Based on a book by Diana Wynne Jones, an English fantasy author who studied under C.S. HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE is the latest work from Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki (SPIRITED AWAY, PRINCESS MONONOKE and MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO). Furthermore, the movie’s demonology is morally relative and ontologically confusing. Thus, while the premise of the story is to break all the magical spells enslaving the characters, the story has a very strong pagan worldview with lots of witchcraft and sorcery. Although the story has some redemptive, morally uplifting elements, it centers on sorcery and witchcraft, which are abhorrent. Also, the resolution of the conflicts and problems facing the characters is surprisingly uninspired. HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE is a complex, enthralling and visually spectacular piece of animated fantasy, but it is overlong. Sophie learns that Howl isn’t quite himself anymore and that his mysterious bargain with Calcifer somehow lies at the heart of the matter.

Sophie’s efforts to break the spell bring her to the magical moving castle of the handsome, but mysterious, wizard Howl, who has trapped a fire-demon named Calcifer to do his bidding. The evil Witch of the Waste visits Sophie and transforms her into an old woman. Set in a magical land at war, the story focuses on a teenage hat maker named Sophie. HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE is a popular Japanese animation dubbed into English and based on a fantasy novel.

Howls moving castle calcifer