Howl's Moving Castle

[Disney-Fan]

I know I'm not going to love any of these

I hate being useless when posting but this just begs for this smiley:

[biganimefan]

Again Pasta67, I really think it just my age. Japanese cartoons are for a lot younger bunch of people, and I am too set in my ways to appreciate much of any thing else. I just prefer US animation wherever possible although I know that there are some animated movies out there that have been made in other countries including Japan. I guess it is just the fact that Anime" doesn't have the motion of Disney animation, and sometime the voices are so squealy that it is like fingernails on a blackboard...........yikes!!!!!.........

dvdjunkie, why did you go see this movie if you don't like anime?! You are contradicting yourself! Most people would not agree that this film is garbage! I don't see how Miayaki could've won an Oscar if his films are garbage!!

You are never too old to watch anime or animation for that matter, there are many different kinds of stories in anime that are not just for younger people and I don't see anime as cartoons, I see it like I'm watching a movie. Most stories in anime are very unpredicatable.

The reason there is less motion in anime is because they are significantly lower budget then American animation. This doesn't mean they are lower quality, it's just their style. They are very good at showing you far more than what you are actually looking at, and yet there is less animation. One good example is an anime called "Wings of Honneamise" which involved some 3000 animators, and I couldn't take my eyes off of it because just about every scene in the movie, I was looking at a different background with incredible amoun of detail and depth. I really felt like I was in the movie, especially the test flight scene.

I really think it just my age. Japanese cartoons are for a lot younger bunch of people, and I am too set in my ways to appreciate much of any thing else.

Just fyi, Miyazaki is not a young man, he is in his 60s and I know for a fact he personally draws and works on the animation, so why would you think anime is for younger people??

[Little Red Henski]

It seems like Japan & France are getting Howl Moving Castle on DVD in November.

[biganimefan]

Now when I think about it, "Wings of Honneamise" http://members.aol.com/tprice1995/wings.html is probably one of the greatest anime or greatest film for that matter, that has ever been produced on cell. It isn't for everyone though, because some people felt it was plotting and slow, and there is very little action, but just to watch the amount of details and the sophistication of the story (some scenes you have to watch twice to understand the meaning), it was really ahead of it's time.

[Prince Eric]

I know I'm not going to love any of these

I hate being useless when posting but this just begs for this smiley:

Then maybe you should have an actual opinion supported by sound reasoning other than spilling out the words, "A great movie!" haphazardly.

[Prince Eric]

Just because it is in the theaters doesn't mean I will buy it. I think that Japanese Anime is a step above the stick cartoons you watch on Saturday morning. The colors are beautiful, but not realiistic. And the mouth movements don't go with the dialogue.

I own "Swept Away" and cherish it with all of my other animated movies, Disney and non-Disney. But I don't think this in the same league as that film.

Everyone has there own likes and dislikes, and I am sure it is just my age showing through, but I prefer animation done with real motion and real color, and even sometimes a real story. As much as I hated Pocohontas I would rather watch it ten times before I suffer through Howl's Moving Castle again.

Again, here we go with animation as realism garbage. Why make animation to be real? That would be an oxymoron, because no matter how realistic it is, it is still animation. That's where that Final Fantasy movie messed up on: It was so realistic, it might as well have been a live-action movie.

I just watched the great Grave of the Fireflies last night and Roger Ebert brough up good points on Japanese anime. The animation is more emotional and humane. For instance, if you were to see a live-action actress dying of hunger with welts on her body, the visuals might distract from the MEANING of this image. The same goes for animation drawn to represent real humans. The big eyes are meant to show more expression. The repetitive character design is to show the suffering of an entire entity (in this case, the Japanese during World War II) as opposed to the individuals of Seita and Setsuko.

Miyazaki films are quite frankly more sophisticated and abstract than American animation, and I don't say that in hateful snobbery. Disney and other studios over up good, and even great, servings of animation, but it takes a special eye to appreciate Japanese animation.

[Disney-Fan]

Then maybe you should have an actual opinion supported by sound reasoning other than spilling out the words, "A great movie!" haphazardly.

In all fairness, I say it about films I have seen already...

