Castle In The Sky
Posted by 7th on September 01, 2004

As I've said many times, I'm a meat and potatoes kinda guy when it comes to movies. Give me the action. Show me the explosions, the narrow escapes, the hero getting the girl. These are the kinds of stories I like the most, probably as throwback to the films I saw as a child (as chosen by my old man.) The Indiana Jones films. The Star Trek movies, and of course, the original Star Wars Trilogy...

So last week I sat down to watch Castle In The Sky, the latest in my ever-growing Studio Ghibli collection. To be honest, I was expecting something along the lines of Spirited Away; in other words, a dissertation on the human condition wrapped in the skin of a children's film. Instead, I found a high octane adventure film that never slowed down from the opening scene to the closing credits. First let me give you a quick rundown of the plot, and thn we'll get ino my thoughts on it...

Our film opens on a massive sky ship, floating high in the heavens... everything's peaceful, tranquil. We see the heroine of our story, Sheeta, staring forelornly out the window... Suddenly, the ship comes under attack by a band of pirates unlike any I've seen in film...

The leader of the pirate gang storms the ship, looking for Sheeta, or specifically, Sheeta's "crystal." The pirate in question is named Dola, and she is one piece of work. She smashes through the ship caryring a huge rifle, knocking guys much bigger than her out of her way as though she were a linebacker ripping through the Seahawk's pathetic defensive line.

Meanwhile, Sheeta is still gazing out the window. A "Man In Black" type character comes walking in, and gazes out the window. Sheeta takes this as an opportunity to brain the poor guy with a flower vase. She takes from him a necklace, th medalion of which is blue and seems to glow with life. With nowhere else to go, Sheeta opens the window and crawls onto the outer hull of the ship. But she is soon discovered, and in an attempt to escape, she slips an falls ino the clouds below...

But as Sheeta falls, her pendant begins to glow brighter. Her body is encapsulated in a blinding blue light, and she begins to gently float down to the ground. I know anime stalwarts proclim that Disney stole the plot of Atlantis from a series called Blue Water, but I have to say, the first thing this scene brought to mind was the Atlantean Princess' blue magic crystal, and the scene in the cave where she is possessed by the spirits of the fallen kings...

Down on earth, we meet a young man named Pazu. His mother and father long since passed away, Pazu works in a coal mine, living by himself and dreaming of the day when he can soar through the clouds in his own air ship, just like his father, and find the flying cityof Laputa, which he dad once saw durin his travels. As hes leaving to go home for the night, Pazu looks up and sees a light falling towards him. He chases the light to a gangplank high above the mine and plucks Sheeta out of the air. he takes her home, not knowing that his act of kindness would send him on a collision course with the realization of his wildest dreams.

The next morning, Pazu's town is besieged by Dola and her goofball sons. n one of the most hilarious scenes in the film, one of the brothers is stopped in his tracks by Pazu's boss. In a display of brawn over brains, he displays his mightiness by flexing hs pectorals until they bust out of his shirt... Pazu's boss follows suit by busting out everywhere, leaving his shirt looking like one of Bruce Banner's hand-me-downs... While this is keeping thepirates distracted, Pazu and Sheeta escape to the trains tracks running behind the village.

What follows is a chase scene that brings to mind the minecar scene from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. These train tracks are hundreds of feet above the ground, and seem as rickety as a two story mobile home. Sheeta and azu run down the tracks on foot, pursued by Dola and her sons in their smoke mobile. But Dola's the least of their worries. Coming righ at them is the army, led by the man Sheeta clobbered with a flower vase the nigh before. Acting as any army would, they open fire, blasting huge sections of the track to kindling. Sheeta and Pazu fall, only to be saved again by her magical pendant. hey float down to the safety of the caves beneath the village...

...where we meet an old man named Uncle Pom. Uncle Pom explains to Sheeta and Pazu that her pendant is made from a mineral that was once used by the people of Laputa to power their floating city. It is a powerful mineral that could spell doom in the wrong hands (MESSAGE!)

Sheeta and Pazu stay with Uncle Pom for a while, and then head on their way, and are almost immediately accosted by the Army. Sheeta is captured, and Pazu is knocked out cold.

When he awakens, he walks home, only to find Dola and her crew stuffing themselves with food. Pazu offers to join her crew in exchange for Dola's help in rescuin Sheeta. Dola likes his attitude, and agrees, but makes it clear tht all she's interested in is getting that crystal from around Sheeta's neck.

And so as night begins to fall, Dola, Pazu and the crew (sounds like a Sid and Marty Croft show) depart for the castle headquarters where Sheeta is being held captive. They race across the night-enshrouded landscape, darting under trees and over farmhouses. This scene was done particularly well, especially considering the fact that it's all hand-drawn. In the US, the landscape would've been done in CGI with the characters imposed over it, giving it a pseudo-3D fake look (Titan AE, anyone?)

Meanwhile, the evil leader who recaptured Sheeta (whom we now know is a direct descendent of the Laputian royal family) is still trying to force her to tell him the secret spell that releases Laputa's destructive power... he even shows her a relic of the Laputian race, a robot that fell from the sky, trying to reassure her that their world is long since dead, and giving him the secret of the pendant will cause no harm. But what he doesn't count on is the pendant reawakening the robot. It goes on a rampage, using its eye laser to rip the place to shreds. Sheeta flees from it, not understanding that it's trying to protect her. It chases her to the top of a parapet, where it is destroyed by cannon fire, just as Pazu and Dola swoop in and save her in the nick of time. Phew! That was a close one, I tell ya!

So Dola takes Sheeta and Pazu back to her ship, and they soon become unofficial pirates themselves. As they head towards Laputa, hoping to beat the Army there, they grow close, and Dola finds herself growing fond of them in spite of herself.

