Castle in the Sky

Amazon.com

Inspired by "Gulliver's Travels," the fantasy-adventure Castle in the Sky (1986) was Hayao Miyazaki's third feature, and helped to establish his reputation as a visionary in both Japan and America. The orphan Sheeta inherited a mysterious crystal that links her to the legendary sky-kingdom of Laputa. With the help of resourceful Pazu and a rollicking band of sky pirates, she makes her way to the ruins of the once-great civilization. Sheeta and Pazu must outwit the evil Muska, who plans to use Laputa's science to make himself ruler of the world. Castle echoes elements in Myazaki's earlier Nausicaä, and anticipates imagery in his later films, from My Neighbor Totoro to Spirited Away. Disney's new English dub, which features Anna Paquin (Sheeta), James Van Der Beek (Pazu), and Cloris Leachman (pirate matriarch Dola), is lively and close in tone to the original Japanese, if a bit talkier. The exciting flying sequences, appealing characters, and fantastic vision of a steam-powered future Jules Verne might have imagined make Castle in the Sky a must-have for fans of Japanese and Western animation. (Unrated: suitable for ages 10 and older: violence) --Charles Solomon

Description

The magic touch of master animator Hayao Miyazaki is visible from start to finish in CASTLE IN THE SKY -- an imaginative tale full of mystery and adventure. The high-flying journey begins when Pazu, a mining apprentice, finds a young girl wearing a glowing pendant and floating down from the sky. Together, they discover both are searching for the legendary floating castle, Laputa, and vow to unravel the mystery of the luminous crystal around her neck. Their quest won't be easy, however. There are air pirates, secret agents, and astounding obstacles to keep them from the truth -- and from each other. With spectacular animation, a fabulous musical score, and the voice talents of Anna Paquin (Sheeta), James Van Der Beek (Pazu), and Cloris Leachman (Dola), CASTLE IN THE SKY is an animated masterpiece you'll never forget!

Customer Reviews:

castle in the sky.......2007-08-24

miyazaki makes some of the best movie ever. castle in the sky is about the a girl with a secret that causes her tons of trouble and a boy with a dream to see something that people don't believe exists. its extremely funny and totally awesome. i highly recomend it.

Amazing........2007-08-10

Like all of Miyazaki's films, it is beautiful. The storyline is a little open, so you can add your own reasons or motivations into the film. The friendship between Patsu and Sheeta can be interprited as just a friendship, or something more, for those who love a good romance. I fully recomend it. I watch it over and over and over, and everytime I get more out of it. I Love This Movie.

Not a Kids Film!.......2007-07-28

We love My Neighbor Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle, Kiki's Delivery Service, etc, and bought Castle in the Sky thinking it was more family entertainment. It opens with a graphic gun battle, and continues with one violent confrontation after another before the big fight at the finish. We shut it off twenty minutes in, sent the kids to bed and watched the rest. Beautiful imagery as always, and a complex and absorbing story, but definitely not for young kids. You've been warned!

A Movie For Kids.......2007-07-14

This movie was the one she wanted for her birthday. She watches atleast 3 times a week. Thank You.

Great Movies... that some kids won't understand.......2007-04-30

I actually wouldnt recommend Castle in the Sky or Nausicaa for kids. when i say kids... i mean below 10 years old. They're too complicated and, i dont personally, but some parents might find the content a tad too violent. I wouldnt see any problem with 10 or 12 year olds seeing them as they could understand most of the concepts. I dont think these movies weren't really made for kids though. aside from Totoro, most of miyazaki's movies are made to appeal to either a certain group (Kiki was a message to the young women of japan), or to teenagers and young adults not because of violence, but because of concepts. Spirited away is an excaption to this in that it appeals to all ages young and old. If you want anime for children, some of that fake american made anime like Avitar: the last airbender or the french made Code Lyoko is a better choice. America hasn't really quite gotten the concept of making cartoon-style shows that appeal widely to adults and teenagers... so most of them are safe.

