Spirited Away

What's most remarkable about Spirited Away is how it ever got released worldwide at all, notably in America.  At the time of its Japanese theatrical run in 2001 (where it outgrossed Hayao Miyazaki's own Princess Mononoke to become Japan's most successful film), the Disney-Ghibli deal was on uncertain terms, at best.  Despite a successful video release of Kiki's Delivery Service, Mononoke failed to find an audience theatrically (even its video/DVD sales, although considerably more successful, weren't good enough in Disney's eyes), and consequently, Castle in the Sky's upcoming video release was put on hold.  In fact, it seemed as though Disney was reconsidering distributing the rest of Miyazaki's films worldwide out of fear that they would fail to find an audience.  Enter John Lasseter of Pixar Animation Studios, a longtime friend and admirer of Hayao Miyazaki, who often uses the master's works as inspiration for Pixar's own productions, such as Toy Story and Monsters Inc.  Dissatisfied at the way Miramax marketed Mononoke, he felt that Miyazaki's movies deserved better attention, so, thanks to persistent campaigning on his behalf (as well as that of Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki), Disney finally decided to purchase Spirited Away's rights for theatrical distribution.

Prior to this, Disney's three dubs for Ghibli had been helmed by experienced voice director Jack Fletcher, all of which, despite being hotly debated, found their share of loyal fans and were considered some of the better English dubs for Anime.  Either because Fletcher was busy with other projects or Miyazaki felt that, since Lasseter campaigned for his newest movie he should work on it himself, work on the dub for Spirited Away was produced in-house at both Disney and Pixar.  Their crew included a scriptwriting team, Cindy Davis Hewitt and Donald H. Hewitt, voice director Kirk Wise (co-director for Disney's own Beauty and the Beast and the underrated Hunchback of Notre Dame).  By way of coordination between Ghibli and Lasseter's watchful eye, an English dub was recorded in 2002, and briefly screened in theaters.  As anticipated, Spirited Away's financial returns in America were only miniscule (although in all fairness, it did earn more than Mononoke, a total of approximately $10 million), but critics were enthusiastic about the film, and it even earned Miyazaki his first official Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film.  This move caught everyone by surprise; in fact, it prompted Disney to release the rest of his catalog stateside.  So in a way, without this dub (or rather, the Oscar), who knows what would have happened to Ghibli's chances of having its works distributed worldwide.

There's no denying that Spirited Away is a fabulous dub; the efforts that have gone into translating this difficult tale for audiences are very much deserving of praise.  And yet, Spirited Away's dub, like any of the other Disney-Ghibli tracks, has its share of vocal detractors.  There have been complaints from anonymous Anime fans about the occasional liberties taken with some parts of the dialogue, never mind that it was under the approval of Ghibli.  Some have even expressed their detestation of the vocal choices and occasional additional lines, claiming they ruin the film.  This love-hate atmosphere isn't much different from the reception that any of the other Disney-Ghibli dubs receive.  Some of the praise the dub has received, too, is a bit backhanded.  Some say that this is the only Ghibli movie that can be watched in English, stating that the other dubs are trash by comparison.  Others say that it's the best of the dubs.  This extreme kind of hype has somewhat softened my appreciation for Spirited Away's English track, for I really wouldn't quite go that far.  Any of the other dubs by Disney have their share of appealing performances and excellent qualities, and to dismiss them all in favor of this one seems somewhat unfair.  Based on that, Spirited Away isn't one of my favorite Ghibli-Disney dubs... but that isn't to say that I dislike it.  On the contrary.  What you will be reading about the dub is mostly favorable, but you won't find any comparisons to the other Ghibli tracks here, as each should stand on their own individually.

The vocal cast for Spirited Away's dub doesn't rely much on big-star names; several of the actors/actresses have previously done work for several other Disney projects.  I often hear that having only name actors distract from the overall dub, but this is just subjective.  As long as the actors perform well, it doesn't matter whether they're famous or not.

CHIHIRO (Daveigh Chase) -- I'm of two minds here.  Vocally, Chase is fine for the part, sounding appropriately like a ten-year-old (it is interesting to note that around the same time this dub was recorded, she was involved in another Disney production, Lilo and Stitch).  However, her performance is a bit of a mixed bag.  When Chihiro is talking normally or being emotionally upset, Chase is fine.  Unfortunately, most of her early scenes require her to scream half of her lines.  It gets rather annoying after a while, to the point where one wishes she could have toned it down by a notch.  Her "whiney" moments are similarly overdone; although this is par for the character, it doesn't necessarily make for a particularly pleasant listen.  Whether this makes or breaks the dub for you depends on your tolerance level.

