Castle in the Sky

What’s it about?

A young boy and a girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and the military in a search for the lost city in the sky, Laputa.

The facts

• Directed by Hayao Miyazaki (Howl’s Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro)
• Japanese language or English dub
• Runtime: 125 minutes
• Animated film by Studio Ghibli (My Neighbor Totoro, Ponyo, Princess Mononoke)
• Starring voice acting by Mark Hamill and Anna Paquin
• Studio Ghibli's first official film

Why did it get this rating?

This film was cross-rated by the Film and Video Labelling Body. You can find out more about cross-rating here.

Violence

War violence is frequently shown throughout the film. We see explosions, guns, tanks, soldiers, and pirates.

There is one scene where a robot shoots powerful laser beams blowing up and destroying everything around it. It is stopped when it is viciously shot by large cannons. This scene may shock younger viewers.

Many guns are fired throughout the film. In one scene, a bullet grazes a characters’ cheek, brief spurt of blood is seen.

There are a few scenes where we see physical violence. For example, there is a fist fight between two characters which later turns into a large brawl. Characters are seen hitting each other with objects.

Content that may disturb

There are instances of characters almost falling from dangerous heights. They don't get hurt but it can be tense.

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?
• Spirited Away guide
• Howls Moving Castle guide
• Kiki’s Delivery Service guide
• Ponyo guide
• Porco Rosso guide