The story begins aboard a gigantic zeppelin-like airship where the story’s female protagonist, Sheeta is being held captive by Muska, a nefarious and ruthless scoundrel who uses his position as a government agent to advance his own agenda of unlocking the secrets of the legendary island in the sky, Laputa.Īlmost immediately the vessel is attacked by sky pirates, led by Dola, a legendary and formidable female, who also turns out to be the mother of the rest her gang. The character designs are simple and uncluttered to the point that they do not intrude on the story being told. This movie is beautifully portrayed, and a wonder to behold, with amazing landscapes and steampunk technology in abundance. The legendary island in the sky, determining if it exists, and finding it, are what this film is all about. Secrets that could hold the key to incredible power for whoever unlocks them.

Laputa represents the last vestige of legends regarding a long-since-dead civilization and the secrets that died with them. It also contains elements of classic science fiction, and some of the coolest and most awesome robots ever designed. It is among my favorites for several reasons, mainly because its a grand adventure and mystery in the tradition of Jules Verne, complete with some extraordinary flying machines (a bit of a Japanese obsession often demonstrated in anime and manga), sky pirates, a mysterious young lady who falls from the sky and the resolution of young boy’s search for redemption for his now dead father. Laputa Castle in The Sky was written and directed by Miyazaki. Any fan of the master’s would be hard pressed to choose a favorite from amongst this collection of award winning examples of his work. The list of their great movies is full of memorable titles that include: The Castle Of Cagliostro (1979), Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind (1986), My Neighbor Totoro (1986), Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), Princess Mononoke (1997), Spirited Away (2001), and Howl’s Moving Castle (2004). He is sometimes referred to as the Disney of Japan, And his production company Studio Ghibli (created in 1985) enjoys the same lofty status as being one of the world’s finest. Miyazaki is legendary in Japan and internationally acclaimed as a masterful storyteller and maker of fine films in a career spanning five decades. The gold standard in animated films for kids of all ages. Its no secret that when you are looking for the best in Japanese animation, or animation from anywhere in the world, for that matter, you will find Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki are behind the best examples of analog animation ever created.

The master of Japanese animation’s science fiction fantasy adventure is one of his finest films.

Castle in the sky (1986)