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Howl's Moving Castle

Howl's Moving Castle

2004
Romance, Family/Kids
1h 59m
An amazing new animated adventure that celebrates the power of love to transform and the resiliency of the human spirit in the face of adversity. (Disney)
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Howl's Moving Castle

2004
Romance, Family/Kids
1h 59m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 67.57% from 8303 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(8303)
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Rated 31 Mar 2016
78
40th
I love Miyazaki, and there's much to like here (the animation and music are, as ever, top-notch), but the story is a hopelessly jumbled and confusing mess, making it near-impossible to understand or care about the characters. Easily Miyazaki's weakest film.
Rated 04 May 2007
81
87th
Another wonderful Ghibli film full of personality and charm. Captivating, lively and involving it will grip your attention right until the end. Calcifer and Turnip-Head definitely go down as two of the most enjoyable characters I have seen recently in film. Howl's might not be quite as sublime as some of the finest Miyazaki offerings, but is still damn good by any standards.
Rated 27 Aug 2021
70
65th
There's a lot to take in. As someone who dragged their son to see 2001: A Space Odyssey when they were only six years old, I still felt like this was over both our heads.
Rated 25 May 2007
79
46th
It's hard not to fall in love with the worlds Miyazaki creates. Animation is fantastic. I like the darker territory explored here. Not my favorite work of his, but still undeniably great.
Rated 13 Dec 2006
65
53rd
a weaker turn from Miyazaki. The second half of the film is totally out of focus and the final part is so rushed.
Rated 03 Aug 2007
58
9th
I am a massive Miyazaki fan, but I still couldn't tell you what the hell this was about. When you can honestly say that the best thing about a film was Billy Crystal's contribution to the dub, you know you're in trouble.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
81
53rd
Not one of Miyazaki's best, but I'd rather see "not one of Miyazaki's best" than a lot of other films.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
60
38th
There are very many Miyazaki films that are better than this. It just felt really rushed (although the animation is beautiful, but that's a given) and there were some plot points that they never explained. You shouldn't have to read the book to fully enjoy the movie (but people tell me that's what I should do).
Rated 07 Apr 2010
91
96th
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.
Rated 15 Feb 2012
96
90th
Again, Hayao Miyazaki has crafted an insanely bizarre and interesting world with insanely bizarre and interesting characters. I love that the lead has to figure out how to find self-love and see her own beauty. That was a very nice touch. Sophie is a great character, and the others are all charming or likable. Animation is definitely some of Ghibli's very best here as well. Also, that score man. Absolutely amazing. This may perhaps be one of Hayao Miyazaki's best films.
Rated 29 Mar 2018
84
90th
The way this movie starts, it might be a Disney fairy tale: an evil witch, a transformation spell, a good-looking prince, a precocious kid, a funny monster sidekick. But then gradually a war breaks out, the evil witch gets adopted into the protagonist's makeshift family and the movie turns into something else. Beautifully animated.
Rated 07 Jul 2020
9
92nd
Ramshackle in its construction but endlessly interesting. Just like its titular house, it's a little hard to follow but there's so much to explore and enjoy here, from the intriguing anti-nationalist themes (see the contrasting flag bookends) to the characters both nuanced (see Howl's noble but immature hero; Sophie's unique coming-of-age arc) and quirky (I heart Calcifer and Turnip-Head). Beautifully animated (every one of the numerous settings is stunning) and rich in both drama and humour.
Rated 25 Apr 2022
90
89th
I saw this when it first came out with poor results. It took me years to figure out. But some tumultuous years married and now thriving, this has became one of Ghibli’s most intimate works: Both halves of the story’s pair have to learn to accept not just the best parts of the other, but also the darkest, wholeheartedly - their inner demons, whether they know it themselves or not. Howl’s Moving Castle is the moving Bridge we constantly make in our relationships to keep them, if we want to.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
60
31st
Imaginative but very poorly written.
Rated 24 Aug 2007
54
26th
One of Miyazaki's misses for me. The meandering plot just didn't work well here and Sophie is a dull heroine. I'd much rather watch Howl have magical battles in the sky with the demons than her clean the living room.
Rated 07 Sep 2008
35
16th
Great animation. But the story falls short. This film is sometimes confusing. I can't find anything "beautiful", "brilliant", etc, in this film. Some characters were annoying.
Rated 30 Dec 2008
92
61st
Wonderful film, with beautiful art, fun characters, an intriguing story, and a lot of heart. I didn't understand all of it, and was often confused about the motives/back stories etc. of the characters and the story, but it was still great fun to watch and a lovely movie.