[castleinthesky]

Nausicaa.net has some info on the next Ghibli film and I thought that since this is a pretty active post (and since in most of my Miyazaki/Ghibli topics no one ever replies) I will post it here:

July 14, 2005 New Short Film to be Released in September
According to an article in Sports Houchi (in Japanese) a new short film by Studio Ghibli will be theatrically released in Japan on Sept. 10, together with "Touch", a live-action film which is based on a famous manga. (There was also a TV anime series of "Touch", which was quite popular).

The short film is titled "Sora Tobu Toshi Keikaku (A Flying City Plan)," directed by Yoshiyuki MOMOSE with music by capsule.

Momose and Studio Ghibli have worked on two music cllips for capsule. Similar to the previous two clips, "City Plan" is in "retro future" style.

There is no dialogue in the film.


You can see a part of "Portable Airport," the first music clip by Momose and capsule here, go to nausicaa.net. (Windows Media)

[Prince Eric]

Then maybe you should have an actual opinion supported by sound reasoning other than spilling out the words, "A great movie!" haphazardly.

In all fairness, I say it about films I have seen already...

In all fairness, there's such thing as using FAIR judgement before seeing a movie. I never said they were bad movie, I said I wasn't going to LOVE them. Look at my to 10 favorite films in the other thread I created in off-topic. Do any of these three seem like films I would love? I'm balanced enough to admit defeat: If I see them, and love them, I will come straight back here and tell you I was wrong and your were right and they were the best films right along with Star Wars: Return of the Sith yada yada yada. Until then, I could stand without the criticizing one-liners.

[Little Red Henski]

Here a screenshot of A Flying City Plan.

[biganimefan]

Again, here we go with animation as realism garbage. Why make animation to be real? That would be an oxymoron, because no matter how realistic it is, it is still animation. That's where that Final Fantasy movie messed up on: It was so realistic, it might as well have been a live-action movie.

[/quote]

I agree exactly. Live action characters would've been better. The characters in FF movie and even in the new Appleseed movie focused too much with realism that the character's emotions didn't look very believable. Digital technology isn't quite there yet, and it's very difficult to create detailed realism to show human emotions. Shrek and the Incredibles movie pulled off better with human emotions because there was more of a broad range of expressions.

[dvdjunkie]

Biganimefan, I went to see Howls' Moving Castle because of the all the pre-release publicity about it. I was hoping for it to be another Spirited Away and it wasn't even close. I am older than Miyazaki, but that isn't why I say that Japanese Anime' is mostly for younger people, but if you look around this forum, you will find we are surrounded by posters who are a lot younger than either you or me.

There is something about this movie that bugs me, and I can't put my finger on it. I just get bored with the lack of motion and the 'almost stick-like' drawings.

I will continue to keep my eyes open for another movie to watch that is in the same class as Spirited Away, but I am not holding my breath.

[Disney-Fan]

In all fairness, there's such thing as using FAIR judgement before seeing a movie.

Hmm....

I never said they were bad movie, I said I wasn't going to LOVE them.

Contradicting, no?
I also find it funny you see it as "defeat" when you actually like a summer blockbuster. What's wrong with liking mainstream?

[Prince Eric]

In all fairness, there's such thing as using FAIR judgement before seeing a movie.

Hmm....

I never said they were bad movie, I said I wasn't going to LOVE them.

Contradicting, no?
I also find it funny you see it as "defeat" when you actually like a summer blockbuster. What's wrong with liking mainstream?

There's nothing wring with liking mainstream, as I have said before, I thoroughly enjoyed X2: X-Men United and Spider-Man 2. I would suggest becoming familiar with member's viewing habits for passing judgements. Yes, it's a totally fair judgement on my part to say that I will not love a movie before seeing it. It's totally different from saying it's a bad movie. I mean, if I see a movie, and still don't like it, what difference does it make?

About the mainstream thing: there's nothing wrong with expanding your mind either.

[Disney-Fan]

There's nothing wring with liking mainstream, as I have said before, I thoroughly enjoyed X2: X-Men United and Spider-Man 2. I would suggest becoming familiar with member's viewing habits for passing judgements.

I do actually know that, I stand behind what I said.

I mean, if I see a movie, and still don't like it, what difference does it make?

You lost me there...

About the mainstream thing: there's nothing wrong with expanding your mind either.

