| Laputa, Castle in the sky |
| Laputa was released in 1986 and was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, who also created My Neighbour Totoro, Nausicaa valley of the wind, and Princess Mononoke amongst many others. Set in a fantasy industrial age, it focuses on Sheeta and Pazu. When Sheeta is abducted by the military, a group of pirates (the Dola-clan) attack the ship in an attempt to steal the Levistone from Sheeta, she falls from the aircraft and is saved by the stone which slows her descent and is caught by Pazu, a young miner boy who runs off to inspect the falling light he sees while getting some food. This leads to a heartwarming adventure for him as they try to evade the military, the pirates and find Laputa. True to Miyazaki's style the attention to detail on the scenery is superb, and all the characters are well developed and thought out, you get a real sense of feeling for each of them, as the personalities are varied and accurate to the point where they could be mistaken for real people. Having read certain articles that claim the film is too long and that the pacing is flawed, making it slow and hard to sit through. I have to disagree, I think it is perfect the way it is, every time I watch it I am transfixed until the very end and never notice the time passing, it is a wonderful adventure set in a time when things were simpler, but not easier. If you ever get the chance to see it, take it you will not be dissapointed, although I could say that about nearly all of Miyazaki's films Review by Alia |
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