Whether viewed as an anti-war parable, an elegant testament to the transformative power of love and a rapturous fantasy replete with wizards and witches, curses and spells, Howl’s Moving Castle, based on Diana Wynne Jones’ novel, is yet another the wonderful, dazzlingly imaginative film from Japan’s foremost animator Hayao Miyazaki. While it lacks the gripping narrative focus of Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, the film still overflows with magical, breathtaking sequences and rich humour. As usual, Miyazaki pauses to survey a serene, idyllic landscape whenever possible and delivers stunningly fluid and creative action setpieces. But the film’s most magnificent creation is the castle: a travelling junk heap that looks like the mutant offspring of a turkey and an angler fish, with whistling chimneys and loosely grinding parts. For seasoned fans, Howl’s might play like a greatest hits compilation, with Miyazaki’s obsessions on full view, from those nebulously shaped blobby figures to airships to the on-going negotation between technology and nature. But to quote the film’s heroine Sophie, “It all seems familiar, yet unlike any place I’ve been before”.