Trust me, I try. Just two nights ago I watched Closer, which was a very different romance story than what I'm used to seeing. Heck, I'm even planning on seeing Howl's Moving Castle, despite my great dislike for Spirited Away.

[biganimefan]

Biganimefan, I went to see Howls' Moving Castle because of the all the pre-release publicity about it. I was hoping for it to be another Spirited Away and it wasn't even close. I am older than Miyazaki, but that isn't why I say that Japanese Anime' is mostly for younger people, but if you look around this forum, you will find we are surrounded by posters who are a lot younger than either you or me.

There is something about this movie that bugs me, and I can't put my finger on it. I just get bored with the lack of motion and the 'almost stick-like' drawings.

I will continue to keep my eyes open for another movie to watch that is in the same class as Spirited Away, but I am not holding my breath.

Did you like Spirited Away or not? You were saying this movie is garbage and comparing anime with western style of animation. I don't see how you could even consider seeing Howl because of your views about Japanese animation. Miyazaki films are all very high quality (like someone said anime is sort of surreal and abstract), and each movie has it's own message.

Once again, you are never too old to get into anime or animation. I showed some anime to my 73 yr neighbor before he passed away 5 years ago, and he loved Ghost in the Shell (the first one). Stan Lee is a big fan of Miyazake, same with Steven Spielberg, and many hollywood stars. I admit there are a lot of young people that are into anime (because of saturday morning shows probably), but those are for public viewing, there a lot to anime than the ones you see on saturday mornings. Cartoon network has adult swim, and those programs have more adult themes. Japanese animators take animation very seriously, it just depends on what type of genre you're into. Maybe you just didn't like the genre in Howl or maybe you really didn't like the animation in this one (which I really don't understand why you wouldn't because all his movies are high quality). Like I said before, some people didn't like "Wings of Honneamise" (the one that involved some 3000 animators) because they felt it was slow and plotting, and it just wasn't their type of genre that's why.

[biganimefan]

There's nothing wring with liking mainstream, as I have said before, I thoroughly enjoyed X2: X-Men United and Spider-Man 2. I would suggest becoming familiar with member's viewing habits for passing judgements.

I do actually know that, I stand behind what I said.

I mean, if I see a movie, and still don't like it, what difference does it make?

You lost me there...

About the mainstream thing: there's nothing wrong with expanding your mind either.

Trust me, I try. Just two nights ago I watched Closer, which was a very different romance story than what I'm used to seeing. Heck, I'm even planning on seeing Howl's Moving Castle, despite my great dislike for Spirited Away.

What didn't you like about Spirited Away?

[Disney-Fan]

First of all, there is no need to quote the whole post.

To be honest, I just didn't like it period. To start off, the voice of the actors was awful. It seemed like they were all told to speak at their squeakiest level. Also, animation of the characters was stiff and really unbelievable. Her facial expressions hardly ever change and when she runs it seems like her entire body is frozen. I know that no artist has an obligation to make life-like movements, but in a movie so imaginative you'd expect he'd try to make the audience believe all this is real by creating life-like movements. I couldn't connect with the main character at all, which I thought is the whole secret behind enjoying a film. If I don't like the main character, what's there to like about the movie that will keep my interest?

There are a few positives though. For one, I was impressed with the background animation. Lots of effort was put into it. He also chose to draw with pencil some very complicated images, which got me really impressed. The music was also great too. But all this was not enough to hold my interest in the movie.

On a side note, may I request you please don't brake up my post and try to defend this? I know most of you really admire this movie, so my opinion might be a bit harsh, but please don't try to prove me wrong. After all, it's just my opinion.

Thanks.

[biganimefan]

To be honest, I just didn't like it period. To start off, the voice of the actors was awful. It seemed like they were all told to speak at their squeakiest level. Also, animation of the characters was stiff and really unbelievable. Her facial expressions hardly ever change and when she runs it seems like her entire body is frozen. I know that no artist has an obligation to make life-like movements, but in a movie so imaginative you'd expect he'd try to make the audience believe all this is real by creating life-like movements.

But all Miyazaki movies have a similiar style of animation, so if you don't like the animation in one, you may not like the others. Like I said before (and other people have said too), anime is abstract and it has it's own style!

[biganimefan]

Also, DisneyFan 2000, my opinions (and everybody elses) are just as valid as yours, so why can't I defend it?