Howl's Moving Castle Diana Wynne Jones

A story about a hat-maker's daughter, a trans-dimensional wizard, and a fallen star, this movie broke the box offices in japan, turning it into an instant classic. The story has many fairy tale themes: multiple curses, witches in disguise, and inanimate objects turned animate. The title's namesake- the moving castle- is reminiscent of Baba Yaga’s house that walks around on chicken feet. The plot of the story was a little... overbuilt? There seemed to be plot elements that were brushed over for lack of time, and other details that only received a sentence of acknowledgement. This is understandable, seeing as it was taken from a book with many different storylines, but it's still a little frustrating to only get a peek at all the other events going on in Howl’s world. If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll probably figure out i’m talking about the major war going on in the background, and Sophie’s family. You got bits of information on both, but none of it seemed complete. The ending was also a little confusing, but I liked the movie as a whole. The whimsy and humor balances the darker themes, and the moral of acceptance and forgiveness with the Wicked Witch of the Waste was sweet.

While many people grew up with the Academy Award nominated animated movie, not many know this Japanese film was based on an English book of the same name. This is understandable, seeing as the original story was published in 1986, but I also find this is regrettable. There are many details in the book I wish had been in the movie. The overall plot was changed, from a dramatic ‘everything’s happening at once in a tiny room’ climax to a more warmhearted, compassionate ending. Other plot points, like Sophie’s magical gift and her seven league boots, were dearly missed. I also missed her family. In the movie, they appear to be superficial, caring about Sophie only when it doesn’t prevent them from doing their own thing. In the book, though, you really get to meet her sisters and step mom, who isn’t as frivolous as she initially appears. They even get their own little story lines. The war was explained more, as well, and you learn a bit more about Howl’s past in the mysterious world of the 1980’s.

I’m not saying say the movie was bad or poorly written, it just didn’t seem complete after having read the full story of what all was going on in the complicated world of Howl’s Moving Castle, and I wish it was more fully developed. The characters were realistic and humorous, the designs were beautiful, and the magic was reminiscent of fairy tales without being a copy. This is definitely a must watch, if animated movies are your thing, and even if it’s not you should still give it a try.