In general, the story is more of a fairy tale than any of Miyazaki’s other works, with all the resulting lack of depth you may expect.
Miyazaki conceived of the film as a response to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and the anti-war message is a bit more hamfisted and blunt than his films usually get. In general, the story is more of a fairy tale than any of Miyazaki’s other works, with all the resulting lack of depth you may expect. But the design of the titular castle is still stunning, the scope is still epic, the anti-war message still rouses, and the central romance between Sophie and Howl still tugs at your heart. — WC