If you’ve been living in a cave for the last 20 years, Hayao Miyazaki has since become widely known as the Japanese Walt Disney – without the racist and sexist silver lining. As time passes, Disney will be lucky if he comes to be known as the American Miyazaki. Even the bigwigs over at Pixar Animation Studios bow down to Miyazaki when he releases a new film. If animation was a religion, the folks at Disney would be the folks that go door-to-door to convert others and ask for money, while Miyazaki would be God.

Miyazaki picked up speed in the ’80s with “Castle in the Sky,” “Kiki’s Delivery Service” and “My Neighbor Totoro,” but it wasn’t until 1997’s “Princess Mononoke,” which earned the Japanese Academy Award for best picture, that Miyazaki became a household name.

Shortly thereafter, Miyazaki
released “Spirited Away,” regarded by many to be his magnum opus and most famous film. Even if you’re not a fan of Miyazaki’s work, which would be hard to believe, you have to recognize his awesomeness (that’s right, I said it) as he directs, produces, writes and edits many of his films. Not many filmmakers have that on their resume, nor are they god of an animation religion.

Unlike most of Miyazaki’s thought-provoking material, “Howl’s Moving Castle” roams away from Asian folklore and mythology to find space in a European realm. In this case, Miyazaki chose a novel by Diana Wynne Jones, which dabbles in L. Frank Baum’s political-fantasy “The Wizard of Oz.”

In a lot of ways, describing Miyazaki’s stories can be like explaining Dr. Seuss books to a three-year-old, which is ironic since “Howl’s Moving Castle” resembles Seuss’ cold war commentary “The Butter Battle Book.”

As usual, Miyazaki chooses a magical male figure to lead the female protagonist.
Sophie makes hats for a living in a suburban, working-class home ruled by sisters and a mother who treat her much like Cinderella. One day, she wanders outside only to run into a wizard named Howl and his nemesis the Witch of the Waste.

In a fit of jealous rage (because the witch digs Howl, if you know what I mean), the Witch of the Waste transforms Sophie into an old woman. For the rest of the film, wrinkled Sophie must travel to Howl’s castle and get him to turn her back – with the help of a bouncing scarecrow she calls Turniphead.

While it sounds strange, it’s simple enough. But wait, there’s more. When Sophie finds the castle, which moves between two warring countries in an area called the Waste Lands, things get even stranger.

She’s a stranger in what may be the strangest of lands. Howl can change identities (you know, because wizards are cool like that) and often turns into a giant bird. But, despite his beautiful visage, Howl is plagued by the thought of being ugly.

Meanwhile, Howl’s slave Calcifer is a fire demon who supplies the castle with inertia, warm water and some other stuff. Coupled with a small boy named Markl and Sophie’s job as housekeeper, they make for an interesting coming-of-age family sitcom.

The plot begins to take shape, as does Howl as he begins to lose control, when the warring towns both call upon Howl for servitude. When he disobeys and begins to take on both armies by himself, things spin out of control.

With a talented cast of voices that includes Emily Mortimer, Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, Blythe Danner, Billy Crystal and Jean Simmons (no, not the guy from Kiss), “Howl’s Moving Castle” earned an Academy Award nomination earlier this year.

While perhaps not as brilliant as “Spirited Away” or “Princess Mononoke,” “Howl’s Moving Castle” is still an inspiring and emotional film by the master of the art form. In the traditions of Bohemian dogma, “Howl” encompasses freedom, beauty, truth, love and a giant mechanical castle with a gaping mouth that is run my a comedic fire demon – what’s not to like?