A brief description
An action adventure
story complete with villains, chase scenes, shoot outs, and fighting robots.
But this is not your typical action adventure anime, this is Miyazaki at
his best. Set in a fictional country, and a fictional time period the story
centers around a young girl named Sheeta, about twelve years old, an orphan
who has a mysterious "levitation stone." Befriended by an orphan
boy named Patsu, the story follows the pair as they are chased by "pirates"
and evil government troops along with "secret agents." The main
focus of the story is the legendary floating city, known as Laputa. Patsu,
whose deceased father claimed to have seen and photographed the legendary
city while on a solo flight on an airship, vows that on day he'll find Laputa.
Sheeta, who descended from a mysterious lineage and only recognizes the
name Laputa as part of her "other name," agrees to join Patsu
in his quest to find Laputa.
My impression
Unlike any of the other Miyazaki movies I've seen before! From the moment the movie started I was entranced by this world of airships and air pirates as they buzzed solo in their aircraft around night sky searching for their prey. Miyazaki's fascination with aircraft is reflected in this movie with the appearance of very imaginatively designed airships and airplanes. I'm a little regretful about describing this movie as an action movie, because anime is viewed as stereotypical action, shoot ‘em up, etc. I guess I want to invite those potential viewers, who have written off anime, and maybe all animation, as "kid's stuff." Laputa, as with most of Miyazaki's movies is seen through children's eyes. The innocence of Sheeta and Patsu as they search for Laputa, surrounded by the greed and power of the adults, is one of the most enchanting aspects of the story. Suspense, drama, and a little lighthearted humor makes Laputa an enjoyable movie for all ages.
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