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Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
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The incredible imagination of Spirited Away director Hayao Miyazaki runs wild once again in this delightful animated adventure. Based on the 1986 novel by Diana Wynne Jones, it's a retro-futuristic fantasy set in a magical, war-torn land reminiscent of 19th-century Europe. This English-language version is beautifully voiced, with Christian Bale's seductive tones bringing vivid life to the vain young wizard Howl, whose romancing of 18-year-old milliner Sophie (Emily Mortimer) results in her transformation into a pensioner by the jealous Witch of the Waste (Lauren Bacall). The events that follow are both visually ingenious and dazzling, as Old Sophie (Jean Simmons) journeys to reclaim her youth, only to find employment in Howl's enchanted walking castle. But the meticulous eye candy comes at the expense of proper plot development, with the rushed final third, in which Howl is forced into battle, and an overly surreal conclusion likely to be particularly confusing for children. SF
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Tell us what you think
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Running time
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114min
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Country of origin
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Jpn
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Genre
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Animated Fantasy
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Alternate title
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Hauru No Ugoku Shiro
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Original language
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English / Japanese
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Screenplay
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Hayao Miyazaki, from the novel by Diana Wynne Jones
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Theatrical distributor
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Optimum Releasing
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UK cinema certificate
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U
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UK cinema release date
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September 2005
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Film certification logos reproduced by kind permission of BBFC |
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