No, that’s not Superman. That is indeed a flying castle. Part of me wonders if this had any influence on those flying rocks in James Cameron’s “Avatar”. He admitted that “Princess Mononoke” influenced his movie, so it’s not that far of a stretch. But let’s not waste any time on that movie and actually get to the one at hand. With more action than most of Studio Ghibli’s work, this still holds most of the traits and hallmarks of what they are praised for.

A young boy named Pazu comes across an unconscious girl as she floats down from the sky with a glowing necklace. She is revealed to be Sheeta, a descendant of the royal family of Laputa – a flying castle capable of a lot of power due to the amount of Aetherium it possess. They are chased by both pirates and the army lead by a government agent also a descendant who seeks the power of Laputa for himself. This adventure movie has plenty of action, humor, and charming characters to keep the viewer entertained & engaged.

I did find several small things about this movie to be funny. When Pazu & Sheeta try and get help from the town when being chased, the people don’t really react and just get right to fighting. Several people Pazu & Sheeta ask for help from don’t really act with surprise or shock at the news. Their attitude is mainly just proclaiming that’s neat, as if they were waiting for something exciting like this to happen. But I think more humor comes into play when Pazu & Sheeta end up joining the pirates in finding Laputa and going against the army. The characters that make up most of the pirates really aren’t mean or evil. They have that kind of awkward quality that makes them relatable. Plus it’s really humorously weird to hear them call their captain Mom.

Speaking of the captain, Dola is an interesting character. We first see her in the opening scene where she is inly concerned about losing the crystal as she falls Sheeta fall from the airship assumingely to her death. Yet later on when the two kids join the pirates, she eventually becomes something like an actual mom to them in a vague sense. Honestly, the interactions between the kids and pirates from that point on is fairly funny. They even end up cheering when they see the two kids survive the climax. It’s also weirdly refreshing to watch a movie where orphan kids just live by themselves and people around them don’t give them special treatment. Pazu & Sheeta are put right to work and don’t even try to make them comfy or anything like that. I mean, it’s logical considering their living arrangements. But feels nice to not have a movie where the supporting characters treat the main characters like chosen ones or legendary heroes.

For most of the movie, I didn’t think there was some deeper message to this movie and I was okay with that. But there is a line of dialogue at the beginning that does get called back to during the final twenty minutes. While Laputa is a floating city, the people left the place long ago and it has been reclaimed by plant and animal life. This connects to an early piece of dialogue about how the Aetherium is a reminder that all things return back to the Earth, even people. So you can say there is a message about how despite the accomplishments mankind may achieve, the planet will outlive them and and reclaim what was unrightfully taken.

But even if you don’t see a hidden message, this is still an enjoyable film. Exciting action, plenty of relatable humor, charming characters, beautiful animation and thrilling music. Get on your airship and go above the clouds for a great time.