Good. Not, in my opinion, Miyazaki's best, but an instant Miyazaki hit that I love a million times over. Yes, yes, yes!

If it feels like a Ghibli equivalent to a below average Disney movie, that's because that's what it is.

One of those stories where I assume I was supposed to do some reading first. Still, the animation is very good. Never thought I'd root for a fire.

love the story, really original. I enjoy all the little details he adds people might not always notice. Billy crystal is funny and seems perfect for his character.

A bare-seamed patchwork of fairytale and fantasy brought to life through Miyazaki's magnificent storytelling and aesthetic value. I saw the Disney dub, which was abnormally good, owing to the voice talent of English actors, matching the period dress and continental backdrops The script itself is akin to a detective story, with lots of witty clues to help elucidate the fantasy. There's also a lot of Austen and Bronte being brought to a contemporary audience with Miyazai's TM throwback panache.

Not my favorite Miyazaki film, but still decent.

Not one of his best. The mythology and mastery of craftsmanship make this well worth a viewing. His attempt at emotional consistency while sacrificing logical consistency is interesting and works, but does not reach the heights of Naussica, Spirited Away, or Mononoke.

One of Miyazaki's bests! Wonderful visuals, great characters, a touch of magic and fantastical machines.

Movie is amazingly colored with wild and unique imagination of Hayao Miyazaki. And characters, especially the witch, just beautifully designed, drawn and animated. Make your kids watch cartoons like this, not those stupid Pokemons.

Miyazaki's only movie based on a novel by a Western author (Dianna Wynne Jones, author of the Chrestomanci series, of which this story seems to be loosely a part) is still Wholly Miyazaki, very deep, much more than can be swallowed on one viewing, profound, wistful, full of detail and depth of vision. One of the very few foreign films of which Freder prefers the English language dub, which features the voice talents of no less than Jean Simmons, Lauren Bacall and Blythe Danner.