Howl's Moving Castle

The latest animation film by Miyazaki can hardly be praised enough. The spring from which Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away previously bubbled to the surface is far from dry, and the colourful fantasy of Howl's Moving Castle is testimony to this. The ambition was to make a cartoon film that old people would enjoy, but Howl is for all ages. Miyazaki based it on an English book: the film is set in an enchanted universe as created by a Central European Dickens that is threatened by a mid-20th century disaster. The townspeople are a little scared of the moving castle of the young magician Howl that can sometimes be seen in the hills, but it also sparks their curiosity. The shy hat maker Sophie is pestered by soldiers when she goes out for a walk, and rescued by a charming young man who turns out to be Howl. As a result, Sophie also awakens the interest of the fat, jealous Witch of the West, who turns her into an old hag. She flees from this town, determined to rediscover her youth, helps a scarecrow on a pogo stick and finds herself in Howl's moving Castle. There she meets the fire ghost Calcifer - who provides the classic comic relief - and of course Howl, who battles evening after evening against evil powers but has less and less power to turn back his metamorphosis into a feathered fighting machine. That is, as they say, only the beginning. There's no end in sight, but time flies. (SdH)