Howl's Moving Castle

Sesshoumaru

I went to see this movie on Friday night and have to say I was impressed. I saw the english dubbed version in UGC. Christian Bale really did a good job voice acting for Howl. I'll definately be adding this to my DVD collection!

TheIrishGrover

Sesshoumaru wrote:

I went to see this movie on Friday night and have to say I was impressed. I saw the english dubbed version in UGC. Christian Bale really did a good job voice acting for Howl. I'll definately be adding this to my DVD collection!

Oh hey, yeah, I thought it was good alright. Just maybe my hopes were too high. Like you said, Bale was very good in it (Esp after bathroom's cleaned. Say no more ) And that dog thing. The eyes. Haha. I just don't like dubs...... I mean dubbed films!!! And yer right, definitely one for the collection (Out in Japan with english subs 16th Nov)

Must admit, I was amazed and delighted to see how well it seems to be doing. I went last night (Sunday) and the cinema was full.... Cool

honru

Yeah, Christ, it finally came out. Saw it Friday mornin'.

Thought it was brilliant. Most complex Studio Ghibli film I've seen to date. Of course, the animation is supurb, and the (dubbed) voice acting is probably the best I've heard in a Miyazaki film (Billy Crystal as Calcifer was perfect). The only downside was that the plot was a little weak.

Saying that, it wouldn't be the best SG film (still prefer Castle in the Sky) but definetly not my least favourite. Definetly worth seeing.

4/5 from me.

evad_lhorg

saw this on friday. loved it tbh. thuoght it was great. calcifer was excellent.

the film had some very funny moments. calcifer was just funny in general but the bit

where howl's hair turns red and then black and he was like "life isnt worth living if im not beautiful

classic stuff.

the bit at the end was what made me go "ehhhh did i miss something?"

when turnip head turned into the prince it was just weird. out of nowhere "im the prince that has been missing. im goin to end the war"...... wtf? whered he come from?

Rhyme

evad_lhorg wrote:

when turnip head turned into the prince it was just weird. out of nowhere "im the prince that has been missing. im goin to end the war"...... wtf? whered he come from?

Yeh, that kinda got me too...

and she was his 'true love' and yet she ran off with Howl... confuzzling

But still... highly enjoyable... money well spent

honru

evad_lhorg wrote:

the bit at the end was what made me go "ehhhh did i miss something?"

when turnip head turned into the prince it was just weird. out of nowhere "im the prince that has been missing. im goin to end the war"...... wtf? whered he come from?

Yeah, I agree. That did seem to come out of nowhere.

It's great that it seems to be doing well. It's even got a fairly wide release (around Dublin at least) in cinemas that usually only feature mainstream films.

TheIrishGrover

f®eak s&#169 wrote: »

Yeah, I agree. That did seem to come out of nowhere.

It's great that it seems to be doing well. It's even got a fairly wide release (around Dublin at least) in cinemas that usually only feature mainstream films.

anybody see the subtitled version? Wonder does it change the story much? Like bits of mononoke: The US version has directly translated subs for when watching in Japanese rather than just the hard-of-hearing subs english transcript we got here.
Maybe it explains a bit more about the above comments about turniphead. Thought calcifer was good too but the dog thingy's my fave bit...... I just didn't like Sophie's voices is my mail complaint

Art_Wolf

Caught this in the Screen subtitled.. must say it was nice.. but that was all

Coming to the end it just felt like it was dragging its heals - started to feel the mins go by.

Still nice animation, story line and script - just nothing that grabbed my attention as wow.

*shrugs* maybe was expecting too much from studio ghibli

CrazyTalk

Saw the subtitled version last night, lovely film.

LucyBliss

I really enjoyed this film. It was the dubbed version but I won't lie - as a Christian Bale fan, I was happy with that. Though I wouldn't mind seeing the subtitled version.

I've read the book (it'd be nice if Diana Wynne Jones was getting half the kudos JK Rowling gets - I'm not a Rowling hater or anything but she's not the only fantasy writer for kids and adults out there despite what the media seems to think) and the deviation from the book plot wasn't that bad. There weren't too many at the screening I went to, just me and about eight others including a family with three young kids. I have to say there wasn't a sound out of the kids for the whole film. They seemed pretty engrossed. In fact, it was the Dad who made the most noise between rustling in his bag for munchies and having a whispered conference with his voice at one point about something or other. She didn't seem to pay him much notice though so he shut up again.

This is going on my DVD wishlist.

D

Really enjoyed this movie, the sceen where they first meet and go for a "walk" had the weirdest affect on me. Felt like a little kid watching it. Can't remember the last time that I got so engrossed in a film. two thumbs up!

Hugh Hefner

Oh yes, that little walk at the beginning was enchanting.

Okay so I was dying to see this film as had I only heard good things about the previous works (I've been meaning to buy Spirited Away for months now). I loved this film. It was so fantastic and the voices were lovely (well, not the old woman's, I didn't like her voice). At the end, and this is the first time this has happened to me in a cinema, I almost shed a few tears when

you see the castle flying through the air

. But, knowing I was in a theatre and about to go into Domino, I held it back. Calcifer (spelling taken from IMDb) was great and I liked Howl's human dimension as apposed to making him just an "all powerful" wizard who is never afraid, etc.

Usually I prefer subtitles but I think this is the exception to the rule. Christian Bale is the man and not having subtitles let me enjoy it just that bit more. For a film with such great visuals I think subtitles would have spoiled it a little.


5/5

Rei-chan

I'm going to go see it next Wednesday with my boyfriend in Liffey Valley for our anniversary! ^^ Woo, can't wait...The movie looks really good.

nadir

It was nice to watch, but I have to say I wasn't overally impressed, I mean it's miazaki so like it's nice and all, but I much preferred Spirited away , nausica and Mononoke Hime

RichyX

Saw it in Galway at the weekend.
Don't think it's doing great business there as was only myself and my girlfriend plus another couple there to see the 6.50 showing.

Thought it was very good.
Probably my least favorite Miyazaki film yet but I've loved eveything else I've seen so that's no insult.
Even my anime vigin girlfriend enjoyed it. She had been expecting so stupid Japanese kids film or something but came away wanting to see more
Dub was quality I have to say. Bale was good and was surprised by how well Billy Crystal did.

Whole thing made up for me missing the showing of Spirited Away at the Kerry Film Festival.

joe_chicken

Really good...
Not as good as Spirited Away...
A bit too long...
Billy Crystal was very good... probably the best thing hes ever done
I prefer dubbed animation... i hate dubbed actors though

(p.s.in a rush)

Johnny_Trotter

I watched it last week myself, only 7 people (including myself and two friends) at the 8.20 showing in Screen.

I liked it, but I only liked moments, compared to enjoying all of Spirited Away. HMC didn't seem to have the same balance between telling the story and showing the animation, which I felt that there was in Spirited Away.

noangel

I saw Howl's Moving Castle a week after it came out. There was a very good turnup at CineWorld in Dublin. Thought it was brillant. Am a very big fan of Miyazaki, but still think Spirited Away is much better.

Anto and Moe

Yeah, it was brilliant, I saw it with subtitles by accident, It was cool, but it kind of distracts from all the fantastic visuals.