Average customer rating:

Very Happy
bootlegs are bad...
Arrr, mateys! Make this collection walk the plank..
Non Bootleg is a great set, Go for it!
Great for kids

Studio Ghibli Movie Collection

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

ASIN: B000F7TTJQ

Product Description

This is a 4 DVD set that includes 7 movies. They are: Laputa: Castle in the Sky Grave of the Fireflies My Neighbor Totoro Kiki's Delivery Service Porco-Rosso Princess Mononoke Spirited Away Audio is in both English and Japanese

Customer Reviews:

Very Happy.......2007-06-22

I only buy anime from official dealers and I own this set pictured here published by FX. This is a wonderful 6 disc set with scene selection, set up options and interviews. They also have the Hollywood voice overs like the Disney versions. The picture and sound are very good too. A great choice for those who want to save money. Don't buy from private sellers or you're just rolling the dice. I understand there may be some issues with the subtitles but I watch the English versions. I'm very happy with my set.

bootlegs are bad..........2007-06-04

Don't buy bootlegs. Buy the Buena Vista DVD releases (in either R1 or R2). Don't buy these. I'd rather see people download copies from people who are just trying to share things that they like than see people pay money to Chinese bootleggers just trying to make a profit.

Arrr, mateys! Make this collection walk the plank.........2007-05-30

So I bought this set from another site before realizing that they were bootlegs. Well, what should you expect for about $5 a movie?

But besides the ethical issues of ripping of Studio Ghibli, you have very poor quality in the sound/captioning department. Captions are not synched properly with the dialogue; there are captions when there is no dialogue; and they caption sound effects, e.g. (birds chirping), (helicopter whirring), ...as if they were for the hearing impaired.

Furthermore, they jam 2-3 movies per disc, and navigating between movies is near impossible; the only way I can figure out how to do it is to forward through one movie to get to the next.

My advice is to find good used copies of the originals.

Non Bootleg is a great set, Go for it!.......2007-03-20

My DVD set "Studio Ghibli Complete Collection" with Studio Ghibli Trade Mark, has the following on 6 DVDs. My set has similar but different cover to that depicted, very professional and no issues at all with quality.

1. Princess Mononoke 2. Nausicaa: Of The Valley Of Wind 3. Only Yesterday - (Tearful Thoughts) 4. Whisper of the Heart - (Pick Up Your Ears; if Your Listen Carefully) 5. My Neighbor Totoro - (Tonari No Totoro) 6. Defenders of the Forest - (Pompoko) 7. Porco Rosso - (The Crimson Pig) 8. Laputa: Castle In the Sky - (aka: Laputa) 9. Kiki's Delivery Service - (Witch's Special Express Delivery) 10. Grave of the Fireflies - (Hotaro no Haka) 11. Ocean Waves - (I can Hear the Ocean) 12. On Your Mark.

This set has all the need to see Studio Ghibli productions, this set misses Howls Moving Castle and may be a previous best collection prior to the release of that movie. My ratings below are out of 10

In any case the rest are all great, as with any selection there are those you can take or leave but in this case they are few. Top viewing are Grave of the Fireflies, (10) a must see, Kiki's flying Delivery Service (10), and Spirited Away (10), both adorable. Totoro for a fun ride (8), Laputa (9), Nausicca (9) and Princess Mononoke (8) for the adventuous, Swash Buckling Porko Rosso (8), The Cat Returns (9), Wisper of the Heart (9) for fantasy lovers, and Only Yesterday (10) and Ocean Waves (8) for love stories, finally On your Mark (7), a quick rescue the princess type adventure!

Worth every penny I paid. ($51.00 Aus) I hope if you purchase this you get a good copy and not a pirate version.

Great for kids.......2007-02-11

The first Ghibli I saw was Kiki's Delevery Service on Toon Disney althorugh I didn't saw the whole movie, the second was Sprited Away on Cartoon Network (and I didn't see the whole movie again), but I started to see more of the Miyasaki at a local libary and the movies are great for kids, teens and adults.

