Tenkuu no Shiro Laputa

In a world filled with planes and airships, Sheeta is a young girl who has been kidnapped by government agents who seek her mysterious crystal amulet. While trapped aboard an airship, she finds herself without hope—that is, until the ship is raided by pirates. Taking advantage of the ensuing confusion, Sheeta manages to flee from her captors. Upon her escape, she meets Pazu, a boy who dreams of reaching the fabled flying castle, Laputa. The two decide to embark on a journey together to discover this castle in the sky. However, they soon find the government agents back on their trail, as they too are trying to reach Laputa for their own greedy purposes.

Tenkuu no Shiro Laputa follows the soaring adventures of Sheeta and Pazu, all while they learn how dreams and dire circumstances can bring two people closer together.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Pazu Main

Tanaka, Mayumi Japanese

Sheeta Main

Yokozawa, Keiko Japanese

Dola Supporting

Hatsui, Kotoe Japanese

Muska Supporting

Terada, Minori Japanese

Uncle Pom Supporting

Tokita, Fujio Japanese

Lui Supporting

Yasuhara, Yoshito Japanese

Shalulu Supporting

Kamiyama, Takuzou Japanese

Okami Supporting

Washio, Machiko Japanese

Anli Supporting

Kameyama, Sukekiyo Japanese

Shogun Mouro Supporting

Nagai, Ichiro Japanese

Takahata, Isao Producer

Miyazaki, Hayao Director, Theme Song Lyrics, Screenplay, Character Design

Shiba, Shigeharu Sound Director

Inoue, Azumi Theme Song Performance

Reviews

Aug 5, 2024

Vagabond_dude

Recommended

I can't help but think that Eichiro Oda took inspiration from this movie for certain elements in One Piece. It feels somewhat similar. And I loved that aspect of it. That atmosphere of adventure, discovery, archaeological mystery, it is very refreshing.

Sometimes you just need a film that makes you feel good at the end, that makes you remember when you were a child and you were playing in your grandparents' yard imagining a world of possibilities. Many Ghibli films are like this, they appeal to the nostalgia that lives inside you and make you remember how wonderful it was to have once been a child.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Dec 8, 2024

JJ_Wip7

Mixed Feelings

Let’s talk about the first Studio Ghibli movie, Castle in the Sky (1986). It's a foundational piece, sure, but every time I think about it, I just can’t shake that sour taste from my mouth.
The movie starts fine. Pazu and Sheeta are these wide-eyed adventurers. They’re scrappy, earnest, and their chemistry is endearing. But as the story moves along, the hollowing effect widens. It’s hard to pinpoint at first. Maybe it’s the villain, Muska, whose whole thing is being a “stock bad guy.” He’s power-hungry, sure, but where’s the meat on that bone? There’s no complexity to him. He’s evil because the movie needs him ... to be. Compared to a character like Lady Eboshi in Miyazaki’s later film Princess Mononoke (1997), of whom balances industrialization with a genuine care for her people, Muska feels replaceable.
And the themes? I mean, they’re there. Like many Miyzakaki movies we have technological advancements versus nature. But that’s just it, they are JUST there. The film wants to talk about humanity’s hubris and the dangers of self-indulgent ambition, but it never really throws you more than a bone. Instead, it opts for a more visual approach, albeit stunning. The airships, the sky, the crumbling ruins of Laputa, they’re all gorgeous. But beauty alone only takes you so far.
Then there’s the castle itself. When Pazu and Sheeta finally arrive, those nine minutes of exploration are everything I wanted this movie to be. There’s a real ethereal feeling to it all, an earnest discovery, like stepping into a dream you can’t understand. But the magic is over like that, just nine minutes. And the rest of the film can’t match that magic. Instead, we’re back to explosions, chases, and a villain rambling on and on about power.
It’s frustrating. Castle in the Sky teases greatness, brushing by you, just a little too late– then you look back just to get a taste of these glimpses where Miyazaki’s future brilliance really begins to form. But it never self-actualizes. The movie is safe, sticking to a straightforward tale of good versus evil, where the heroes are unambiguously good and the villains just as unambiguously bad. There’s no moral gray.
Don’t get me wrong, I get why people love this one. It’s a main entree at Ghibli’s dinner table. But for me? I wanted more.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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Sep 3, 2024

bergars

Not Recommended

So, that's what a filler Ghibli movie looks like.

Did not care a single bit about whatever plot was happening in this movie. Not from the beginning, not from the middle or end. It's one of those movies you put on the back of dinner. It's dated, cliché'd, more predictable than anything, specially when you establish how plot convenience is the only force working for the movie. Starting off with the main characters.

You've got a walking “damsel in distress” trope. You've got the immortal protagonist that somehow escapes literally every impossible situation with sheer force of will, he's a kid. He can grip impossibly steep ... structures for minutes on end, he can confront people with guns, he has no sense of self-preservation, or he knows he's immortal. Most characters share that.

The typical “don't corrupt things beyond understanding”, with the ambitious villain that somehow is tied by blood to the damsel, which kind of defeats the purpose of his villainy, and reason to be there. The twists don't illicit any change whatsoever in the story, and everything ends as easy as you can imagine it does. Everything goes the way you think it will.

I don't hate stories that have an easy to follow through-line, but at least give me good characters, instead of the flattest of flats. The animation isn't the strongest, either. The typical Ghibli designs, with no flare to the style, no strong art direction, the colors aren't fun, the world isn't interesting to look at, and it's pretty dated in that regard too.

4/10. A product of its time, in every sense of the word. Paused it so many times because I was just bored out of my mind. I really don't recommend it.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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	Poll: Tenkuu no Shiro Laputa Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 3 ) Cele - Dec 3, 2009	128 replies	by EmpsyXD »» Oct 22, 12:29 PM
	What's the Philosophical Significance of Certain Motifs in Castle in the Sky? Hethalos - Jun 9, 2013	10 replies	by YahiyaX777L »» Jun 16, 8:00 AM
	Is this movie a ripoff?? tobanga - Dec 23, 2015	3 replies	by YahiyaX777L »» Jun 16, 5:39 AM
	Dub Discussion JTurner - Feb 21, 2008	17 replies	by IamCheri »» Sep 24, 2023 6:05 AM
	Anna Paquin as Sheeta Duckielover151 - Jan 13, 2019	5 replies	by JTurner »» Feb 5, 2019 11:48 PM

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