78
Metascore
7 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90IGNIGNAnother example of the explosive imagination that Miyazaki has. The world of the movie looks to use early 20th Century technology, yet it's filled with these giant airships and flying cities. There's a giant, yet lovable, robot that instantly becomes one of the most memorable characters in the film. Combine all of that with an excellent and memorable Joe Hisaishi score, and you have a jewel of animation.
- 88ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliViewed from a purely narrative perspective, Castle in the Sky is a fun, engaging two hours. Miyazaki knows how to keep things moving without belaboring certain scenes. He doesn’t speak down to his audience and isn’t afraid to mix in exposition with action.
- 88Slant MagazineChuck BowenSlant MagazineChuck BowenMiyazaki’s concerns with the fragility and wonder of our less tangible surroundings haunt the picture without overpowering it.
- 80The A.V. ClubTasha RobinsonThe A.V. ClubTasha RobinsonOn the lighthearted end of the Miyazaki spectrum, but it features more dashing adventure.
- 80Washington PostWashington PostMiyazaki's world, so full of color and life, is always just across the borderline of imagination, its acute details softened by clouds and shadows, its principles revealed by actions more than words. Laputa has resonance and complexity.
- 75TV Guide MagazineTV Guide MagazineUnusually detailed animation glides hand in hand with the film’s aura of wonderment.
- 60The New York TimesCaryn JamesThe New York TimesCaryn JamesIts detailed fantasy world, including a dark turn-of-the-century mining town and candy-colored futuristic space bikes, is as alluring as any live-action film. Yet this two-hour story about a lost princess, a flying island and space pirates is liable to strain the patience of adults and the attention spans of children.