Another animated film from Hayao Miyazaki, an Oscar Best Animated Film nominee, and an adaptation from Dianne Wynne Jones's children's novel of the same title, Howl's Moving Castle offers a rich fantasy of adolescent escape, filled with sheer imagination and wonderful cinematic artistry - but yet, compared to Miyazaki's former works, Howl's Moving Castle isn't as moving, as emotionally inspired as Miyazaki's ultimate masterpiece Spirited Away. Miyazaki may have not achieved the level of Spirited Away, but so far, Howl's Moving Castle works its own wonders.
There are still many things that were to be loved in this film. One was the animation: Miyazaki has created a world that is so inviting, so full of complex fantasy, that it was nearly impossible for a person not to watch it. The feat that was the titular castle itself was an animated marvel. The landscapes in the film were breathtaking too. Secondly, the voices behind the characters. Like Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle is chock-full of interesting characters but unlike Spirited Away, in Howl's, the characters weren't as inspired as the former. But they do generate a well-received part of the story. A distinguished cast of actors, under the direction of Pixar’s Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc.), lend their vocal talents to this English-language version of the film. Sophie (voiced by Emily Mortimer), an average teenage girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome-but-mysterious wizard named Howl (voiced amazingly by Christian Bale), and is subsequently turned into a 90-year old woman (voiced by screen legend and two-time Oscar nominee Jean Simmons) by the vain and conniving Wicked Witch of the Waste (voiced by the also screen legend and Oscar nominee Lauren Bacall).
Embarking on an incredible odyssey to lift the curse, she finds refuge in Howl’s magical moving castle where she becomes acquainted with Markus, Howl’s apprentice, and a hot-headed fire demon named Calcifer (voiced by Billy Crystal). Sophie’s love and support comes to have a major impact on Howl, who flies in the face of orders from the palace to become a pawn of war and instead risks his life to help bring peace to the kingdom. It was Christian Bale that rocked the house. He had given Howl such a brilliant command over this film.
Howl's Moving Castle is for older children, for teenagers and adults. It appeals to a more mature audience, than Spirited Away. I did enjoy watching this film. It's a not a masterpiece, but it's indeed a filmgoing experience.

Rating: B