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The online film magazine Combustible Celluloid offers new movie reviews, DVD reviews, film reviews, actor interviews, actress interviews, director interviews, film books and all things cinema related for the thoughtful and passionate. Online for ten years! Over 3000 reviews!

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Castle in the Sky (1986)

Rating: 3 Stars (out of 4)

Sky High

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy Castle in the Sky on DVD

Castle in the Sky was Miyazaki's third feature film after The Castle of Cagliostro and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. It shows the master still learning, still discovering his pacing. Sheeta (voiced by Paquin) and Pazu (voiced by James Van Der Beek) race against pirates and other evil agents to find a mystical floating city, glimpsed a generation earlier by Pazu's father and then lost again. The movie really kicks in gear at the climax, where Sheeta and Pazu try to outrun the bad guys by climbing all around the base of the city and its complex tree root system. Miyazaki actually manages to convey the feeling of height; you may find yourself gripping the couch a little too hard.

DVD Details: In 2010, Disney re-issued the out-of-print DVD with a new interactive extra: "The World of Ghibli." It also includes an introduction by John Lasseter and a storyboard presentation of the movie. Audio is presented in both the original Japanese and dubbed English tracks.

Starring: (voices) James Van Der Beek, Anna Paquin, Cloris Leachman, Mark Hamill, Jim Cummings
Written by: Hayao Miyazaki
Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Language: English/Japanese with English subtitles
Running Time: 124 minutes
Date: June 6, 2003