Castle in the Sky (1986)

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Director/Writer: Hayao Miyazaki, from a concept by Jonathan Swift

Stars: Mayumi Tanaka/James Van Der Beek, Keiko Yokozawa/Anna Paquin, Kotoe Hatsui/Chloris Leachman, Minori Terada/Mark Hamill, Fujio Tokita/Richard Dysart, Ichiro Nagai/Jim Cummings




On a strange alternate Earth, a young boy and girl (Mayumi Tanaka and Keiko Yokozawa / James Van Der Beek and Anna Paquin) evade capture by pirates and government agents as they try to learn the secret of the flying kingdom of Laputa, to which the girl has a mysterious connection. 



Although the animation is not as smooth as some of Miyazaki's later films, there are still plenty of mind-blowing visuals and action sequences here. Although there are plenty of battles and high adventure, the movie also displays the gentle humanism for which Miyazaki is so well-known.







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