Great visual style as always. However, there were too many plot points brought up that were never resolved or even addressed later. (Sophie's mother, the actual war etc.) What we end up with is a movie that's pretty to look at, but not very engaging as a cohesive story. 7.5/10

I believe I've got the consensual opinion. Miyazaki creates a gorgeous an inventive world, full of surprises and whimsy, but the film stumbles in the last minutes as everything is magically resolved in a very short time span indeed, even the stuff you didn't know what a plot thread (the missing prince). It really feels like, oops, just ran out of time, everybody be happy, yay! It doesn't undo the preceding two hours, mind you, as the oddness and visuals create plenty of memorable moments and images. The film often seems more symbolic than anything and is rife for literary and psychological analysis. The girl who believes herself an ugly "unwanted" being turned into a crone, the bipolar wizard losing his humanity, the child apprenticed forced into premature adulthood... Of course, the whiny fire demon Calcifer kind of steals the show, but what can you do? He's adorable.

I did pay attention, but certain points are indeed a bit confusing at first watch. Especially the last quarter of the movie just lacks the magic the other 75% has