Synopsis

When young boy Pazu finds a girl named Sheeta falling from the sky, he is taken on an amazing adventure to the floating city of Laputa, where he must stop the evil Muska from becoming the new king.

Review

I first remember watchng Laputa when I was very young. It appeared on TV and I was instantly transfixed to it. Now, after all these years, I can finally watch it whenever I want to, and if you haven't yet seen it either, I suggest you do as well. This is one film you'll want to watch again and again.

The plot is extremely well thought out, without being too overly complicated. You will be instantly drawn into the story, and there is always some new element added throughout that'll keep you interested.

Laputa features some of the best characters I've seen in an animated film. From Pazu to Muska to Dola, every single character has their own personality, but the bond between Sheeta and Pazu really shines, and you grow a real fondness for them both.

You even feel sympathetic for the robots. These emotionless beings still seem to possess a personality about them, and although they only communicate through a series of beeps, you somehow know what they're trying to say. Not many films can pull off giving a personality to a lifeless being well, but Studio Ghibli have done it superbly.

For the time that Laputa was made, the amount of detail that has been put in is astonishing. From the beautifully detailed city of Laputa, right down to little intricate details that don't concern the story, everything has been maticulously designed, and some of the scenes are truly awe-inspiring.

There was three different voice-actors that were used for Laputa. The subbed versions voice-actors are believable. Pazu's boistrous and courageous attitude really comes through, and everyone else's voice fits their character. The Disney dubbed version is less than spectacular. Sheeta sounds way too old for what she should be, and most of the other voices are sub-par at best. There was a second dubbed version released, which I saw when I was very young, and out of all three, this was the best version in my opinion. But for some reason, I cannot seem to find that version anywhere at all, which is a shame.

The musical score is also fantastic, with mostly melodramatic piano pieces throughout, but will suddenyl shift to a strong string section for the more intense scenes of the film, which really adds to the whole atmosphere of the film.

Conclusion

Laputa will always hold a special place in my heart, and is still one of the best Ghibli films ever made. Do yourself a favour and watch this film, you won't be disappointed.

-Review by Dormin87 (19 Jan, 2008)

Audio:	Some of the best music and voicework I've heard
Video:	The amount of detail for it's time is astounding
Plot:	Very well thought out and entralling throughout
Style:	Some of the best Ghibli work ever
Characters:	Extremely detailed and developed
Violence:	Mild
Language:	None
Nudity:	None
Genre:	Action
Episodes:	1
Rating:	5.0 of 5
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