Miyazaki 13 Pack (Castle in the Sky/Kiki's Delivery Service/Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind/Porco Rosso/Princess Mononoke/Spirited Away/Grave of the Fireflies/The Cat Returns/Howl's Moving Castle/My Neighbor Totoro/My Neighbors the Yamadas/Pom Poko/Whisper of the Heart) (1999)

Average customer rating:

Pricey, but worthwhile collection of Ghibli's works.

Miyazaki 13 Pack (Castle in the Sky/Kiki's Delivery Service/Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind/Porco Rosso/Princess Mononoke/Spirited Away/Grave of the Fireflies/The Cat Returns/Howl's Moving Castle/My Neighbor Totoro/My Neighbors the Yamadas/Pom Poko/Whisper of the Heart) (1999)
Director: Hayao Miyazaki , and Kirk Wise
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Anime & Manga | Genres | DVD | Video
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The Cat Returns

ASIN: B000OYT9N6

Product Description

An instant library of 13 Hayao MIYAZAKI classics assembled on 24 DVDs. Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio, led by one of animation's greatest creators, Hayao MIYAZAKI. The studio creates very high quality animated movies, which is rather unique, since most Japanese animation studios depend on TV series or OVAs. They consistently beat Disney movies in box office revenues in Japan and have received numerous awards. Miyazaki and Ghibli movies are well respected and loved by all Japanese people, children and adults alike. Now own the ultimate Studio Ghibli DVD collection in this hefty collector's pack.

Customer Reviews:

Pricey, but worthwhile collection of Ghibli's works........2007-05-28

The genius of Hayao Miyazaki and his works from Studio Ghibli have slowly been growing in popularity, due in no small part to a campaign courtesy of Disney, headed by Pixar guru John Lasseter. Starting with SPIRITED AWAY, the Mouse House has released most of Ghibli's masterpieces on DVD here in the United States.

Many other websites have gone into detail about Studio Ghibli and their works in general, so I won't recap them here. However, it should be mentioned that all these movies contain high-quality visual transfers (KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE and LAPUTA: CASTLE IN THE SKY show their age in places, but both still look pretty good overall), as well as the original Japanese soundtracks.

While purists insist that the native language track is the only way to see these movies, Disney has nonethless gone out of their way to commission absolutely stupendous dubs featuring actors such as Mark Hamill, Cloris Leachman, Phil Hartman, Minnie Driver, Patrick Stewart, Harold Gould, Uma Thurman, Suzanne Pleshette, Pat Carroll, and Billy Crystal. All give excellent performances; some of the choices are a little odd (James Van Der Beek, Michael Keaton, and probably, to a lesser extent, Billy Bob Thornton), but they're hardly blasphemous and don't detract from the overall experience.

While the adaptation scripts sometimes throw in more extra lines than necessary (KIKI and LAPUTA are most notable for this, although to be fair, they're not too much out of context with the original), for the most part they remain faithful in spirit (if not letter) to the screenplays of Miyazaki, Takahata, and company. And best of all, not even one second is omitted from these movies. Four things should be noted, though.

1. KIKI and CASTLE have extra pieces of music on the dubs--the former is mostly soft piano music courtesy of Paul Chihara, while the latter has a spectacular and arguably superior reorchestration of the full score (previously performed on synthesizers). The man responsible for the new music, interestingly, is the original composer Joe Hisaishi, under the approval of Miyazaki himself! There have been many debates over which interpretation of the soundtrack is superior, but personally I think both versions of the score for LAPUTA are beautiful and can be enjoyed independently.

2. GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES is the only movie in this package not to be dubbed by Disney; produced by New York based Central Park Media, it's not on the same level as the other titles, but it's mostly well done.

3. The DVD of MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO, a much loved movie, is the newly repackaged Disney release with a high-quality widescreen transfer as well as a new dub featuring real-life sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning as Satsuki and Mei. There was a previous, well-liked dub of TOTORO produced by Streamline Pictures and released by FOX in 1993, but the DVD it is on is pan & scan. There has been a lot of pointless debating over which dub is superior; most of these criticims tend to stem from nostalgia rather than reason. I'd suggest ignoring the controversy and listen to both dubs for two different but no less enjoyable interpretations of a great story.

