--- title: "Castle in the Sky: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/castle-in-the-sky/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/castle-in-the-sky" critics_score: 75 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Castle in the Sky (1986): what the critics said Critics' score 75 from 9 reviews: 8 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics like Castle in the Sky, and the praise gathers around the same things: the flying sequences, the faux-Victorian machinery and steam-driven contraptions, the droll air pirates, and a first act that several reviewers admire for how briskly it gets the story moving. Many treat it as early Miyazaki, a film whose invention points towards what he would do later. Several call it his most straightforwardly enjoyable adventure, and its balance of action and quieter passages comes up more than once. The reservations are mild and consistent. A few reviewers find it more formulaic and less thematically rich than the later Ghibli films, and Colonel Muska is noted as an unusually conventional villain for this director. The New York Times worries that two hours may test both adults’ patience and children’s attention. The spread is narrow but for one outlier: the Los Angeles Times, reviewing in 1987, dismisses it as a generic anime adventure with sleepy pacing and clumsy dialogue, a view no later critic shares. ## Film Comment Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). The critic calls Laputa: Castle in the Sky Miyazaki’s most purely enjoyable movie, highlighting its faux-Victorian details, droll air pirates, and exhilarating flying scenes in a broad retrospective of his work. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/organic-machine-the-world-of-hayao-miyazaki/) ## Slant Magazine — Chuck Bowen Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 4 March 2010. The review praises this early Miyazaki adventure as an exciting and poignant picture whose dreamy brilliance and swift invention already foreshadow his later work, while noting it remains more beholden to formula. It singles out the beautiful economy of the first act and the lingering, chilling details of the world that give the film its texture and originality. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/castle-in-the-sky/) ## The New York Times — Caryn James Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 18 August 1989. The critic praises the film's detailed fantasy world and dazzling colors as a joy to watch, highlighting its blend of science fiction and fable with strong animation quality. However, the two-hour story about a lost princess and flying island may strain adults' patience and children's attention spans. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/18/movies/review-film-animated-adventure-fantasy-from-japan.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Charles Solomon Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 14 July 1987. Festival review. The review describes the film as a generic science-fiction adventure that slavishly follows Japanese anime conventions with clichéd elements like oversized eyes, steam-powered machinery, and inept dialogue. It criticizes the somnambulant pacing and threadbare storyline, suggesting it will bore average viewers despite appeal to hardcore fans. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-07-14-ca-3957-story.html) ## Den of Geek — Ryan Lambie Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 27 April 2011. The critic praises Castle in the Sky as Studio Ghibli’s undying classic and the most finely honed piece of storytelling in Miyazaki’s history, singling out its balance of action, introspection, and moving moments in a Blu-ray retrospective. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/looking-back-at-laputa-castle-in-the-sky/) ## HeyUGuys — Jon Lyus Rating 4.5/5. 28 April 2011. The critic praises it as a stirring adventure full of imagination and visual invention, highlighting its exciting set pieces and influence, though noting it's less charming than some later Ghibli films. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/laputa-castle-of-the-sky-blu-ray-review/) ## Collider — Andre Dellamorte Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 15 June 2012. The review praises Castle in the Sky as one of Miyazaki’s best films and a masterwork, highlighting its adventure, excitement, beautiful designs, and strong storytelling that builds stakes effectively. [Read the review](https://collider.com/castle-in-the-sky-blu-ray-review-whisper-of-the-heart-blu-ray-review/) ## Eye for Film — Scott Macdonald Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 17 May 2011. It's a charming and effective adventure with breezy execution and inventive set-pieces, though lacking the thematic depth of later works; praised for its whimsical adventure and entertainment value. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/laputa-castle-in-the-sky-film-review-by-scott-macdonald) ## Polygon — Tasha Robinson Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 25 May 2020. The piece examines how Castle in the Sky stands out in Miyazaki’s work for its traditional villain in Colonel Muska, while noting the film’s unique focus on military themes and flight alongside Ghibli’s evolving approach to antagonists. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/animation-cartoons/2020/5/25/21269323/castle-in-the-sky-studio-ghibli-movies-hayao-miyazaki-villains-explained/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/castle-in-the-sky.md