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Howl's Moving Castle

Original title: Hauru no ugoku shiro
  • 2004
  • PG
  • 1h 59m
IMDb RATING
8.2/10
483K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
665
147
Christian Bale, Jean Simmons, Chieko Baishô, and Takuya Kimura in Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Watch Official Trailer
Play trailer0:31
6 Videos
99+ Photos
Adventure EpicAnimeHand-Drawn AnimationSupernatural FantasyAdventureAnimationFamilyFantasy

When an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions ... Read allWhen an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking castle.When an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking castle.

  • Director
    • Hayao Miyazaki
  • Writers
    • Hayao Miyazaki
    • Diana Wynne Jones
  • Stars
    • Chieko Baishô
    • Takuya Kimura
    • Tatsuya Gashûin
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.2/10
    483K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    665
    147
    • Director
      • Hayao Miyazaki
    • Writers
      • Hayao Miyazaki
      • Diana Wynne Jones
    • Stars
      • Chieko Baishô
      • Takuya Kimura
      • Tatsuya Gashûin
    • 635User reviews
    • 256Critic reviews
    • 82Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #157
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 14 wins & 20 nominations total

    Videos6

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 0:31
    Official Trailer
    Ishana Night Shyamalan's Favorite Miyazaki Films
    Clip 1:08
    Ishana Night Shyamalan's Favorite Miyazaki Films
    Ishana Night Shyamalan's Favorite Miyazaki Films
    Clip 1:08
    Ishana Night Shyamalan's Favorite Miyazaki Films
    A Guide to the Films of Hayao Miyazaki
    Clip 2:12
    A Guide to the Films of Hayao Miyazaki
    Howl's Moving Castle: BD
    Clip 1:31
    Howl's Moving Castle: BD
    Howl's Moving Castle: BD
    Clip 1:17
    Howl's Moving Castle: BD
    Howl's Moving Castle: BD
    Clip 1:12
    Howl's Moving Castle: BD

    Photos333

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
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    + 329
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    Top cast99+

    Edit
    Chieko Baishô
    Chieko Baishô
    • Sophie
    • (voice)
    Takuya Kimura
    Takuya Kimura
    • Howl
    • (voice)
    Tatsuya Gashûin
    Tatsuya Gashûin
    • Calcifer
    • (voice)
    Akihiro Miwa
    • Witch of the Waste
    • (voice)
    Ryûnosuke Kamiki
    Ryûnosuke Kamiki
    • Markl
    • (voice)
    Mitsunori Isaki
    • Page
    • (voice)
    Yô Ôizumi
    Yô Ôizumi
    • Turnip Head
    • (voice)
    • …
    Akio Ôtsuka
    Akio Ôtsuka
    • King
    • (voice)
    Daijirô Harada
    • Heen
    • (voice)
    • …
    Haruko Katô
    Haruko Katô
    • Suliman
    • (voice)
    Jean Simmons
    Jean Simmons
    • Grandma Sophie
    • (English version)
    • (voice)
    Christian Bale
    Christian Bale
    • Howl
    • (English version)
    • (voice)
    Lauren Bacall
    Lauren Bacall
    • Witch of the Waste
    • (English version)
    • (voice)
    Blythe Danner
    Blythe Danner
    • Madame Suliman
    • (English version)
    • (voice)
    Emily Mortimer
    Emily Mortimer
    • Young Sophie
    • (English version)
    • (voice)
    Josh Hutcherson
    Josh Hutcherson
    • Markl
    • (English version)
    • (voice)
    Billy Crystal
    Billy Crystal
    • Calcifer
    • (English version)
    • (voice)
    Jena Malone
    Jena Malone
    • Lettie
    • (English version)
    • (voice)
    • Director
      • Hayao Miyazaki
    • Writers
      • Hayao Miyazaki
      • Diana Wynne Jones
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews635

    8.2483.2K
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    Summary

    Reviewers say 'Howl's Moving Castle' highlights Miyazaki's signature themes of magic, strong female leads, and detailed worlds. Sophie's transformative journey and self-discovery are central. The animation is lauded for its breathtaking visuals and meticulous detail. However, some find it less original, with familiar elements and a simpler plot than Miyazaki's earlier films. Nonetheless, it is appreciated for its imaginative narrative, engaging characters, and the director's unique fusion of fantasy and reality.
    AI-generated from the text of user reviews

    Featured reviews

    9auuwws

    hauru no ugoku shiro

    The most beautiful anime film I have ever seen, Studio Ghibli proved to me that it is the undisputed best anime studio, the story of the film was very beautiful and the projections of the film were excellent, the characters of the film were beautifully written, especially the character of Hauru, it started narcissistic and ended completely differently, I liked the romantic relationship between Sophie and Hauru were awesome, and the film ending was so beautiful, I highly recommend watching it
    8deegola

    I really enjoyed this film!

    It's hard to make any movie that follow after 'Spirited Away' So, when you watch, you have to try and keep an open mind....which is hard to do since the characters, and the whole feel of the film seems so much like his previous works.

    But what fun this film is! And interestingly beautiful. I could watch most any of his movies, just to look at the beautiful scenery. I love some of the incredible imagination that goes into his works.

    I could easily recommend this film. No, it's not the better than the rest, but I feel it's definitely worth your time.

