Synopsis
The lives of two children are thrown into a tail spin as they hope to unlock the secrets of a long lost floating island. Sheeta (Anna Paquin) a young girl with a mysterious past. Now an orphan, the only keepsake that reminds her of her family is ruby around her neck. Unfortunately for her, she's not the only one that wants it. As fate would have it, Sheeta is rescued by another orphaned child named Pazu (James Vander Beek). The two later realize how important the ruby is and set off on an adventure to unlock its secrets. Their adventures are fueled by their individual desire to find the island of Laputa, all the while dreading what it will mean if their pursuers find it first.

Characters
Overall, the characters seemed either flat or predictable for a Miyazaki produced feature. Muska (Mark Hamill) plays the role of the crafty villain with the ulterior motives. I can't draw any comparisons but feel it's all too familiar. It's a classic example of the lesser of two evils. Foiling the antagonists to where one comes out to be the true villain. You don't see a lot of emotion coming from Muska. He's cold, and sterile for most of the film. Considering his importance to the film, more time and detail could have been spent on making him a rounder character.

Pazu was my favorite character of the entire movie. You really wanted to root for him because he always tried to make the best of a situation. Most stories have their main characters overcome some internal strife where as Pazu's character traits remain the same and push through the obstacles presented before him. We're spared from hearing him wine or protest against an unfair situation. James Vander Beek's voice work was especially believable. I rather enjoyed the crackling in the voice.

Sheeta on the other had possessed similar attributes but came off more bland that charming. There weren't a lot of auxiliary devices available to give us a better idea of who she is as a character. With Pazu, we at least see he cares about his doves and are exposed to some of the people in his life (Uncle Pom, Boss, etc.). She plays the damsel in distress role for most of the film and lowers the stakes or urgency to actually discover the floating city.

Without giving away the plot, I can say that the pirates add a lot of the charm to the movie. It reminds me of what was done in Porco Rosso.

Negatives
This movie didn't stray far from Miyazaki's other films which was kind of disappointing. There were some magical elements but it lacked the Alice in Wonderland innocence that makes his films such a treat to watch. Instead it came off formulaic and predictable at times. At times you can't hear what people are saying in the background. This happens on more than one occasion. Pazu and Sheeta will talk to someone off screen and you can barely hear their audio. The art and character designs are so similar from one movie to the next, it throws you out of the stories space. Too many of the characters are too flat and are too conveniently placed to push the story further. The script could have used more internal struggles.

Positives
While I've grown accustomed to Miyazaki's animation being the same in almost all his movies, that doesn't take away from it's beauty. From the detailed landscapes and the unique characters and animals, it's like watching a painting in motion. While the movie falls short of being an all time classic, it is a solidly entertaining story with some interesting characters. This is a movie you can watch comfortably with your entire family. Given that it was made in 1986, it has a timeless quality.

Recommendations
When you're dealing with a Miyazaki film, you automatically enter a different level of quality. His worst film is still light-years away from many cartoons that have been released. I can recommend this film to anyone. It has a running time of two hours and five minutes and doesn't overstay its welcome.

Grade: B

Lesaruss