Howl's Moving Castle

Well, 0ct0pus and I got tickets for the opening night at the Watershed. Unsurprisingly, really, as we'd both been agitating over this one for months.

And it didn't disappoint. I've read a few Diana Wynne Jones books - I loved them as a child - but I haven't read this one. I got the impression that a complex plot had been quite heavily trimmed to fit into the 90 minutes, but it still just about made sense. Could probably have been a bit longer really, as the ending seemed a tad rushed. But the monkeys behind us were sniggering, presumably at the cheesineess. I don't mind a bit of cheese really, and the ending was actually quite sweet.

It was beautifully animated - lush landscapes, quirky characters, dark war-scenes and insane Heath-Robinson-esque contraptions. The characters were sympathetic, even the slightly cute slef-centred mwizard of the title, and although the plot of good people overcoming adversary and growing a little at the same time is well-used, it's well-used for a reason, and is done prettily here.

Will definitely watch again :)