Laputa: Castle in the Sky

The next film I'll be reviewing is Studio Ghibli's Laputa: Castle in the Sky, or more commonly known as Castle in the Sky. This movie was made in 1986, one of the first films Studio Ghibli put out, but it is also one of the most beloved.

 

This movie is about a girl, Sheeta, who possesses a magical stone called etherium, and she is caught between two groups that want to steal her and her stone away: the army and air pirates. When she escapes from the army, she falls to her certain death but is rescued by the stone itself. It helps her to float safely down into the arms of a miner boy, Pazu, who spots her glowing from a good distance away.

Pazu helps her out by taking her back to his place and keeping her safe out of the reach of the pirates and army, but only for a little while. Throughout their adventure, they learn what it truly means to have the etherium stone and how powerful Sheeta's true name really is. They even manage to befriend the pirates who help them reach Laputa.

When they reach Laputa, though, it's up to Sheeta and Pazu to save it from the evil clutches of Muska, who also has his own little secret to share. Can the two really save Laputa, the floating city in the sky, before Muska tries to take over?

Well, you'll just have to watch to find out.

This movie is rated PG. I believe kids should watch this movie because there are deep meanings within the movie that will help a kid, and even an adult, to understand the relationship we humans share with nature and how we aren't doing what we can to understand that relationship.

This movie is one of my favorites, to be sure. It has a simple romance between the main characters Sheeta and Pazu that doesn't go beyond the two just wanting to be there for each other and save each other, no matter the cost. There is no kissing or anything like that, but I think that makes the relationship between the two even that much stronger. Plus, they're only teenagers probably no older than 13 or 14, so I'm not expecting much.

There are characters to fall in love with, a villain to hate - and a villain to love. There are goofy characters, and characters that you just can't help but feel sorry for. There are deep meanings in this movie as well as scenes that you can't believe that just happened. Then there are times when you question what this movie, this story, has to offer us in return.

I definitely recommend seeing this movie. If you're not looking deeper into the meanings, than this movie is also just great to watch. Check out the trailer below to see what you think.

For my next blog post I'll discuss some of the characters from Castle in the Sky. And then I'm also going to try my hand at amigurumi - possibly Teto from Nausicaa: Of the Valley of the Wind or Jiji from Kiki's Delivery Service. Either way, stay tuned!