HAKU (Jason Marsden) -- One of the biggest complaints I hear about this dub is the voicing of Haku, the mysterious boy character who sometimes shifts into dragon form; there are people who say that Marsden sounds too mature for the part.  However, this is fatuous criticism; Marsden has had experience playing younger-sounding teenagers prior to this (remember Max from A Goofy Movie?), and there's no clear evidence in the story how old Haku is supposed to be.  As such, there is some flexibility in how the character can be voiced, provided, of course, that it sounds "young" enough.  That aside, what makes Marsden's performance as Haku is his actual acting.  He does a great job at imbuing Haku's mysterious nature and calm, composed attitude without sounding monotonous.  His scenes with Chihiro are similarly well-handled, coming across as very natural.  I had no major problems with him.

YUBABA/ZENIBA (Suzanne Pleshette) -- In evaluating the performance of these two characters, it is important to mention that they are twins.  The former, Yubaba, is a greedy, self-centered enchantress obsessed with only money and her titanic(!) baby, while the latter, Zeniba, is (eventually revealed to be) gentle and quite content to live a more simple life.  It is a shame that Pleshette is no longer with us, as her performance as these two characters fill the now-expected trait of a performer "stealing the show".  Her approach to these two characters goes like this:  Yubaba is given a gravelly, throaty voice, while Zeniba sounds more light in tone.  Anyone familiar with her vocal performance as the ruthless Zira in The Lion King II:  Simba's Pride will recognize some elements of that character in Yubaba's voice, but Pleshette wisely avoids making her a total monster, instead portraying her as a genuinely stern, mean-spirited figure eager to see Chihiro fail at any cost.  On the other hand, as Zeniba, Pleshette initially makes her somewhat sinister (as her initial appearance suggests), but toward the end, she gets more soft-spoken and kindly.  The tone of her voice in these moments are very much the kind that would make the viewer want to call her "Granny" just as Chihiro does.  A praiseworthy performance all around, and the highlight of the dub.

LIN (Susan Egan) -- Lasseter has said that Egan was one of his favorite Disney voices, and as such he thought of her when casting this role.  Indeed, prior to playing the somewhat gruff woman worker who gradually warms to Chihiro, Egan has voiced a similar kind of character in Disney's Hercules.  Of course, Disney fans know her better as Belle in the Broadway version of Beauty and the Beast.  No, she doesn't sing in this role (that is saved for Porco Rosso), but Egan does do a fine job of establishing Lin with the sort of "tough-as-nails" attitude her character requires.  Her later scenes where she becomes friendlier with Chihiro provide Egan the opportunity to drop her "mask" and speak very naturally.  This effectively conveys her transformation as a person.  Egan doesn't overact, either, in the moments when she sounds exasperated (such as when Lin informs about No Face's rampage through the bathhouse).  Very nice all around.

KAMAJI (David Ogden Stiers) -- For the character of the six-armed, spider-like man who operates the boiler, Disney sought to cast their "good-luck charm".  Stiers has become quite a Disney veteran what with his performances as Cogsworth from Beauty and the Beast, Ratcliffe from Pocahontas, and the Archdeacon from The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  However, his Kamaji sounds nothing at all like these aforementioned roles; in fact, one doesn't even realize that it is him.  That only displays how versatile a performer he really is.  Aside from sounding gruff (not exaggeratedly so), Stiers effectively makes one guess what this character's motivations are through the ambiguity he initially provides the character.  He even sounds appropriately bossy when he orders the little soot sprites to stoke the fire.  As Kamaji comes to take Chihiro under his wing, though, Stiers changes his tone into one of nuanced warmth and gentleness.  This balance between uncertainty and geniality defines both the character and how impactful Stiers' performance truly is.

CHIHIRO'S PARENTS (Lauren Holly, Michael Chiklis) -- These two appear only at the beginning of the movie, spend most of it being pigs, and then appear again at the end.  Unlike, say, Kiki's parents, however, these two have a bit more screentime and are more active in terms of forwarding the plot, so their performances are more distinctive.  Holly and Chiklis are both very fitting and definitely come across as the sort of ignorant parents any girl would be unhappy to have.  It is also interesting to note that for the scene where they eat the forbidden foods at the restaurant, Holly actually took a bite from an apple while delivering her lines (a trick that Cloris Leachman also used for Dola in Castle in the Sky during the scene where she gorges down food).

ASSISTANT MANAGER (John Ratzenberger) -- If Stiers was Disney's good luck charm, then Ratzenberger is Pixar's.  It's probably for this reason that he was cast as the Assistant Manager of the Bath House.  Audiences have grown accustomed to hearing Ratzenberger in just about every Pixar production, so why not at least one Ghibli dub?  For the most part, it works pretty well, although it is a little hard not to think of Ratzenberger's other characters (notably Hamm from Toy Story) while hearing him speak for this character, because it sounds a bit too recognizable.  Not that he does a bad job; Ratzenberger doesn't throw away any lines and sounds appropriately stern and uptight (save for when he is delivering a song about No Face, which is spoken instead of sung).  He even gets a one-liner after being coughed-up by No Face "Now that's an esophagus!"  Even so, one gets the feeling that Lasseter cast Ratzenberger as the character just to give him another cameo role.  That's probably my only quibble; otherwise it's a solid performance.