    I look forward to seeing the film again, maybe I will understand some things a bit better.
    10surenm

    A wild and surreal trip into the mind of a master.

    I think this is possibly Miyazaki's most intriguing movie. All of his other films are very linear and even though their highly varied worlds may be visually stunning and highly creative, I feel the dreamy world of Howls Moving Castle is by far the most captivating, bizarre, and imaginative of all the worlds Miyazaki has ever envisioned.

    What I love about this movie is that it's highly emotional without a great deal of logic or plot or story to get in the way. In this way the film is simple, pure, and extremely beautiful. It is as if the characters go from one emotion to the next, in a world that is as random as one's own dreams. Some people have complained about the lack of plot or story or serious character development, but even though the characters are fairly static, their emotions and the physical changes they undergo as they go through these emotions brings out a higher truth that is seldom given such artistic and natural freedom.

    I think this is a very smart movie in many subtle ways and it's one that I look forward to watching again on the big screen and then on DVD. Although it flirts from theme to theme to theme with a kind of animated attention deficit disorder, the landscapes and utter unabated surrealism left me stunned and never bored.

    Also, from a quizzical character design perspective, Howl is certainly one of if not the most beautiful characters that Miyazaki has ever created. Howl is an interesting departure from Miyazaki's more classical wabi-sabi anime style that most of his heroes and heroines are drawn in as Howl is definitely a very contemporary bishonen.

    If you're looking for quaint settings, dynamic characters and a very involving character or plot driven story, you're not going to necessarily find them here, but you will find an equally stunning and pleasing movie if you let yourself go and enjoy this passionate, heartfelt and surreal Miyazaki dream.
    10WritelySo

    My favourite Miyazaki!

    What an amazing achievement! This is by far the best example I have ever seen of animated characterization. The expressions and the nuances and the emotion captured in this film are truly breathtaking. I love all of Miyazaki's work, but in Howl's Moving Castle he has managed to take it to a level that to me sets the standard.

    It has all of the classic stunning Miyazaki panoramas, rich settings, exciting and unusual machinery, and brilliantly conceived creatures that are often humorous and fanciful. The characters are all very expertly crafted and developed, but what really enchanted me were their expressions and the subtle but powerful ways that he chose to elaborate on their connections and emotions. It is very difficult to describe, but they come to life in such a powerful way as to seem entirely real and unique.

    He achieves this within the medium - not by really imitating or parroting film or live action, but by artfully exploiting the medium to enhance and capture the subtle interactions that make up relationships. He shows his audience what his characters are thinking and feeling by carefully chosen gestures and facial expressions, rather than relying always on dialog, etc. I was completely swept away by this skillful use of animation - I have never anywhere else seen anything that begins to come close to it.

    The story is fantastic - I haven't read the novel, but it had all of the elements I have come to enjoy in Miyazaki's work - there is the humour, the lighthearted moments, the strong, insightful, loyal, and honourable characters, the lyrical drama and action sequences. The pace is perfect - it flows nicely and is always exciting, suspenseful - I got very caught up in the characters and their struggles and hopes. The themes were expertly handled with Miyazaki flair - and always richly meaningful and perceptive.

    I can hardly wait to see what this brilliant artist creates next!
    9whitetigah

    Another wonderful movie from Miyazaki

    (first of all: sorry if my English is not the best out there, but it's not my native language)

    I was lucky enough to see the world premiere (at Venice Film Festival, September 5, 2004).

    Not only the art and animation is breathtaking (with almost no CGI), but the story is also above Miyazaki standards.

    The characters are wonderful, each one with his (or her) own personality. Among them the best is for sure Calcifer, the Fire Demon, who is actually an almost all-powerful being, but is often underestimated by the other characters ("If you don't obey, I'll pour water on you!").

    The music is one of the best parts of the movie. Even if you don't notice it, it is always there, always conveying the right feeling.

    Bottom line: this is an excellent movie. If you liked other movies by Miyazaki (such as Mononoke Hime, Spirited Away, Laputa Castle in the Sky...) you cannot miss it.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Upon seeing Spirited Away (2001), Christian Bale immediately agreed to play any role in this film. He didn't expect to get the titular role.
    • Goofs
      Sophie's top ribbon doesn't always reappear when she transforms back into her younger self.
    • Quotes

      Howl: I feel terrible, like there's a weight on my chest.

      Young Sophie: A heart's a heavy burden.

    • Connections
      Edited into Miyazaki Dreams of Flying (2017)
    • Soundtracks
      Sekai no Yakusoku
      (Promise of the World)

      Lyrics by Shuntarô Tanikawa

      Music by Yumi Kimura

      Arranged by Joe Hisaishi

      Performed by Chieko Baishô

      Courtesy of Tokuma Japan Communications

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    FAQ22

    • How long is Howl's Moving Castle?Powered by Alexa
    • Was Diana Wynne Jones involved?
    • Why is he named "Howl"?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 17, 2005 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Japan
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Disney (United States)
    • Language
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • El increíble castillo vagabundo
    • Production companies
      • Howl's Moving Castle Production Committee
      • Buena Vista Home Entertainment
      • DENTSU Music And Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $24,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $9,173,958
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $427,987
      • Jun 12, 2005
    • Gross worldwide
      • $240,977,139
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 59 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital EX
      • DTS-ES
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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