But with Laputa in sight, they're ambushed by a massive Army cruiser. Dola' s ship takes a real beating, and Sheeta and Pazu are thrown free of the ship in a two seater glider in the process. Before long, both Dola's ship and the Army cruiser are out of sight, and Sheeta and Pazu are standing at the entrance to the floating city.

There, they meet a robot similar in design to the one Sheeta met in the castle. As it turns out, these robots have acted as caretakers for the city since it was abandoned, caring for the plant and animal life. Looking at the design of this character, I can't help but wonder if the animators of The Iron giant were Studio Ghibli fans, as there's more than a passing resemblance to the CGI bohemoth voiced by Vin Diesel in the Warner Brothers 2000 release. It would seem that what I've heard is true. Everyone rips off Studio Ghibli... Disney, Warner Brothers, Don Bluth, God... If imitation really is the truest form of flattery, then Miyazai's cheeks must look like he's spent the last decade pouring on the rouge... the Moulin Rouge... Moulin... Mulan... Mononoke... Holy SHNIKEES!

Well as it turns out, Dola was able to crash land on Laputa, but is now in the hands of the Army. Now we're thrown another swerve. Ready? As it turns out, the villain (who is named Muska, by the way) is ALSO a descendent of the Laputian royal family, and seeks to return Laputa to its former glory asthe new King. But he needs Sheeta's crystal and the magic spell of DOOM to make that happen. A chase ensues, culminating in Muska seemingly having the two kids trapped. But Pazu convinces Sheeta to usea spell that causes Laputa to self destruct, sending Muska an his men to their demise. With Dola's help, the kids escape the remains of Laputa, one big happy pirate family... but not before Dola's men steal a page from Mikey's marbel bag and fill their pockets with Laptutian gold...

And so the movie ends. And it's a great ride. Miyazaki blends action with heart better here than any of his films I've seen thus far. From start to finish, I was on the edge of my seat, laughing at Dola and her moronic sons, not to mention her trollish eating habits. I got misty-eyed and tight-chested in all the right place, exhibiting th director's ability to cross cultural lines and tell a universal story, something that cannot be said of a lot of anime that makes its way to U.S. shores... but there were several times during the film where I had a twinge of deja vu. And I don't mean in regards to it bein ripped off by Atlantis or Iron Giant... I know Miyazaki has said that his idea for this film came from reading Gulliver's Trvaels, but still, there's something else here, I think. What I'm suggesting, and I know at least one person who is going to take major umbrage with this comment, is that Miyazaki is a Star Wars fan...

Now hear me out... Plot structure wise, this film is kinda like the Wizard of Oz/ Pink Floyd phenomenon. Set it side by side with the plot of episodes 4 and 5 of the Star Wars saga, an you'll see instant similarities.

Princess Sheeta has the crystal and it's wanted by the army.

Princess Leia has the death star plans and is wanted by the Empire.

Sheeta is rescued by Pazu, a young orphan with unknown potential whose father was a pilot and had a brush with destiny.

Leia is rescued by Luke, a young orphan with unknown potential whose father (whom he believes to be dead) was a pilot and had a brush with destiny.

Through Uncle Pom, a wise hermit who can sense the power within the rocks that surround him, Pazu learns that the power source of Laputa can bring miracles, or cause wanton destruction.

Through Obi Wan Kenobi, wise hermit who can sense the goodness or evil in all things, Luke learns that everything is filled wth a power called The Force, which can bring miracles, or cause wanton destruction.

During his travels, Pazu becomes friends with Dola, a pirate who eventually saves their lives, but at first only concerned with making money.

During his travels, Luke becomes friends with Han Solo, a smuggler who eventually saves his life, but is at first only concerned with making money.

During the climax, which takes place in Laputa, a floating city, Pazu is nearly thrown from the city, but finds safety in a exhaust shoot.

During the climax to Empire Strikes back, which takes place in Despin, a floating city, Luke is nearly thrown into the clouds, but finds safety from a weather antenna protruding from the exhaust shoot he fell from.

Coincidence? Or is Miyazaki's studio decorated with toy light sabers and pictures of Totoros Ewoks? (Of course, this is a bit of an unfair comparison, since Star Wars itself is little more than a conglomeration of Frank Herbert's Dune series and Kurosawa's Seven Samurai...)

I only have one minor complaint with this film, and it has nothing to do with Studio Ghibli... But it has everything to do with Disney, the rat bastards (pun intended.)

I think Disney could've made some wiser decisions in regards to their U.S. dub voice talent. Seriously... it wasn't as bad as havig Billy Bob Thornton playing the old codger in Mononoke, but com on... Van Der Beek?? Shit man, Haley Joel Osment has a Disney contract, why not him, eh? But VAN DER BEEK?

Of course, Disney voice talent is all over this film... Jim Cummings, the current voice of both Tigger AND Winnie The Pooh, plays the voice of the trumped up, fat angry Army general, a character that seems to be in every anime film... But even THAT isn't as atrociou as ANDY frickin' DICK. What is GOD'S NAME. Andy Dick is doing anime voice overs. It just make me sick to even think of it... Think about it. Close your eyes, and imagine Ki Ki flying high on her broom. And then she opens her mouth an you hear "IT'S ELIMINATION TIME, BITCHES!"

Vomitous. Absolutely vomitous... The best choice theymade was to hire Cloris Leechman to play Dola. She is genius in the role, and gives it real life, real heart... I really loved her in the role. The rest is shit, short of one more exception, and perhaps my biggest piece of evidence in regards to the Miyazaki/Lucas conspiracy... Get a load of who plays Muska...

Eh? EH? Ya see? The clues are hidden, but they're there... Miyazaki loves the Jedi... I only hope he hasn't seen the prequels...

-=7th=-