BOH (Tara Strong) -- We never see the face of Yubaba's gargantuan baby until about three-quarters of the way through the film, and even then he spends most of the rest of the movie transformed into a chubby rodent.  An interesting thing to note about this particular performance is that Miss Strong had previously voiced Ashitaka's sister Kaiya in Princess Mononoke.  This role is quite a departure for her; here she has the difficult task of mimicking an infant's voice and talking somewhat like one.  She does this surprisingly well, to the point where you don't realize that it is a woman pretending to be an infant.

NO FACE -- When we first meet No Face, he is a mute figure; midway through he makes exotic grunting noises as his form of communication.  From what I understand, these are in the Japanese version too.  Later on, when No Face consumes both a little green frog (quaveringly voiced by Bob Bergen) and the Assistant Manager, he speaks with both character's voices, occasionally altering between the two.  This is handled very well, particularly when the Assistant Manager and Frog's voices are combined for at least one line.

Most of the other cast members include traditional voice actors such as Colleen O'Shaughnessy, Mona Marshall, Candi Milo, Paul Eiding, Jim Ward, and Phil Proctor.  Even Sherry Lynn, who played minor roles in Kiki and Mononoke, gets to have some lines.  Disney dubs have always been skillful handling the incidental character voices and "walla" scenes, and this is no exception.

Vocal performance aside, the English script by the Hewitts deserves mention.  Under Lasseter's supervision, their task was to stay faithful to Miyazaki's screenplay, while making it accessible to American audiences.  They managed this very well for the most part, although purists have made noise over the occasional added-in line.  Among these complaints include a line where Chihiro identifies a red building as a bath house in a scene which had no dialogue.  Both Lasseter and the Hewitts stood behind their decision, stating that American audiences wouldn't recognize it otherwise.

This is not the only case of added-in dialogue.  There's also one instance where Chihiro identifies a soaring white dragon as Haku when she does not do it until much later in the original.  More controversial were the addition of two lines for the end of the film, which are an exchange between Chihiro and her father.  This was done because, at the time of Spirited Away's premiere, Japanese audiences were dissastisfied with the original ending, feeling that something was lacking.  Even so, there are purists who declare that these extra lines ruin the film and that Lasseter and the Hewitts were only looking to dumb down a masterpiece.  (Ghibli fan dballred has said he despises this dub for those added-in lines alone.)  As with the bath-house line, though, the creators stand behind their decision, stating that they felt that Chihiro's spiritual journey did not feel complete.  Regardless of what naysayers claim, the fact remains that Ghibli and Miyazaki all had the final say in any changes, and they approved Lasseter and the Hewitts' efforts unanimously.  What makes their script work is in how natural and fluent the dialogue flows; aside from a few stilted moments here and there (including one grating moment where Chihiro has to shout a very fast line at her transformed parents), the dialogue is well written and carefully synchronized with the lip movements.

As mentioned, Spirited Away is not my favorite Ghibli-Disney dub, but I do have to tip my hat to the efforts of everyone combined for producing it, but more importantly, for paving the way for Miyazaki's works to see the light of day stateside.  Despite the ocasional quibble from naysayers, there are loyal fans who stand behind the dub, recognizing the care and work that went into it.  More importantly, Miyazaki has stated that his films are meant to be viewed not with obscuring subtitles, but in one's native tongue.  In fact, in a recent interview with ScreenCrave, he has said about the Disney dubs of his movies:  "I think they have always done a good job," adding particularly about this one, "I think Spirited Away was a very difficult film to understand, but I think they did the best they could; I think they did a good job with it. I don’t really feel critical of the English version."

Princess Mononoke

The last thing Disney ever would have expected to see from the man responsible for lighthearted fare like My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service was a hauntingly beautiful yet morally complex and sometimes violent epic targeted toward an adult audience.  In fact, they were initially reluctant to release Princess Mononoke; campaigns from fans on websites such as http://www.nausicaa.net/ encouraged them to change their minds.  Handing off the film to its arthouse subsidiary, Miramax, Disney commissioned a highly-acclaimed writer, Neil Gaiman, to pen the English script, and spent an estimated $2.1 million to produce what would be one of the most high-profile yet hotly debated dubs ever recorded. It was a daring gamble that unfortunately proved to be financially unsuccessful. Either because Mononoke was too difficult a movie to sell to American audiences (what with its "shades of gray" approach and occasional graphic violence) or because Miramax didn't know how to market such a film (only a few newspaper ads, and the small theater count in question were test markets), the film received only rave reviews but dismal audience attendance.

Somewhat unfairly, there are a number of fans who blame the failure of Mononoke in the United States on the dub. Despite being mostly praised (in fact there are places who consider this one of the best dubs of any Anime), naysayers tore into Miramax's dub, crucifying it for its casting and/or decisions, and loudly declaring that the Japanese version is the only way to watch this film (or any of Miyazaki's movies, for that matter). In fact, to this day, there are still viewers who hate this dub.  For example Ghibli Blog's author condemned as a "ridiculously overrated" travesty, while other anonymous internet reviewers say that the voice talents are so distracting that they ruin the film. (It should be noted, however, that most of these people said the same thing about not only the first two Disney dubs, Kiki and Castle in the Sky, respectively, but for any other dub Disney made for Ghibli.) This is unfortunate, because Princess Mononoke is, in the opinion of this author, one of the finest Anime dubs ever made, ranking up there with my favorite Ghibli dubs, Kiki, Castle, My Neighbor Totoro, and Whisper of the Heart.