Rated 13 Mar 2009
81
78th
quite fanciful and full of whimsy, the whole concept invokes a feeling of childish mystery. the ending severely suffers from being too neatly wrapped up by conincidental resolution and all in the last five minutes, almost as if it were a deus ex machina ending, but ends up only affected by chance, and consequently is cheesy and contrived.
Rated 10 Jun 2009
85
80th
Despite some sloppiness here and there, this is a great flick. Memorable characters, great animation with fantastic images and a really happy ending... and sometimes that's what you want!
Rated 20 Feb 2011
80
61st
Miyazaki films always play fast and loose with the rules of their own fictional worlds. In films like Spirited Away you genuinely have absolutely no idea what's coming next, which is part of the charm. In this film, the mysterious rules of reality occasionally get a bit frustrating. That said, this is a very enjoyable film. It does have a bit of a "Miyazaki by numbers" feel to it, but I guess it just goes to show that somewhat generic Miyazaki still beats the majority of animation out there.
Rated 20 Nov 2012
70
14th
Thought this was one of his messier films.
Rated 04 Mar 2014
40
31st
I really like the setting of this one, maybe even more than Princess Mononoke. But the entire story is kind of a mess, character motivations are somewhat bizarre and the whole thing feels just sort of haphazardly thrown together. I legitimately have no idea what even happened in the last twenty minutes. I wish it was better, because I love wizards and shit.
Rated 28 Apr 2017
60
62nd
It seems that the attempt to reorient the material towards an (admittedly slightly unsubtle, if timely) antiwar message results in a somewhat overcrowded narrative, but the setting on which this is staged is original, charming and magical. The artistry of the animation is superior, if perhaps not quite at the level of the filmmaker's preceding effort. Some (but not all) of the characterisation is quite good. The dubbing of the English version is better than usual for these things.
Rated 17 Jan 2007
85
76th
Like Miyazaki's other films that have been popular in the US, Howl's moving castle is a beautifully animated film with a delightful fantasy story. The characters change and develop wonderfully. Really good!
Rated 24 Feb 2007
83
88th
Another great feature from Miyazaki that includes his usual splendid animation, a solid and captivating story, and some very funny and cute moments/characters. The character Howl isn't my favorite, and the ending is a little unsatisfying, but otherwise a very enjoyable movie.
Rated 27 Mar 2007
40
24th
Barely passing as a Miyazaki piece. Maybe a couple of stuff lying here and there, but nothing as coherent if not cliche as any other Miyazaki. Directing an adaptation from anything well-acclaimed was unneccesary from the start.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
95th
Not Miyazaki's best film, but it's still a great animated feature. I loved the story.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
83
87th
The animation of the moving castle is UNBELIEVABLE. Great story that seems to be less fantastic and more real sometimes than other Miyazaki films. "Meet me in the future" ends a completely mind-blowing near-ending sequence.
Rated 06 Sep 2008
92
97th
One of the best of Miyazaki.
Rated 06 Aug 2009
65
44th
Visually beautiful and inventive, but aspects of the story such as the background war and the central romance are a bit underdone, making this adaptation not entirely successful.
Rated 11 Aug 2009
77
77th
A breathtalking animation and amazing storyline, twists and chracters. But a lots of minus points for hit by truck ending. The portal was a neat invention. There was also some snaling scenes which disturbed the main plotline. The scarecrow was a sweet character, but his part in the end was a hasty invention.
Rated 03 Dec 2009
50
43rd
It's Spirited Away-light. The kids'll love it, but mnaarh..
Rated 12 Mar 2010
85
78th
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.
Rated 04 Apr 2010
71
69th
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.
Rated 21 Dec 2010
48
7th
The Good: Great Visuals. Tons of Steam-Punk Goodness. Billy Crystal. The Bad: Slow Beginning. Flat, Uni-Dimensional Characters with Awkward and Inconsistent Development. Jolted, Confusing and Incomplete Plot. More Background Info needed on Movie's World. Important Details left unexplained. Cheesy Dialogue in Parts. Unsatisfactory Ending. In conclusion: Easily the worst Miyazaki I've seen yet.
Rated 07 Apr 2011
44
24th
Probably Ghibli's worst. The story it's adapted from wasn't any good to begin with and even the animation has a very ugly gloss to it that is just unpleasant to look at.
