Castle in the Sky 1986

     Pazu’s father discovered Laputa and it is an island of a lost advanced civilization flying high above in the sky.  He came back from Laputa and told the people in his mining village all about it but no one would believe him.  He was crushed, he never recovered and this caused him to die young.  Pazu has always believed in Laputa and he’s determined to find it and clear his father’s name.  As he’s going about his work one day, Sheeta, a young girl, floats down from the sky.  Muska, a secret agent working for the government had abducted her.  She had been traveling on an airship but Dola and her air pirate sons tried to take her captive and she jumped out of the ship.  She is wearing a crystal from Laputa that allowed to her float instead of fall.  Muska and the pirates follow her and try to take her from Pazu. 

      This is an interesting and fascinating story of a mythical flying city.  Everyone except Pazu wants to get the crystal and find Laputa.  Pazu is an orphan and so is Sheeta.  She had been living with her grandmother in a small valley to the north until her grandmother died.  The crystal is made from aetherium which is material used to keep Laputa afloat.  Wonderful animation, characters and machines.  4* (I really liked this movie)

124 min, Animation directed by Hayao Miyazaki with the voices of Anna Paquin, James Van Der Beek, Cloris Leachman.

 

Note:  Imdb 8.1 out of 10, 95% critic 91% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 543 reviews.

Special Note:  The myth of Laputa is from Gulliver’s Travels written by Jonathan Swift first published in 1726.