This dub, in addition to Kiki and Castle, was helmed by ADR veteran Jack Fletcher, a respected voice director who has gone out of his way to provide quality, painstakingly synched (if sometimes eccentrically cast) dubs, even though many cite Gaiman as the major hero behind the dub. His task was to cast capable actors, including some of his regulars such as John DeMita, Julia DeMita, Matt Miller, K.T. Vogt, etc. and carefully time Gaiman's words to fit the mouth movements... in a way that the audience never even suspects that it is dubbed. This is done very skillfully, to the point that Mononoke may not even be called a dub at all. Indeed, this author has fond memories of being dazzled by both the film and the dub the first time he saw it at the Angelika Film Center in New York City.

Before I get into Gaiman's script, I continue my evaluation of this half-maligned, half-praised dub with critiques of the performers who lent their vocals.

ASHITAKA (Billy Crudup) -- Like Nausicaa, the lead character of Princess Mononoke is a courageous and compassionate young man who begs for a peaceful method to handle conflict while struggling with a curse that threatens his life. It is tempting to portray this character as a mono-dimensional hero, but Billy Crudup has the sort of voice that steers around that pitfall. It is a very calm, natural tone that works for Ashitaka's character, never once falling into "generic" or stiff territory. His acting, too, is quite exceptional for a first-time voice-over job. He never feels uncomfortable for the moments where he has to raise his voice, and handles any potentially laughable moments in a way that is very skillful. It is interesting to note, too, that at the time he recorded his part, Crudup did numerous things to get into character--galloping around the studio with a bow, lying down, etc. This adds a realistic touch to his performance, which, in the case of this film, works efficiently well.

JIGO (Billy Bob Thornton) -- A common criticism even in the most favorable of reviews for the dub is in the casting of Thornton as the sneaky, opportunistic monk who is simply "just trying to get by", if not for his performance itself. Not having seen the original Japanese version, I cannot make any comparison to how he fares to that (nor do I care to), I personally have to take a different perspective. It is true that Thornton's southern drawl often stands out and that there are a few instances where it seems a little odd to hear him. However, what ultimately comes through is in the cynicism and attitude for the character, without ever making him into a moustache-twirling villain. Even at the action-sequences he handles himself expertly. Referring back to the accent, I felt it only succeeded in adding a depth of dimension to the character in the same way that Anna Paquin as Sheeta in Castle did; giving one the feeling that Jigo is from a different country. Little touches like this in the Ghibli dubs are another major attraction to my appreciation for them. All in all, Thornton's performance may not be the strongest of the dub, but it is very underrated.

LADY EBOSHI (Minnie Driver) -- Contrary to the other star names, Driver has had experience in voice work prior to her being cast in this dub, namely Jane in Disney's Tarzan.  Compared to that character, however, this is a much more ambiguous (and I may argue, better) role for her. She also has an Irish accent, which lends an authoritative quality to her role as a leader of her people. Her performance is one of the most natural and fitting in the dub, sounding stern and cold, yet caring and considerate at the same time. She handles Eboshi's fighting scenes and yelling moments in a way that never veers into overacting. (The latter style of acting would work well in a simplistic fairy tale where there is a clear-cut villain, but for a film as complex as this, where there are no major "villains" or "heroes", it would be a mistake.) It's a wonder that audiences don't remember her very well as Eboshi; this is one of her finest roles. Period.

GONZA (John DiMaggio) -- Lady Eboshi's right-hand man is a very gruff man with a fierce temper and a violent impulse.  This also marks the first major Ghibli role that John DiMaggio lands himself with; his other appearances include a soldier in Castle in the Sky (instantly recognizable when he screams "Let's get up there now!"), and Ryutaro in Pom Poko.  All that DiMaggio has to do with this particular character is to growl, act tough, and display a minor side of buffoonish-ness. He does this very well, and it is interesting to note that he has also played other roles in dubs directed by Jack Fletcher. The same is true with the following character...

KOHROKU (John DeMita) -- An outcast like many of the other people Eboshi takes in, Kohroku is something of a "comic" character, in that he provides most of the movie's funny moments.  These originate not only from his fear of the obviously harmless little kodamas, but from his broken arm.  His best line in the film is also the funniest:  "My arm... it... it doesn't hurt!  It's HEALED!!!  Aggh!  No, it's still broken!"  (Later on he gets to grumble, "Hey, watch the arm!")  The humor in his character is in no small part thanks to John DeMita, who, prior to this dub, played a comic character of a different type, Balgus, the airship commander in the lesser-known Final Fantasy:  Legend of the Crystals.  His character here doesn't have the bluster of the former role, but he still manages to induce laughs in the way he obviously relishes playing Kohroku.  It is also the only Ghibli dub in which he has a significant role.