Rated 05 Jul 2011
67
53rd
Very pretty film, but the resolution was confused and unsatisfactory.
Rated 02 Feb 2012
82
71st
It's beautiful but that's a given. Loses it's way occasionally and it feels very lightweight and maybe rushed. The story was riveting though and the characters are hilarious especially Calcifer and Markl.
Rated 12 Jun 2012
80
70th
If there is one think I know I'll be getting when watch a Miyazaki film, it is knowing that it will be a beautiful movie. The backdrops, the character designs, how everything flows. All amazing. Howl is a wonderful tormented character, and it is a joy to see him develop. The only bad thing is knowing that it ends.
Rated 29 Aug 2012
80
53rd
One of the less successful newer films from Miyazaki but it still has the fantastic tendency to dazzle and delight. The weak point here is a plot that doesn't even really try to involve you; rather, it's kind of just happening and you're just there to take in all the beautiful images it throws at you. Rushed ending too, yet still highly recommended.
Rated 05 Feb 2014
7
84th
After reviewing Nauiscaä, Castle in the Sky and Princess Mononoke, I know I'm just getting redundant, but yep, this is yet another Miyazaki fantasy full of beauty and emotion and imagination. Albeit maybe just a touch less than the three I just mentioned.
Rated 06 Nov 2014
1
23rd
Just because it's Ghibli doesn't mean it's good: Exhibit A.
Rated 05 Mar 2017
70
54th
Hmmm... I was expecting a bit more. I mean the fantasy was phenominal and the artwork was stunning, it had some tearjurkers in it and the characters themselves were pretty cool. However, the story seemed a bit off and the ending was horrible... I think the movie deserved a bit more after that amazing beginning of the movie
Rated 17 Mar 2017
2
21st
A far out imagination, several exceptionally beautiful sequences, and a unique expression of anti-war sentiment. This is by no means a bad movie, and yet, for some apparently intangible reason, it does nothing for me.
Rated 29 Jul 2017
82
77th
Very good movie, with deep motifs that I found meaningful rather than random like in a few of Miyazaki's other films. The ending was a bit unsatifying and abrupt, however. Especially the bit with the lost prince and his "true love".
Rated 02 Dec 2017
85
48th
A beautiful movie from Stuido Ghibli and I enjoyed the characters, but the story just felt a little off. I felt the story of Sophie and her curse was largely well done, but the backdrop of war and how it interacted with everything just muddied the plot quite a bit. It just felt like the world needed a bit more fleshed out to understand all that was going on. You can still kind of get the themes of the movie, but the larger story felt unsatisfying.
Rated 24 Feb 2018
60
50th
Fails to fully synthesize its Japanese sensibilities and characters with the details of the Western fantasy world from which it's derived. An ornate, often charming film that loses itself in a wandering diatribe against militarism.
Rated 07 May 2018
80
73rd
I want to love this movie but it just falls flat for me compared to Miyazaki's other works. The war plot isn't particularly well done and honestly makes Howl a rather uninteresting character, which makes Sophie's love for him even stranger as she hardly interacts with him at all. This also happens to be one of Hisaishi's weaker soundtracks which relies heavily on one repeating theme and it all just leaves me disappointed. Still an interesting movie, but it could've been much more.
Rated 14 Aug 2018
100
88th
My favourite animated film of all time. A masterpiece. I had named my teddy bear Calcifer and had the biggest crush on Howl. I probably have watched this film about 50 times in the span of 20 years. Better than the book, which is very rare. The very best. I don't know enough adjectives to define how great this movie is. My favourite movie of all times.
Rated 15 Aug 2019
65
62nd
The only Miyazaki that I would call "messy". It also is one of his most visually beautiful films, and has a ton of interesting ideas that it is wrangling with. Good evidence that it is impossible for him to make an outright bad film.
Rated 04 Nov 2019
90
88th
Miyazaki's follow-up to "Spirited Away" was not that well received, and you can kind of see why. It's a ferociously creative work with the magnificent world-building and detailed beautiful animation you expect from him, but the story is noticeably weaker and harder to follow. Still, lesser Miyazaki is still vastly superior to most of what passes for children's animation. It's a beautiful film.
Rated 02 Apr 2020
70
59th
Under Quarantine Film Reviews #21: Although its narrative is uneven and it doesn't quite manage to stick the landing, the gorgeous animation and charming characters make it a really enjoyable watch.
