[US DVD] Castle in the Sky

[Mark T.]

Review

Mania Grade: A-
Audio Rating: B+
Video Rating: A-
Packaging Rating: B
Menus Rating: A
Extras Rating: B
Age Rating: 3 and Up
Region: 1 - North America
Released By: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
MSRP: 29.99
Running time: 90
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Disc Resolution: 480i/p
Disc Encoding: MPEG-2
Series: Castle in the Sky

In Summary:
While I would not rank Castle in the Sky as my favorite Miyazaki movie, it is still highly entertaining. Its fast pace, grand sense of adventure, and wonderful plot makes this a must see for pretty much anybody. Though it is not one of his children's movies, I would think that it is still pretty accessible for all ages. If you have yet to see this one, go see it now. Highly recommended.

[JTurner]

Originally Posted by Mark T.

Review

Mania Grade: A-
Audio Rating: B+
Video Rating: A-
Packaging Rating: B
Menus Rating: A
Extras Rating: B
Age Rating: 3 and Up
Region: 1 - North America
Released By: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
MSRP: 29.99
Running time: 90
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Disc Resolution: 480i/p
Disc Encoding: MPEG-2
Series: Castle in the Sky

I really love this film, especially Hamill and Leachman's performances as Muska and Dola; both are what really make the dub come alive for me. I also will say that I really enjoyed the roller-coaster pace of the story and the thrill of the action moments. It was also very refreshing to have a Miyazaki film with a true villain; Muska may not be a three-dimensional character, but his role is a very powerful one, and he easily commands every scene he's in.

That said, I am probably one of the few who is less than thrilled with the audio revisions to the dub. Sure, this brings it closer to the Japanese version, but why bother doing so just to appeal to the fans who wouldn't listen to the dub in the first place? That and I thought the new score Joe Hisaishi wrote was magnificent and really added to the picture. I am very disappointed that it's gone. As for the extra lines, I'm 50-50 about them; I like most of them (the pirates' banter, Sheeta taking "pirate" talking lessons), but others definitely seemed a little overdone. Still it wasn't enough for me to take away from my overall entertainment value of the dub. Even so, I'm holding onto my 2003 DVD copy, as I liked Disney's version as it was. Ditto with Kiki.

Even so, I'm glad to see a new generation coming to appreciate this movie.