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Tenkû no shiro Rapyuta (1986)

Trailer
1:07 | Trailer
A young boy and a girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle.

Director:

Hayao Miyazaki

Writer:

Hayao Miyazaki
Reviews
Popularity
1,661 ( 541)
1 win. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mayumi Tanaka ... Pazu (voice)
Keiko Yokozawa Keiko Yokozawa ... Sheeta (voice)
Kotoe Hatsui Kotoe Hatsui ... Dola (voice)
Minori Terada Minori Terada ... Muska (voice)
Fujio Tokita Fujio Tokita ... Uncle Pom (voice)
Ichirô Nagai ... Shogun Mouro (voice)
Hiroshi Ito Hiroshi Ito ... Oyakata (voice)
Machiko Washio Machiko Washio ... Okami (voice)
Takuzô Kamiyama Takuzô Kamiyama ... Shalulu (voice)
Yoshito Yasuhara Yoshito Yasuhara ... Lui (voice)
Sukekiyo Kameyama Sukekiyo Kameyama ... Anli (voice)
Ryûji Saikachi Ryûji Saikachi ... Old Engineer (voice)
Tarako Tarako ... Madge (voice)
Eken Mine Eken Mine ... Underling (voice)
Reiko Suzuki Reiko Suzuki ... Additional Voices (voice)
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Storyline

A young boy stumbles into a mysterious girl who floats down from the sky. The girl, Sheeta, was chased by pirates, army and government secret agents. In saving her life, they begin a high flying adventure that goes through all sorts of flying machines, eventually searching for Sheeta's identity in a floating castle of a lost civilization. Written by Tzung-I Lin <tzung@hugo.att.com>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis


Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

69,262 traditional "cels" and 381 colors were used for this film. See more »

Goofs

When Pazu tosses the apple core behind him after he's finished eating, it disappears. See more »

Quotes

Pazu: A girl just fell from the sky, boss!
See more »

Crazy Credits

The end credits show the remains of the castle Laputa floating on Earth's orbit. See more »

Alternate Versions

The original Japanese theatrical release did not have the current Studio Ghibli logo at the beginning; it had the Toho logo instead. See more »

Connections

Featured in Tenkû no shiro Rapyuta: Promotion (1986) See more »

Soundtracks

Moshimo Sora wo Tobetara
(If You Can Fly in the Sky)
(image song)
Lyrics by Takashi Matsumoto
Music by Kyôhei Tsutsumi
Performed by Obata Yoko (Tokuma Japan)
See more »

User Reviews

 
A great animated family adventure
2 December 2004 | by lilliquistSee all my reviews

This is one of the best animated family films of all time. Moreover, virtually all of the serious rivals for this title came from the same creative mind of Hiyao Miyazaki and his Studio Ghibli. Specifically, other great films include "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Kikki's Delivery Service." Spirited Away is quite good, but a bit too creepy for typical family fare - better for teenagers and adult. The one thing that sets "Laputa: Castle in the Sky" apart from other films by Miyazaki is that it is far more of a tension-filled adventure ride.

Why is this film so good? Because it's a complete package: the animation is very well done, and the story is truly engaging and compelling.

Most Japanese anime is imaginative, but decidedly dark or cynical or violent; and the animation itself is often jerky, stylized, and juvenile. None of these problems plague Castle in the Sky. It has imagination to burn, and the characters are well drawn, if slightly exaggerated versions of realistic people. (None of those trench-coat wearing posers) There is plenty of adventure, but not blood and gore. The animation is smooth, detailed, and cinematic ally composed - not a lot of flat shots. The backgrounds are wonderful.

The voice acting in the dubbed English version is first rate, particularly the two leads, Pazo (James Van der Beek) and Sheeta (Anna Paquin). The sound engineering is great, too. Use your studio sound, if you've got it.

One aspect that I particularly enjoyed is that much of the back story is left unexplained. Laputa was once inhabited, and is now abandoned. Why? We never know. We know as much as we need to know, and then we just have to accept the rest, which is easy to do because the invented world is so fully realized. Indeed, it is fair to say that the world is more fully realized than most of the minor characters, who are for the most part one-dimensional stock characters (e.g., gruff general, silly sidekick, kooky old miner, etc.) Highly recommended for people aged 6 to 60!


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

2 August 1986 (Japan) See more »

Also Known As:

Castle in the Sky See more »

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Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$197,172, 18 November 2018

Gross USA:

$523,664

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,037,660
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1
See full technical specs »

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