Laputa-Castle in the Sky

Castle in the Sky, it does what it says on the tin. If ever there was a film that delivers everything you might request in a fantasy story, this is it.

Watching 'Laputa-Castle in the Sky' as a child, I had no knowledge of what I was seeing, short of a wonderous film and that it would later form the basis for my university dissertation. I saw the initial dubbed version as an eight year old boy and instantly, my brother and I made it our staple film. I don't mean to gush, I truely don't, but it is 'wonderous'! Based on the film-maker's knowledge of Wales, that's right, and his reading of Dianne Wynne Jone's novels, Hayao Miyazaki set about to create a grounded basis for a fantastical film. 

The story takes place in a mining town (deliberately not named) and centres around the day to day life of our lead character Pazu (voiced by Mayumi Tanaka, Barbara Goodson-yes, a lady as a boy-hmm, bart anyone? and James Van der Beek-yeah, him?!), an orphan, working in a mine. There is initially and throughout the greatest sense of family in this film, that being the subtle message that permeated this man's childhood experience.

One day, Pazu looks up from the winch platform he operates and a blue glow is descending from the heavens. He bounds over to the centre of the machine and realizes he's seeing a girl, floating into his arms...and then suddenly crashing into them. Being a good lad, Pazu takes her to his deceased father's home and seeks to nurse her back to health, while also looking after his menagere of pidgeons (Wales you see?). 

As it transpires, Sheeta (that's the lassies name) has escaped from the government and would really rather not go back. The blue glow? Well that's the levatation pendant her mum gave her when she was a kid. Long story short and I wouldn't want to write it all here for you anyway, this is THE boys story! Think how you felt when you saw 'Princess Bride', it's the animated equivilent of that. There are Pirates (good guys), the Government (bad guys), extended family, chivalry, chase scenes, airships, planes, trains, automobiles, fights, floating islands and there's even your introduction to love.

Hayao Miyazaki. He's the chap that everyone speaks about now and rightly so. For many in the west (until Disney bought the Ghibli studio) an unknown talent, a newly discovered film-maker that has happily got an extensive back catalogue. Whether you had the luxury of growing up on his films, as so many Japanese children did and I unwittingly did, or whether you take the time know to familiarize yourself with any and all (My Neighbour Totoro being the stand out feature) of these stories, the Ghibli Studio as a whole is that must see event.