4. PRINCESS MONONOKE (distributed by Miramax) and MY NEIGHBORS THE YAMADAS are both one-disc sets. And, since MONONOKE was the first Ghibli DVD release, there are only two skimpy extras (although the transfer of the movie itself is impeccable).

There are a group of naysayers who have been overly critical of Disney's treatment of these films, claiming that the Mouse House is somehow sabotaging Ghibli's work. These accusations are senseless and untrue. While Disney has admittingly delayed these movies for way too long (they acquired the rights for them in 1996), the numerous criticisms over the DVDs and dubbing are often overdone and unnecessary. While the DVDs are sometimes simply designed, the films themselves are presented well. Likewise, there is little point in comparing the dubs to the original Japanese versions. While there might be some argument about getting a more authentic experience through the native language track on most of these movies (although films like KIKI, LAPUTA, and HOWL are actually easier to watch in English since they all set in European-based environments), when the dubs are as well done as this, it is arguably better to just watch both. Either one provides an enjoyable experience, although getting the most out of the dubs may depend on what you bring with you to them.

For Anime fans, the works of Ghibli are an essential addition, but fans of animation in general owe it to themselves to give them a spin. A word of caution, though: not all of these movies are for children--PRINCESS MONONOKE has some graphic images of violence; it's the sort of movie that grown-ups will enjoy, and that's not a bad thing in the least.

Miyazaki 6 Pack (Castle in the Sky/Kiki's Delivery Service/Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind/Porco Rosso/Princess Mononoke/Spirited Away)

Average customer rating:

Miyazaki overload
Miyazaki films are the BEST
All the films you could ever want, in one buy.
A Mass of Anime Classics
If you prefer a Studio Ghibli set...

Miyazaki 6 Pack (Castle in the Sky/Kiki's Delivery Service/Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind/Porco Rosso/Princess Mononoke/Spirited Away)
Starring: Yôji Matsuda , Yuriko Ishida , Yûko Tanaka , Kaoru Kobayashi , and Masahiko Nishimura
Director: Hayao Miyazaki , and Kirk Wise
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Feature Films | Anime & Manga | Genres | DVD | Video

Feature Films | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0009SW83K
Release Date: 2005-06-21

Customer Reviews:

Miyazaki overload.......2007-07-22

Waaaaa... this is like the ultimate package for any Hayao fan. Each film is so diverse and detailed you tend to get lost ini the stories. I'm a big Miyazaki geek but I think that even the occasional movie goer can enjoy them.

Miyazaki films are the BEST.......2007-05-19

I love miyazaki films,they have action,adventure,love,comedi,and mysteri. They are beultiful and even make me cry, the first time i heard aboult it I thought it was for babys but they have felings too. I read the comic book of "Princess Mononoke" and it was very violent but the movie is
pg-13. they are all fun and fantastic.

All the films you could ever want, in one buy........2007-05-17

If I didn't already have some of these movies, I would buy this pack in an instant.

A Mass of Anime Classics.......2005-10-27

Miyazaki just knows how to entertain us. So much so that a huge name such as Disney would pick up his Japanese films. And this is as good a team as I've seen in quite some time (Disney and Ghibli). Disney has the capability of getting those big named voices (Uma Thurman, Patrick Stewart, and Michael Keaton to name a few) that make these movies twice as magical as they already are.

This collection brings together not just two of Miyazaki's truest masterpieces (Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke) but also four more of his past successes. With Howl's Moving Castle looming for DVD release this is a great way to get yourself affiliated with Ghibli work. I'd recommend these to anyone but especially parents who want some family time but are completely bored with what their children enjoy. Not all movies work for the entire family, however. One, Princess Mononoke is definitely more mature than others, while Kiki's Delivery Service is geared more for the kids.

