1986, Studio Ghibli
Animation
Rating: PG
Approx. 125 mins.
THE STORY:
Pazu, a young orphan boy (James Van Der Beek), discovers a young girl floating down to earth, and befriends her. He learns that the girl, Sheeta (Anna Paquin), is a member of the royal line of the mysterious floating world of Laputa. Pazu's father was ridiculed for claiming to have seen this floating land, resulting in his death and Pazu's lasting obsession with flying machines.
Pazu helps Sheeta escape the pirates-- who become allies-- and government agents who are trying to catch her and get control of her magical crystal necklace. Their journey takes them to a lost world destroyed by injustice and human fallibility, where they learn a lesson about the dangers of power and the thirst for it.
QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:
Pazu helps Sheeta escape the pirates-- who become allies-- and government agents who are trying to catch her and get control of her magical crystal necklace. Their journey takes them to a lost world destroyed by injustice and human fallibility, where they learn a lesson about the dangers of power and the thirst for it.
QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:
- nothing significant
VIOLENCE:
- Gun battles/ shooting
- Anti-hero is killed when a structure collapses on him
TEACHING POINTS:
- Respect for the natural world
- The nature of power/ authority and who deserves authority
- People can change when they take the time to get to know others and their situations
THE UPSHOT:
It's a pretty complex story with a lot of characters and some situations that are only explained after the fact. That made for a lot of, "Who's that guy... Why is he doing that... Are they on the same team?" "I don't know... I don't know... I don't know," type exchanges. It also has that distinctive dubbed feel, which is particularly unpleasant when characters laugh. But this didn't bother the 7-year-old in the room at all. Only the grown ups cringed. Repeatedly.
Another source of discomfort for me was the overt implication of romantic attachment the adult male pirates express for the young, pre-pubescent heroine. This is not an element in the original Japanese, and I have no idea why Disney felt it was appropriate to add for a North American audience. Awkward and icky.
In a lot of respects it's typical Miyazaki Hayao-- dead parents, flying machines, blurring of intended audience age, high drama and suspicious relationships. I can't say I enjoyed it as much as some others, such as Kiki's Delivery Service (as a kid flick) or The Wind Rises (as a grown up flick), but it is intelligent and original.
Definitely not for younger kids, but a fun adventure for boys and girls alike. Another source of discomfort for me was the overt implication of romantic attachment the adult male pirates express for the young, pre-pubescent heroine. This is not an element in the original Japanese, and I have no idea why Disney felt it was appropriate to add for a North American audience. Awkward and icky.
In a lot of respects it's typical Miyazaki Hayao-- dead parents, flying machines, blurring of intended audience age, high drama and suspicious relationships. I can't say I enjoyed it as much as some others, such as Kiki's Delivery Service (as a kid flick) or The Wind Rises (as a grown up flick), but it is intelligent and original.
3/5
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