Castle in the Sky (1986)

Another example of the explosive imagination that Miyazaki has. The world of the movie looks to use early 20th Century technology, yet it's filled with these giant airships and flying cities. There's a giant, yet lovable, robot that instantly becomes one of the most memorable characters in the film. Combine all of that with an excellent and memorable Joe Hisaishi score, and you have a jewel of animation.

Viewed from a purely narrative perspective, Castle in the Sky is a fun, engaging two hours. Miyazaki knows how to keep things moving without belaboring certain scenes. He doesn’t speak down to his audience and isn’t afraid to mix in exposition with action.

Miyazaki’s concerns with the fragility and wonder of our less tangible surroundings haunt the picture without overpowering it.

On the lighthearted end of the Miyazaki spectrum, but it features more dashing adventure.

Miyazaki's world, so full of color and life, is always just across the borderline of imagination, its acute details softened by clouds and shadows, its principles revealed by actions more than words. Laputa has resonance and complexity.