TOKI (Jada Pinkett-Smith) -- The wife of Kohroku, a sometimes bossy but caring brothel girl, is the film's other "comic" character; when we first meet her she (playfully) scolds her husband for getting his arm broken and making her concerned for him.  This is summed up in the line, "Don't you 'little flower' me, I wish the wolves had eaten you!  Then maybe I could have found a real husband!"  Pinkett-Smith does an excellent job of delivering this line, with just the sort of exasperated-ness and sassy attitude the character requires. Yet she doesn't "overact", either, as Toki's other moments, aside from this humorous exchange, involve operating the bellows at Iron Town or assisting the other brothel girls in defending their town from invading samurai. In those moments, Toki is more serious, and brings a bit of a "tough" quality which makes her character very memorable. Jada manages these other scenes quite well, never sounding flat or uninspired. In fact, I never swore that she was playing against type at the time I saw the film until I watched the behind-the-scenes featurette. Only afterward did I detect a bit of a "Bronx" accent. Not that it distracts from the character, it's a bit of an oddity, but in a way it adds to the role, too.

SAN (Claire Danes) -- After Thornton, Danes' performance of this deeply hateful young woman who finds herself torn between her desire for vengeance against humans and newfound affections for Ashitaka is often signaled out as the weak link of the whole dub. Her voice is more "harsh" compared to the rest of the cast, but in a way this also works in favor of her character. In fact, Danes' best scenes are when she is in action, expressing rage, and experiencing awkward feelings around Ashitaka. Detractors have said that she makes San sound like a petulant, whiney brat, but I disagree; there's a "raw" quality to the performance that comes through, in a way that illustrates the savage-ness of her character. Even when she is talking normally, there is a touch of anger in her voice that expresses her uneasy feelings about trusting a human. Which isn't to say that her performance isn't without some issues; there are a few cases where she misses a line or two, and at least one moment that feels a bit forced (the scene where she whines how she hates all humans to Moro), but otherwise, this is a performance that gets more flak than it deserves. Not the best of the entire dub, of course, but more than passable.

MORO (Gillian Anderson) -- It is interesting to note that in the Japanese version of Mononoke, this seemingly benevolent but ferocious wolf "goddess" is voiced by a male.  With the dub, however, it was decided to go in a different direction, and so Gillian Anderson of X-Files fame was chosen.  Oddly, her performance has also been criticized, and I really can't understand why. She brings a lower-toned, matriarchal quality which brings out Moro's motherly side, and yet her voice also contains a touch of bitterness. This is expressed well in the scene where she tells Ashitaka how she listens to the sound of the forest dying and of her desire to "crunch that gun woman's head in my jaws". The grittiness that Anderson supplies to this line is chilling. Viewers will also notice that Anderson's voice is both backed by wolf-growls and electronically amplified. This is to establish the "beastly" aspect of the character. It is also interesting to note that Moro never moves her mouth as she "talks"; all we see on the screen are the character's facial features shifting positions through each line. I've always found this a nice touch.

OKKOTO (Keith David) -- As great as the performances in Mononoke are, the actor who steals the show (the standard for Disney-Ghibli dubs) is the one who is not even advertised.  The man in question is Keith David, better known for his work as Goliath in Gargoyles.  His deep, baritone chords are lent to the only other significant "talking" animal character, a blind boar god who, although wise, also finds himself about to be corrupted by hatred. David brings a stoic yet powerful quality that fits the character so naturally that one wishes he had more lines. (His voice is also amplified, like Anderson's.) Indeed, the only other time we hear his voice is at the beginning of the movie, where David provides a brief prologue, setting up an "epic" tone. It is, without question, the best voice in the whole dub.

Other minor characters in the film also deserve a shout-out:  John Hostetter as Ji-San, the bearded, grizzled elder who spots the bloodworm-covered boar god from the top of the watch tower at the beginning of the movie.  I've always loved his voice (he can be heard in Kiki and Castle as well), and it's hard for me to imagine hearing anyone else but him voicing this character. Whoever plays the Wise Woman who informs Ashitaka of his fate is also well-cast, speaking with a natural tone.  Tara Strong has a very small part at the beginning as Ashitaka's sister (altered from fiance in the dub so that audiences will feel more comfortable about Ashitaka's affections for San), Kaiya. It is a lovely performance.  And keep an ear open for the ubiquitous Tress MacNeille, who speaks in a tone not much different from what she uses for Osono or the wife of Pazu's boss as one of the leper women.  The bandaged leper, Osa, is also memorably raspy and frail, despite being in only one scene.  The combination of traditional animation and anime voice actors in Fletcher's dubs for Ghibli movies are something that I've always liked.