Below is a list of shorter reviews:
Spirited Away: Miyazaki's Oscar winner about a girl who gets lost in a spirit world and must become a worker to survive while also trying to save both her parents and her memory. It's a children's love story filled with morals.

Princess Mononoke: Miyazaki's action film, this movie starts out exciting and end in the same way. A fantasy epic of gods, monsters, and the humanity's capabilities for good.

Porco Rosso: Miyazaki's love of the sea and planes becomes apparent with this movie, about a man turned pig who must battles air-pirates in order to save the Adriatic. Funny the whole way through, but with a few touching moments in between.

Nausicaa...: This is a relevant tale about human and nature and our wont for destruction. The humans of the Valley of the Wind battle giant insects and a poisonous jungle to keep the jungle itself from spreading. Nausicaa isn't too serious but there is a clear theme.

Kiki's Delivery Service: This is a tale of a young witch who must go out in the world in order to learn what her capabilities are, and she takes a job as a delivery girl. As heartwarming as any of Miyazaki's films, the children will love this one.

Castle in the Sky: This film follows two young people as they seek out the mysterious castle in the sky. The girl searches to find the secrets of her past and the boy searches to follow the dreams of his dead father.

If you prefer a Studio Ghibli set..........2005-09-30

If you want more of these types of works, look for the Studio Ghibli DVD boxed sets that have 12 (blue box) or 14 (white box) movies depending on which set you can find. If you don't mind paying for shipping, a lot are available from Australian sites if you don't like the Hong Kong (Chinese) packaging.

I know that the white box set has movies that offer both English and Japanese audio. I prefer to hear them in their native Japanese dialogue (it's more authentic). Sometimes I'd watch the anime a second time to disregard the dialogue and pay attention to the details (facial expressions, background, shadows, colors, etc.)

Ghibli and Miyazaki movies are generally wholesome with simple plots but with lots of heart and strong messages.

Miyazaki 3 Pack (Spirited Away/Castle in the Sky/Kiki's Delivery Service)

Average customer rating:

Always an excellent choice
overpriced to the extreme.
Hayao Miyazaki
great choice for the maya-saukie burgler...
A+ Miyazaki Movie Pack!!!

Miyazaki 3 Pack (Spirited Away/Castle in the Sky/Kiki's Delivery Service)
Starring: Rumi Hîragi , Miyu Irino , Mari Natsuki , Takashi Naitô , and Yasuko Sawaguchi
Director: Hayao Miyazaki , and Kirk Wise
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

All Disney Titles | Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment | Stores | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00008UA4E
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Amazon.com

Spirited Away
The highest grossing film in Japanese box-office history (more than $234 million), Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away (Sen To Chihiro Kamikakushi) is a dazzling film that reasserts the power of drawn animation to create fantasy worlds. Like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and Lewis Carroll's Alice, Chihiro (voice by Daveigh Chase--Lilo in Disney's Lilo & Stitch) plunges into an alternate reality. On the way to their new home, the petulant adolescent and her parents find what they think is a deserted amusement park. Her parents stuff themselves until they turn into pigs, and Chihiro discovers they're trapped in a resort for traditional Japanese gods and spirits. An oddly familiar boy named Haku (Jason Marsden) instructs Chihiro to request a job from Yubaba (Suzanne Pleshette), the greedy witch who rules the spa. As she works, Chihiro's untapped qualities keep her from being corrupted by the greed that pervades Yubaba's mini-empire. In a series of fantastic adventures, she purges a river god suffering from human pollution, rescues the mysterious No-Face, and befriends Yubaba's kindly twin, Zeniba (Pleshette again). The resolve, bravery, and love Chihiro discovers within herself enable her to aid Haku and save her parents. The result is a moving and magical journey, told with consummate skill by one of the masters of contemporary animation. --Charles Solomon

