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Sophie is your average teen girl living a mediocre life with no purpose -

Unlike her beautiful sister, whom she envies within her soul, she is rather plain
and her measure of self-worth suffers for it.

One day, she encounters a dashingly handsome man.
He saves her from the leering of soldiers.
He steals her heart with a graceful display of his abilities.
Almost suddenly, her life has taken a magical turn!

...
First off, let it be said that this is an INCREDIBLY SUBTLE film.
It is highly unlikely that you will understand it in one sitting - I had the film fly right over my head and was left in disappointment by what I had then perceived to be weak writing on Miyazaki's rendition of the classic YA novel by Diana Wynne Jones.

Think Chekhov's Gun when it comes to (almost) everything here - why a character makes an otherwise confusing or obvious remark; why were you shown a shot of someone doing something otherwise ordinary. The trick here is to notice these key moments of foreshadowing or revelation in all the deepest throes of gorgeous eye-gasm.

Then think outside the box. With enough contemplation you will be able to see beyond the surface themes of this work of art.

Story: 8/10

This is a story about revelation, perspective and acceptance. Its subtleties are truly subtleties - Miyazaki seems rather unafraid of having his audiences miss something utterly crucial to the interpretation of the plot.
Themes dance across the surface of the water but never really submerge the viewer into its depths unless the viewer has had time for contemplation.
The pacing is good but not stellar - there are minor hiccups here and there which are inevitable given the source material. My biggest gripe is the abrupt closure of some issues at the end.


Art: 9/10

From the hand-painted landscapes to the marvel of the Moving Castle, from the expressions of characters to the non-expression of things, Howl's Moving Castle is a technical masterpiece of 2D animation.


Sound: 6/10

While the sound and music are decent they do not add something to the show nor necessarily express a part of the show well.


Character: 7/10
Character designs are strong in the leads, however some individuals never really achieve any level of depth.


Enjoyment: 7/10
Watch and you will no doubt be enthralled by the magic of Miyazaki's craft and his ability to tell stories about the human condition - Howl's is a departure from his usual flavouring of film and has elements of its source work permeate its atmosphere in quiescence.


Overall: 7/10
Howl's Moving Castle is a nuanced film with amazing animation that is not afraid to be sophisticated. It has strong rewatch value (even more so than his other films) and tackles some psychological aspects inherent in all fictional works with mercy and finesse.