Whoever told you that Neil Gaiman's script for Princess Mononoke is a "poorly translated", "dumbed down" affair that "butchers the film" should seriously think again. Gaiman spent a lot of time researching the Japanese cultural aspects that are so prevalent in the film, working closely with both Ghibli and Miramax to get each line just right. His efforts are very much commendable; the resulting ADR script is a poetic accomplishment that not only sounds smooth and natural, but does an admirable job of bringing what would be a difficult story to translate to audiences unfamiliar with Japanese culture. There are places where some of the terminology is altered; the "Great Forest Spirit", for instance, was the Deer God in the original Japanese, or, if you will, shishigami.  Miyazaki himself is said to have preferred Gaiman's translation, as it conveys a sense of importance to the audience that a literal one would not.

Also notable are a few places of additional dialogue.  While Kiki and Castle's otherwise entertaining ADR scripts had a lot of added-in humor (something which fans are still very up in arms about, even though I've enjoyed both tremendously), Gaiman provides brief descriptions on some parts that would obviously be lost on an American audience, notably the scene where Ashitaka cuts off his hair before leaving. This helps connect viewers who would otherwise be confused by the scene. There's also Jigo's expression of disgust, "are you selling soup or donkey piss", which was, in the original script, "this soup tastes like hot water!" The latter line has caused criticism, but Gaiman's occasional liberties are never out of disrespect to the original and don't harm the film in any way. It was obvious that this guy cared about the quality of Princess Mononoke in his work, and it's a shame he has not adapted any more Anime scripts.  I can only imagine the possibilities....

This is also the only Fletcher dub which does not make much alterations to the music.  While Kiki received extra pieces of music (as well as new OP and ED songs) and Castle got a spectacular (and arguably superior) rerecording of its glorious score by the original composer, the only changes to the music in Mononoke are to the vocal tracks.  The "Tatara Women's Work Song", which occurs about midway through the film, is sung into natural English, but it's heard so softly that one wouldn't even notice. And like everything else in the dub, it fits so seamlessly that it never calls attention to itself. Better than this still is the handling of the theme song, with the operatic vocals of Sasha Lazard. Her voice is hauntingly gorgeous and she does a wonderful job of delivering Gaiman's translated lyrics for this song. It is heard twice in the film; in the cave scene and just at the start of the closing credits. This song always makes the hair on my skin tingle.

Many people credit John Lasseter for being the major force for these English versions, yet Fletcher's contributions also deserve a shout-out. His goal for the Princess Mononoke dub, as well as Gaiman's, was to set a new standard for dubbing... something which would have almost been unheard of in 1999. Yet the combined efforts of these two men don't deserve to be tossed aside in favor of the other dubs; over the years, the Princess Mononoke dub as well as Fletcher's other two Ghibli dubs all hold up surprisingly well even in an age where quality dubbing is the standard.  That pretty much sums up the entire dub in general.

Castle in the Sky (Disney and Streamline Versions)

This is the most underrated and hotly debated of the Disney-Ghibli dubs.  Recorded in 1998 but delayed until 2003, reactions to Disney's dub of  Castle in the Sky (retitled from the original Japanese name, Laputa: The Castle in the Sky since "laputa"'s an offensive phrase in Spanish) have been divided.  Hardcore fans of the original Japanese were especially harsh, condemning it as a travesty to the original and that it is a dub to avoid.  On the other hand, there have been just as many who actually enjoyed the dub as a fun and interesting reinterpretation of a classic masterpiece with clever casting choices and a fully spruced up (and extended from the original by the composer) musical score. Even several websites such as DVDVerdict, DarkHorizons, DVDJournal, and Mania.com's Dani Moure have confessed to enjoying it.  To this day, the debate about the dub rages on, with a significant amount of detractors and admirers.  The most outrageous of naysayers have claimed that the voice actors in the dub are all unbearable and that Disney was just setting out to deserate a masterpiece, both of which are subjective (and some might argue ridiculous) in the extreme.  Two more realistic criticisms are that the lead characters sound older than their intended ages and that the script is talkier than necessary.  Such faults aside, Disney's Castle in the Sky is a first-rate English track when taken on its own.  In fact, viewing it today, one wonders if these detractors saw the same dub.

Prior to Spirited Away, Disney's dubs for Ghibli works were handled by Jack Fletcher, which included Kiki's Delivery Service and Princess Mononoke, both of which, like this dub, were high quality but received divided reactions. Although there are those who argue that the more recent tracks by Lasseter are more faithful, I find myself drawn to the Fletcher dubs more for their interesting mixture of Anime voice over artists, traditional voice actors/actresses, and big-name talent, resulting in something of a unique, multicultural mix that I somehow miss from these new dubs. Castle in the Sky is my favorite of the three Fletcher dubs, and one that I enjoy listening to repeatedly.