Rated 28 Jun 2020
75
66th
The story is too sparse to have great effect—the romance is taken for granted and just kind of happens and the war is nothing but thematic flavour (and is dispensed with far too conveniently)—but the film is stunning in design and animation. Old-Sophie is a great character and the world is intriguing, so it's a shame there's not more to them or for them in the film.
Rated 09 Jul 2021
65
83rd
What the fuck am I watching? What the hell is going on? Oh right...it's Japan. It's okay everyone, it's just Japan being Japan again. Nothing to see here, move along.
Rated 26 Sep 2022
98
90th
first time I saw this, I did not get the hype. the second time I saw this hoolllyyy shhiiittt. v delicious movie with a super fun adventure! and lovable characters forming a family ? eating shooting stars and healing childhood trauma ? selfless and true character falls in love with the selfish and misunderstood character ? time travel and a nonsense war that a sole vigilante is trying to fight against, killing himself in the meantime and then he tries to say goodbye ??? love love love
Rated 15 Mar 2024
20
7th
Artık bi babayiğitin çıkıp konuşması lazım. Tüm linçleri göze alarak yazıyorum. Bunu Miyazaki'nin bu filmi için değil neredeyse tüm filmleri için diyorum Totoro hariç. Filmlerinin hepsi senaryo olarak çöp. Imdb'de 5,3 alan hollywood aksiyon filmi seviyesinde hemde. İçerisine iliştirdiği Budist ve Pagan mesajlar dışında hiçbir derdi yok. Onlar da bir dert sayılırsa eğer. Verilen puanlar tamamen sürü psikolojisi yada en iyi ihtimal çocukluğunu yaşayamayan yetişkin ergenlerin hezeyanı. üzgünüm
Rated 06 Dec 2006
76
12th
I like the movies visonal features but the plot of the movie about love is totally played out. Dont get me wrong I love miyazaki's work but he needs to change the theme from time to time.
Rated 24 Dec 2006
90
94th
A moving experience rivaled only by other Miazaki works and the likes of Pixar.
Rated 08 Jan 2007
98
98th
Miyazaki just grows finer with age. A beautiful and darker film than previous Miyazaki films. Completely realized and utterly unique, but I wouldn't expect anything less. Although I don't think he will ever top Spirited Away, this is certainly a worthy continuation of a brilliant career. Not to mention some fine voice-over work by Christian Bale and Billy Crystal (if you so choose to watch it with the VO).
Rated 22 Jan 2007
65
83rd
This feels like a companion piece to "Spirited Away" which it shares some themes with. And, while it's not as good, it's still a good film that should appeal to both young and audiences. Animation is beautiful and there any many details to reward subsequent viewings. It's a bit more meandering than it's predecessor and could have used a bit of trimming. There are also some scenes that probably worked better in the book that the film is based on.
Rated 26 Jan 2007
96
93rd
A little wierd but memorable and a great flick.
Rated 30 Jan 2007
93
94th
One of the better Miyazaki movies, and maybe the most constructive anti-war movie around.
Rated 24 Feb 2007
80
80th
Miyazaki has been a victim of his own awesome talents here. The film suffers in comparison to a lot of his other work but that doesn't stop it being every bit as charming as you'd expect. It's a testament to his ability that even Turniphead, a speechless scarecrow, is imbued with more life and personality than many performances in a live action film.
Rated 01 Mar 2007
77
60th
It feels like Miyazaki is making it up as he goes along. The different rules of magic just pop up out of nowhere whenever it's convenient for the story. It's not very satisfying, kind of a melting pot of assorted whimsies. The animation is outstanding however, and if you can overlook the plot's shortcomings, it's quite charming.
Rated 18 Mar 2007
71
44th
Beautifully drawn but not as interesting as Miyazaki's past work.
Rated 24 Mar 2007
91
94th
This is definitely one of the Miyazaki films where he tries to cram in as much lore and mysticism and magical stuff as possible, but, like always, it fits and works well - for people who can get into such films. The average viewer might think this is all a bit too much to accept, but for anime/animation/fantasy/Miyazaki fans, it's great stuff.
Rated 12 Apr 2007
89
88th
Outstanding. Perhaps not Miyazaki's best, but that still puts it far ahead of most animated fare.
Rated 18 May 2007
93
95th
You cannot go wrong with Miyazaki. I liked this one more than most of his due to the heavy fantasy elements.
Rated 18 May 2007
80
65th
Not as good as Spirited Away, but still a great story. Loved the English translation with Billy Crystal as the fire demon.
