DVD Release Date: March 7, 2006

MPAA RATING: PG for frightening images and brief mild language
Voices of: Jean Simmons, Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, Blythe Danner and Billy Crystal
Genre: Animated fantasy

Recommended Age: 8+

Howl's Moving Castle is a beautiful and moving journey through life and love set in an enchanted land, which can be enjoyed by viewers eight and older.  Refreshingly void of offensive materials, this often humorous film interweaves messages such as the importance of friendship and love into an amazingly original story.

 Sophie is a plain young woman who is stuck working in a hat shop.  One day, upon leaving work, she is confronted by two soldiers who tease and attempt to seduce her.  Luckily she is saved by a mysterious man who picks her up and together they fly through the air.  He drops her off on a balcony and disappears. This brief encounter with the magical man enrages the Witch of the Waste, a jealous and evil old woman.  She reveals that the mysterious creature was Howl, the famous magician, and the encounter prompts her to turn Sophie into a very old lady.

Out of fear, and looking to reverse the spell, Sophie leaves town and wanders into the hills alone.  There she meets Turniphead, an enchanted scarecrow, who leads her to Howl's moving castle when she needs refuge from a raging storm. Inside this unusual castle Sophie meets Calcifer, a fire demon who is connected to Howl through a curse, and Markl, a young apprentice.  Sophie is invited to stay at the castle as a cleaning lady, and does everything in her power to tell Howl about her curse.  Unfortunately, the curse has a twist—she is unable to talk about it.  Slowly she grows to love the castle and its inhabitants, and comes to regard it as home.  Sophie also realizes that she is falling in love with Howl, but is unable to express it in her bewitched state.  When Howl is summoned by rival kingdoms to serve as magician during the ongoing war, he sends Sophie as a cover, but realizes - almost too late - that the summons is a trap set by his old mentor, Solomon.  Howl saves Sophie, but just barely.  With the war intensifying, Solomon's minions on their trail, and the curse on Howl and Calcifer getting stronger every day, Sophie must to find a way to save them all before the magic destroys them.

Howl's Moving Castle contains very little offensive content.  Language is kept to a minimum, though one character tells another to "shut up" and the word "idiot" is used a few times.  Howl is seen once wearing only a towel, however nothing is shown.  Though the film is not about violence, it is set during wartime. Cities are being bombed, and buildings burn to the ground.   Howl is the only character who is shown hurt, and those injuries are received while trying to bring peace to the lands.  Howl's Moving Castle contains resounding positive messages.  Characters, namely Howl, learn to overcome selfishness and experience love, and the group learns that friendship and teamwork are the most important lessons of all.  Originally animated and voiced in Japanese, Disney has flawlessly dubbed the story of Sophie and Howl into English.  Overall, Howl's Moving Castle is a wonderful and original film which families with children eight and older can enjoy.