This isn't the only dub of Miyazaki's now-famous adventure tale to be made; around the late 1980's, sometime after the film screened in Japan, an unknown company called Magnum was comissioned by Tokuma Shoten to do an English version for screening on international flights on Japan Air Lines. Produced in a very rapid amount of time (a trait not uncommon with Anime which, at the time, had not yet been licensed by an American company), the dub, distributed by Streamline Pictures domestically, had a brief theatrical release in 1989 but quickly disappeared afterwards. Aside from some brief showings on television in the United Kingdom, it has only been released on the Japanese laserdisc and R2 DVD release, respectively. It should be noted that this version is more "literal" than the current version in that it doesn't take many liberties. While this older dub may have seemed to some viewers decent for its time, today it doesn't stand up very well at all. Having recently had access to this older version, I found it difficult to listen to more than 60 seconds of it. Perhaps I've been spoiled by many other dubs, but to my trained ear, this older dub of Laputa comes across as a rushed, half-baked product, as if everyone involved were doing their lines in one take. It has even been said that Carl Macek felt he could do better after listening to it. (He produced a surprisingly good dub for My Neighbor Totoro to prove his talents.)

As far as the voices for the current version go, Disney's dub has an eclectic selection of ideally chosen (and occasionally eccentric) performers to lend their voices. Fletcher does tend to make unusual casting decisions for his dubs, but he does make an effort to make sure each voice is directed well enough to not be detracting from the visuals or out of sync with the lip flaps (although there is one place where some of the lines are slightly off by about a hair, but not gratingly enough to detract). While some voices are more ideal choices than others, the overall performances are much smoother than those of the JAL/Magnum/Streamline version.

 

PAZU (James Van der Beek, Disney version; Barbara Goodson, JAL Dub) -- Casting the lead star of Dawson's Creek for a character roughly around fourteen (some mistakenly believe he's twelve years old, or even younger, like eight!) was a controversial choice in the eyes of critics and fans.  As mentioned, his voice is considerably deeper and more of an older teenager.  There are those who declare that his voice alone tarnishes the film, a fatuous criticism that I parry with two arguments.  One, boys' voices tend to mature at varying ages in their teen years, providing for a bit of flexibility for adults to play teenage boys (e.g. Vic Mignogna as Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist).  Two, it's never explicitly stated in the movie how old Pazu is supposed to be, for in many ways he is young and yet acts mature (as such, it would be difficult to imagine what voice would suit the character).  Since his age is not a major plot point, it becomes less of an issue when one looks at the film as a whole.  That aside, James' actual voice acting isn't as bad as you'd expect.  In fact, his performance is surprisingly good.  Pazu is supposed to be earnest and exuberant, and Van Der Beek brings consistent enthusiasm to the part.  His best scenes are where he's talking quietly with Sheeta, notably on the Crow's nest on the Tiger Moth and during some exploration scenes in Laputa.  He is also very good at the climactic moments of the film, showing the appropriate emotions without overacting or underacting.  At various points, he cracks his voice -- perhaps a little too much so, but that's only a sign of the actor having fun with the role.  Of course, compared to the rest of the cast in the Disney dub, Van der Beek probably is at the short end of the stick, but he does a better job than what naysayers give him credit for.

In JAL's version, Pazu is played by Barbara Goodson, and as such, sounds higher pitched than James.  There have some occasions when boys can be voiced by women without the audience realizing it (in fact, in Japanese, a woman plays Pazu).  Goodson has shown skill at voicing boys prior to this role and under better circumstances, it might have turned out decent.  The problem, however, is that her Pazu sounds a bit too harsh, lacking the warmth that I felt from James.  Poor direction, too, might be a culprit.  As mentioned, the dub was recorded at a very fast pace, and as such, she comes across as though she doesn't know where to go with Pazu, as evidenced by the lack of enthusiasm in her delivery.  Her attempts at conveying emotion, even during the most intense scenes, sounded very forced and unnatural, too.  (She even disappoints during the calls of "Sheeta!" toward the end; they lack context and don't really fit the intensity of the scene.)  Even the few times when she excels come across as mediocre at best.  Had more time been spent on this old dub, I'm sure that Barbara could have turned in a much better performance; as such, this is one of her weakest roles, which is disappointing considering her resume.  (She has turned in considerably better work in other dubs like A Silent Voice and Weathering With You, for instance.)  James may be the more eccentric choice of the two, but he at least succeeds in bringing enthusiasm and believability to the part, the occasional (minor) missed lines aside.  And for that he strikes me as the better of the two by far, performance-wise.

 

SHEETA (Anna Paquin, Disney dub; Lara Cody, JAL dub) -- Like Van Der Beek, Paquin sounds a bit too mature for the female lead, but a childlike, sweet quality still remains with her voice, making her more of an appropriate choice.  For the most part, she aquits herself fairly well, but there is one problem with her performance—her wishy-washy accent. At times it sounds American, while at others, it veers to British dialect.  This "problem", however, actually works in favor of her character, considering that she is from "far, far away."  There's also a further reasoning behind this—Paquin was born in Canada and moved to New Zealand; I'm willing to bet she was still in this "mixed-up" phase when she recorded it.  My only real quibble is that Paquin doesn't always nail her lines -- there are a few moments that come across as a bit stiff at times and sometimes not as effective.  That said, the bits where she excels far outweigh such weak moments by far, especially her recitation of a spell (that triggers one of the film's most exciting and thrilling sequences).  She also handles herself well in the climactic scenes toward the end; my guess is that she got a lot more comfortable as the film went on.  (Interestingly, this wouldn't be her only voice acting role in Anime; about sometime after this film was released, she was the lead in Steamboy, but that's another story.)