Rated 21 Jul 2007
80
80th
Wonderfully imaginative and beautiful to look at. Some elements of the story seemed a little sloppy, but this is still so impressive.
Rated 03 Aug 2007
68
15th
gorgeous but incoherent.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
85
36th
Another good Miyazaki's movie. A bit too long.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
28th
Miyazaki standard - well painted, interesting story, worth watching for sure
Rated 14 Aug 2007
88
84th
Not quite the classic that Spirited Away is, Hayao Miyazaki's latest animation has its cast of kooky characters, demons and wizards to carry you along.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
34
5th
Perhaps the only big let-down of the great man's career. A lot of hype but no substance. Borders on incoherent and repetitious a lot of the time. By far the weakest Ghibli film. If you're watching them chronologically, don't leave this to later (maybe don't bother with it). I've done my best to forget most of it, but I do remember coming home from a rotten cinema trip, pulling the poster off my wall and feeling embarrassed that I had ever been excited to see it. It's that bad.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
60
38th
Bit on the weird side...but that seems to be the trend for anime movies that come to america...
Rated 14 Aug 2007
95
66th
I don't care if the ending is a little too quickly organized and cleaned up...I LOVE this movie. Sophie's resilience in the face of adversity is admirable and the story, until the last 10 minutes, is fascinating. Again... it's Miyazaki, so I'm captivated at the get go...but I really love the romanticism of this film...
Rated 14 Aug 2007
0
17th
A disastrous, plotless mishmash of cliches. The brightest spots are duplicates of ideas from better Miyazaki movies.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
75
60th
A sweet romantic fairy-tale. Not as substantive as other Studio Ghibli films, but still entertaining.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
77
70th
Beautiful and intriguing.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
87
89th
Fascinating, gorgeous, and deeply strange.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
81st
superb.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
100
81st
Good stuff. awesome visuals and cute story
Rated 14 Aug 2007
80
65th
I'm told Miyazaki has done better. And I believe it - but whatever the content, his look is incredible.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
65
35th
miyazaki made better films
Rated 14 Aug 2007
88
77th
We discuss Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle at length on my podcast INK TO FILM in our 16th episode. Ink to Film is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartradio, Googleplay Music or wherever you download podcasts!
Rated 14 Aug 2007
87
69th
Fantastic, if it weren't for Wallace and Grommit this would have been the best animated movie of the year.
Rated 18 Aug 2007
98
95th
Goddamn I love this movie.
Rated 19 Aug 2007
100
86th
Miyazaki films have only been getting better. I thought that Princess Monoke would be the epitome of Japanese film, but he made Spirited Away & then Howl to just blow all over animation films out of the water. The animation quality is superb, with no small detail left out. The storyline is also so well-thought out with complex, smart characters, you instantly fall in love with them & lament when the film ends too soon.
Rated 15 Sep 2007
50
22nd
Dull movie with few moments of interest.
Rated 26 Sep 2007
80
79th
This film has some of Miyazaki's most interesting characters, plenty of cute moments, and terrific animation. On the other hand, Howl is not a very interesting character, and the plot in general is very flat.
Rated 06 Oct 2007
88
85th
While pretty opaque on a first viewing, this has clarified on repeat viewings. The vibrant animation means there is always something worthwhile going on, even as certain elements (esp. what Howl is doing in the war) remain largely mysterious. But the journey that both Howl and Sophie take toward lives more fully lived and felt are the load bearing pillars in a thoughtful and fun adventure.
Rated 20 Oct 2007
75
89th
Exceptional story-telling and animation. There's nothing quite like the look of a Miyazaki film. Visually rich and appealing and well told.
Rated 17 Nov 2007
85
66th
Miyazaki is a master and I love the beautiful rambling aspect of this film. Oh, and Billy Crystal rocks!
Rated 25 Dec 2007
85
55th
great animation!
Rated 02 Feb 2008
3
61st
A bit scattered, even though it looked pretty. Definitely a disappointment.
Rated 14 Feb 2008
80
96th
Brilliant! My favourtie animated film.
Rated 04 Mar 2008
93
77th
Christian Bale constantly gets his hands into genius. Haha.
Rated 04 Mar 2008
83
60th
One of Miyazaki's weaker outings. This is not to say it's bad, but it does not quite measure up to his other films which are masterpieces. Certainly worth seeing if you are an anime and/or Miyazaki and/or steampunk fan, but it's not for everyone and does seem to labor at times.
Rated 14 Mar 2008
9
93rd
I just love Gibli

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