual Japanese DVD release and for some weird copyright reason Disney couldn't use the exact translation that was in place? That is often the case with novels and other movies like Let the Right One In (the US release couldn't use the original Swedish/English translation subtitles due to copyright reasons so they had to 'create' a new translation that didn't mimic the original).My preference is to watch it perhaps in English once and Japanese once and figure out which you prefer. Often whichever language you hear it in first will ultimately become your preference. I recommend the Japanese audio the first time through (and check to make sure the subtitles don't match the English dub, that's how I figure out which to use).Now onto the movie. The Blu-ray version, like other Ghibli/Disney releases has a definite improvement in picture quality. But is it worth the $36 price tag? In renting this and Nausicaa from the the library, I was able to watch side by side basically. The level of improvement is good, but not worth the extra money in my opinion. I purchased the DVD version of Castle in the Sky for $16 new from Amazon with Prime shipping free. So this is twice as much. It's a bit tough to swallow. Perhaps at $24.99 it would make more sense. You're not really getting two movies, rather just an extra copy. Which is nice if you have an additional DVD only player or a PC or laptop with DVD only. I think the combo pack is worth it over the previous Disney digital copy download versions that expire.Also of note: the sound effects and musical score have been modified in the English dubbed soundtrack. They have removed many sound effects and muted many others. This is a very audio driven film, and I like the Japanese version where you can hear the various sound effects like the explosions and propellers to their fullest. Uncompressed audio really shines on the Japanese track, while the English track is good, but has a more 're-mixed' sound to it (well it IS re-mixed you could say!).The reason I am so nitpicky is that this is my personal favorite (though not what I consider the best) Ghibli film. I believe Spirited Away to be their best. The film was called Laputa in the original and it is heavily influenced by Gulliver's Travels. Miyazaki put a lot of his own creativity into this film (rather than later films based heavily on Japanese lore (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Totoro) or existing stories (Arietty, Ponyo, Howl's Moving Castle)). Miyazaki was influenced also by a Welsh town he visited prior to scripting this film as well as Hindu lore and Victorian England. Though based on these influences, the story is completely original and 100% Miyazaki. Also of note: this was the first Studio Ghibli film and was Miyazaki's second directorial film after Nausicaa.Without giving too much plot away, I will say that the story revolves around two young people, Pazu and Sheeta and their quest to find and unravel the secrets of the floating city of Laputa. There are some interesting characters, and actually the supporting cast is among my favorite in any animated film. The sky pirates add a bit of comedy and action to the film. Dola is quite a delight while she is featured. And Muska is probably one of the best villains in any animated film ever! You really know he's a bad apple when he wears sunglasses AND an ascot! Stylish AND evil!The film has a lot of poignant moments to balance out the action and suspense. It is appropriate for all ages, though there is a bit more violence near the end, though nothing graphically depicted. Nobody getting shot or anything, more like large explosions that kind of overtake the people.But there are strikingly beautiful scenes that grab your attention and stay with you afterwards. This is a marvel to watch, and even though the animation is dated by today's standards, it was among the best of 1986. Everything is hand drawn and painstaking attention detail is made in almost every scene. There were not MacBooks to edit and clean up animation, so everything is done by hand. That in itself is a marvel.So please watch this film. Purchase it if you like it. The DVD version is also still available, though I think waiting for the price to dip a bit on the Blu-Ray might be prudent. The Nausicaa Blu-Ray was $36 but dipped to $25 for awhile, so it's not unheard of for this to drop in price soon. It depends on your level of fan love. Since I have the DVD, I am pretty content (also having access to the Blu-Ray through the library helps if I want to request it). And watch it in both languages at some point and form your own opinion. I prefer the Japanese audio, but the English dub is pretty good. Pazu is kind of annoying (looking at you Van der Beek!) and the dialogue is changed (and often makes little sense), but it doesn't detract from the film.