Castle in the Sky
Inspired by "Gulliver's Travels," the fantasy-adventure Castle in the Sky (1986) was Miyazaki's third feature, and helped to establish his reputation as a visionary in both Japan and America. The orphan Sheeta inherited a mysterious crystal that links her to the legendary sky-kingdom of Laputa. With the help of resourceful Pazu and a rollicking band of sky pirates, she makes her way to the ruins of the once-great civilization. Sheeta and Pazu must outwit the evil Muska, who plans to use Laputa's science to make himself ruler of the world. Castle echoes elements in Myazaki's earlier Nausicaä, and anticipates imagery in his later films, from My Neighbor Totoro to Spirited Away. Disney's new English dub, which features Anna Paquin (Sheeta), James Van Der Beek (Pazu) and Cloris Leachman (pirate matriarch Dola) is lively and close in tone to the original Japanese, if a bit talkier. The exciting flying sequences, appealing characters, and fantastic vision of a steam-powered future Jules Verne might have imagined make Castle in the Sky a must-have for fans of Japanese and Western animation. --Charles Solomon

Kiki's Delivery Service
In Kiki's Delivery Service, a 13-year-old girl meets the world head on as she spends her first year soloing as an apprentice witch. Kiki (Kirsten Dunst) is still a little green and plenty headstrong, but also resourceful, imaginative, and determined. With her trusty wisp of a cat Jiji (a gently subdued Phil Hartman) by her side she's ready to take on the world, or at least the quaintly European seaside village she's chosen as her new home. Miyazaki's gentle rhythm and meandering narrative capture the easy pulse of real life (even if his subject is a girl flying high upon a broomstick) and charts the everyday struggles and growing pains of his plucky heroine with sensitivity and understanding. Beautifully detailed animation and the rich designs of the picture-postcard seaside town of red-tiled roofs and cobblestone streets only add to the sense of wonder. This charming animated fantasy is a wholesome, life-affirming picture that doesn't speak down to kids or up to adults. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Always an excellent choice.......2007-05-17

These films are always good entertainment. Wonderful story lines, beautiful artwork. Although the heroines in some look kinda the same. That would be my only complaint.

overpriced to the extreme. .......2006-12-29

I am not writing here about the movies themselves, I think every movie Miyazaki has made is a masterpiece. I am writing about the price for these three movies. $98 for three movies. $98 freaking dollars. Take my advice, don't buy the three pack, buy them all by themselves and see how much money you can save. lol.

Hayao Miyazaki.......2006-04-13

Although I have only watched two of his films, it is no doubt evident that he is a great movie-maker

great choice for the maya-saukie burgler..........2005-07-07

...who iam not in any way heh heh heh.Anyways ya don't have to be japanese to like this collection,i am crikey australian,and i burgle...i mean i do something else mate.

A+ Miyazaki Movie Pack!!!.......2005-03-31

Spirited Away: Spirited Away, a movie from Hayao Miyazaki, was a joy to watch. My family and I have watched it 2-3 times since we've bought this 3 Pack and it is just great! The movie itself is amazing, the artwork (animation) is brilliant, and the voices for the characters all seem to fit well. The story is a great story, perfect for children, but some scary moments with a character named No Face. I won't spoil the movie experience for you - so I will let you read the product description from other people if you'd like...

Castle in the Sky: Castle in the Sky, a movie from Hayao Miyazaki was a blast. My family and I enjoyed this movie also, it seemed to get the little ones a little bored because the movie does "drag" just a bit it seemed like, but its great if you have the patience for a movie. The movie was definetly 5 out of 5 stars!! Excellent.

Kiki's Delivery Service: Kiki's Delivery Service was our #1 favorite movie as we seen it. It was fantastic, the music was great, and the story is just great too! I'd have to say I was surprised with this movie being so well, after hearing a negative review from a friend.

Overall, this Miyazaki 3 Pack is an excellent choice for anybody who loves beauitful animation, beauitful storyline, and a price not to to high considering you get 3 fantastic movies. You will want to probably see other Miyazaki movies, which I still have to do after purchasing all of them that Disney has took a part of. Good luck, and I hope my thoughts help you in deciding if the Miyazaki 3 Pack is a choice for you.

DVD:

DVD

DVD