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[robertsan21]

aint it cool has the story

large QT trailer

wohoo love it

 

[Crow]

that looks pretty sweet.

 

[King Jippo]

Looks interesting. I've read mixed things about this movie, but really haven't been following it too closely. But now I guess I'll check it out. Also, whats up with Miyazaki being referred to as "Master Animator (sometimes it's Filmmaker) Miyazaki" in trailers? I mean, the guy is good, but is that title in his contract? Too goofy.

 

[belgurdo]

I think this has been the first time in about 5 years that I've been interested in a non-hentai anime, and I have this trailer to thank

 

[olimario]

That looks absolutely aces.
For those who have seen it, is it his best work yet?

 

[Jason]

far from it. there were some interesting concepts but it feels like they tried to cram too much of the book into it making it slightly disjointed.

 

[speedpop]

For those who have seen it, is it his best work yet?

I don't know really.. my favourite Miyazaki film is Porco Rosso yet I know that isn't his greatest film but Howl's has every charm and wonder that every other of his films have. The story and characterisation are a bit stronger than usual due to it being a direct novel adaption - I know that some things were changed but I have no idea what exactly was.

Anyway I don't want to say too much because I'd just sound like a gushing Ghibli fanboy but Howl's Moving Castle had me near tears it was just so beautiful in some parts. One of my favourite parts was near the start

Spoiler

when Howl takes Sophie in hand and strolls across the sky above the town to escape a few bad guys

. It had the same awe-inspiring tingles that you get when Pazu and Shita discover Laputa for the first time and glide down onto it, or when Ferrarin guides Porco & Fio across the countryside of Milan and out of Italy when the Air Force is waiting for them right after he has had his plane fixed. All it takes is Joe Hisaishi's music, beautiful scenes with jaw-dropping animation blended with high-standard background art and the usual Miyazaki direction.

 

[Unison]

Well, I prefer Totoro / Mononoke / Spirited Away / and maybe Kiki's, but it's almost as good as those, which is saying a lot. Fucking awesome movie.

 

[MadFuzzy]

I thought it was alright, but then again I seem to "have issues" with anything Miyazaki after Mononoke (because of his change in directing style).

Howl had its moments (the spoiler above in particular is definitely one of the best bits of the movie) when it's pretty good, but it IS flawed and does feel rushed towards the end.

It was good to see him doing his old "golden age" Laputa-style design again (as that's his best era of work as far as I'm concerned), but frankly I enjoyed the "flying machines" short at the Ghibli museum (and the "Mei and the Catbus" one) a LOT more than any of his last 3 films which I thought were only "alright" by comparison.

 

[Unison]

True, Laputa is one of his very best films. I have no idea how I forgot it.

Here's the review of Howl's that I wrote:

Howl's Moving Castle

 

[Memles]

The trailer is awesome...and I'm definitely getting out to see this. I might actually end up seeing movies this summer, which will be nice.

 

[totoro'd]

Woot, looks great! Can't wait to see it. My favorite Miyazaki work is Nausicaa, followed closely by Spirited Away.

 

[sprsk]

god that was awesome ;_;

 

[quin]

This is playing at the University of Colorado tonight. I'm guessing its the japanese release without subtitles maybe?

 

[Unison]

This is playing at the University of Colorado tonight. I'm guessing its the japanese release without subtitles maybe?

I'd double check that. There are prints w/ English subs showing in the US already...

 

[SaitoH]

Looks wonderful, I can't wait.

^w^

 

[Dan]

I'm excited to see it, but I don't really want to see it with English dubs. I hate that, so I may wait for the DVD. I'd like to support it in theaters, but in the proper form.

 

[Apharmd Battler]

I'm sure this will be one good animated film. My fiacnee is jumping up and down over it since she fell in love with Spirited Away......

 

[Deleted member 1159]

Miyazaki is so refreshing when even Disney films these days have lost any sort of creative magic and are reduced to 90 minute sitcoms. I can't think of a Miyazaki film I've watched that I didn't like.

 

[teiresias]

I generally can't stand dub jobs - definately can't in live-action films - but I can tolerate dubs for animated material. I also like watching dubs of Miyazaki's films the first time anyway because the films are so visually rich that I hate missing any of the imagery because I'm busy reading subtitles.

 

[J2 Cool]

I think it'd really be to Disney's interest to actually advertise this movie. I mean, what else to they have to push really? Besides Pixar's Cars, they have shitty cg vash ins. With anime getting a huge following in the states, I'd be interested to see what kind of opening it gets with a serious advertising blitz. One like they'd do for one of their own animated features. But whatever, gotta be dreaming to expect Disney to make a bold or smart move.

