Laputa: Castle in the Sky

In this, my fifth Studio Ghibli movie review, I look at the 1986 work Laputa: Castle in the Sky. Based in a world where people once lived in the sky, some disaster had brought everybody down to earth again. The Castle in the Sky is the last city still airborne, lost to the modern world and hidden amongst storm clouds.

As with virtually all the movies from SG, the story is told from the point of view of children. Sheeta, a girl who seems to have some connection with Laputa, and a magical pendant, teams up with Pazu (who's adventurer father had taken a picture of the Castle in the Sky).

Sheeta and Pazu are pursued by sinister government agents and a gang of pirates lead by an old woman called Dola (who looks very like Yubaba, the witch from Spirited Away).

The movie was somewhat disappointing as it is an epic tale, but compared with more recent SG movies it looks rather dull. Although it has plenty of action and some hilarious slap stick comedy moments, it doesn't have a lot of character and life, and I didn't feel that emotionally involved with the characters.

The sound track is lively and simplistic 80's music, which sounds somewhat retro now (in a good way).

Laputa's story has a slightly environmentally friendly feel to it which I liked, at one point Sheeta recites:

Put down roots in the Earth;

Let's live with the wind;

With seeds, make fat the winter;

With the birds, let's sing of spring.