Anyway, the film looks awesome. I still remember my first viewing of Spirited Away. Grabs an adult, the way a good animated feature seems to grab a child's. I just sat there mesmerized, and completely into the movie. I had to see how it would end. It had a true modern day, Alice in Wonderland feel. This looks amazing meanwhile, can't wait to see it.

 

[MetatronM]

Well, Disney does seem to be giving Howl's a pretty decent push. I'm pretty sure its planned wide release is set to be even larger than Spirited Away's post-Oscar wide release.

 

[AniHawk]

When I see it, it'll definitely be on the opening weekend when hopefully there'll just be hardcore anime fans instead of stupid, STUPID parents. When I saw Spirited Away in theaters after it won the Oscar, there was this dumbfuck bitch behind me that had to explain everything to her 2 year old kid. After the end of the movie I gave her a dirty look for ruining the whole experience, and she said to me, "It's a movie for kids."

I swear I almost fucking lost it.

 

[Manabanana]

Looks awesome

 

[Mike Works]

I've only seen the trailer, but why is he carrying over so many elements from Spirited Away? I mean, look at the difference between his old films, like Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, and Naussicaa. In this 2 minute trailer alone I can see a lot of copy-paste instances. I'll still see it of course.

 

[madara]

WOW WOW WOW! Must take my sister to see this. She got hooked on anime last year after borrowing(then keeping) my spirited away dvd. It seems alot like Spirited Away, its not related right or any continuation? Some those models actually look identical to some characters in SA.

 

[J2 Cool]

Looks awesome

that's what I loved the most in the trailer

 

[Mejilan]

Oh HELLSA yeah!!

 

[etiolate]

Great!

One thing thats kind of irking me is that I hear a lot of the same voice actors from other recent Miyazaki translations and it might make them all blur together.

 

[MetatronM]

I've only seen the trailer, but why is he carrying over so many elements from Spirited Away? I mean, look at the difference between his old films, like Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, and Naussicaa. In this 2 minute trailer alone I can see a lot of copy-paste instances. I'll still see it of course.

Miyazaki always carries things over. Sometimes he just copy and pastes them altogether. Teto from Nausicaa appears in Laputa. The sootballs from Spirited Away are lifted right out of Totoro. Almost all of his characters in some of his earlier movies have nearly identical facial features. For example, Pazu from Laputa is a dead ringer for Asbel from Nausicaa.

Miyazaki just taking old designs and using them again is hardly anything new.

 

[Manders]

Oh, just watched the trailer. Looks okay, but I hated that movie Spirited Away. I don't think this will be my type of movie.

 

[Bebpo]

For those who have seen it, is it his best work yet?

Actually it's his worst work yet and the only disappointing Ghibli film out of the 20 or so IMHO.

That's not to say it's a bad movie, visually it's gorgeous. But see he kinda adapted a book instead of writing his own story. Now you know how sometimes adaptations can go wrong in films? Well that's what happened here. To fit a large story in a 2 hour movie he cut out all the character development and explanations so stuff just comes off as shallow and random. Also he tacked on the worst ending in the history of film that is so bad that I lost some respect for him as an artist as it was such a cop-out. Basically I went in expecting some great Ghibli love and I walked out feeling depressed that the movie was disappointing and not really that great.

But I'm pretty harsh on things so others may like it more. I'd give it like a B- which isn't bad but there is no other Ghibli film I would put below a B+

 

[nfreakct]

Actually it's his worst work yet and the only disappointing Ghibli film out of the 20 or so IMHO.

That's not to say it's a bad movie, visually it's gorgeous. But see he kinda adapted a book instead of writing his own story. Now you know how sometimes adaptations can go wrong in films? Well that's what happened here. To fit a large story in a 2 hour movie he cut out all the character development and explanations so stuff just comes off as shallow and random. Also he tacked on the worst ending in the history of film that is so bad that I lost some respect for him as an artist as it was such a cop-out. Basically I went in expecting some great Ghibli love and I walked out feeling depressed that the movie was disappointing and not really that great.

But I'm pretty harsh on things so others may like it more. I'd give it like a B- which isn't bad but there is no other Ghibli film I would put below a B+

Howl's Moving Castle also had a troubled development history, with the original direction resigning and Miyazaki taking over. It isn't one of his best films, but still worth watching.

 

[Azala]

I didn't realize this was being made into a movie. This is probably the only piece of good news I've gotten today. I'm excited about this! I'm a big DWJ fan! It would be great if they'd make the Dalemark Quartet into movies as well.

Ok, the trailer doesn't look at all close to the book. I hope he didn't butcher it too much. Like the others, I'll wait until it's in English.