Lara Cody, meanwhile, tries to copy the vocal tone of the Japanese voice actress by raising her voice to an unnaturally high-pitch.  There have been some cases where actresses can get away with this approach, but in this case, Cody comes across as a bit too strained to my ears.  She also suffers from the same problem that Barbara's Pazu does:  a lack of genuine emotion -- even more so than Paquin and arguably Goodson.  She also offers lots of whiny and over-stylized delivery during moments such as the one where Muska shows her the robot.  Even her moments of desperation and screaming felt more forced instead of natural.  This is especially evident at the climactic scene where she shrieks "RUN EVERYONE!" during the Thunder of Laputa scene.  The franticness is overdone on Cody's part in that scene.  Even during the climactic chase scenes she sounds remote from her character.  Cody also misfires during her final speech to Muska toward the end of the film; she comes across as overly aggressive and lacking in nuance, emphasizing the wrong words, to the point where she sounds very all over the place.  Paquin is a bit more low-key by comparison, but there's a tenderness and calm quality to her version of the speech that I really liked; of course the only negative is that the last part of the speech is unfortunately altered (see below), but having said that her version still surpasses Cody's by far.  I'm sure that Cody could have done a much better job if she was given the time to develop her character more properly; Paquin may have a few issues with her performance, but overall she makes the role more believable and less grating on the ears to me (the occasional iffy moment not withstanding).

 

MUSKA (Mark Hamill, Disney dub; Jeff Winkless, JAL dub) -- Hamill's role as the film's central villain, a treacherous government agent with a secret agenda for the titular structure, is nothing short of a delight.  Since his youthful days as a Jedi Knight in Star Wars, Hamill has proven himself to be quite an accomplished voice actor, with one of his most famous roles being the Joker from the Batman series. But with this film, Luke Skywalker finally crosses over to the Dark Side of the Force. His vocalization of Muska is a mixture of Luke and the Joker, and it matches the character so well (especially at the climactic moments when he reveals his true identity) you'd swear he wasn't the same whiny but lovable hero moviegoers remember him best for. Whether he is sly and smooth-talking at one moment and devilishly insane at the next, Hamill runs wild with this character, oozing with genuine evil throughout. In addition, his villainous laughter is bone-chillingly awesome and echoes through the speakers with a purely malicious aura. Ditto for his final scream at the end of the film. Not only is Hamill perfect for the role, his performance is the highlight of the show. (He also is arguably one of the finest choices for any Ghibli dub.)

The late Jeff Winkless, however, is another matter.  His Muska sounds more like he's cold-reading off the script in an uncharismatic, monotonous voice. In doing so, he never comes across as genuinely evil or frightening, but rather detached from the part.  That he speeds through most of his lines makes him sound laughably stilted as well (the scene where he shows Sheeta the robot being a notable example).  Even during the climactic moments does Winkless disappoint.  While Mark goes all out during his psychopathic final guise (even showing hints of the Joker, to good effect), Jeff puts absolutely no energy or enthusiasm, still sounding as monotonous as ever.  Case in point: after demonstrating Laputa's power and knocks Sheeta aside, he simply says "You little brat" very flatly, and his subsequent "Now you die" had me wincing; it was just like a bad episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.  The subsequent scenes where he destroys the army's airship are riddled with lines such as "How very dumb, these earthlings," "Not much shows better than THAT one!  They're dropping like dead sparrows!"  The final confrontation scene is even worse; not only does Winkless continue to drone emotionlessly, he utters "Now say bye bye!" while pointing his gun at Sheeta.  Not only is the end result embarrassing, it brings unintentional humor to what should be a frightening moment.  And the only laugh to be gained from that line is the "so bad it's funny" kind.  (The same is true with his dragged out "There's no WAAAAAAY you can escAAAAAAPE!" as he chases Sheeta -- it's really hard to take seriously.)  Hamill sounds much more natural and genuinely threatening with his "Now get over here!" Lastly, Jeff's final scream struck me as non-existant, and he doesn't put enough emotion to convey Muska's eventual fate; it simply sounds weak and ineffective. In the end, there really is no question over who is the better Muska (it's Hamill).  As with everyone else in this older dub, Winkless was unfortunately weighed down by both poor direction and dialogue.

 

DOLA (Cloris Leachman, Disney dub; Rachel Vanowen, JAL dub) -- Unquestionably one of the very best performances in the cast, Leachman simply is Dola, the cantankerous pirate mother who prefers to be called captain. Not only does she have the right voice for the role, her vocal delivery and comic timing is impeccable.  Whether she is barking orders to her three cartoonishly likeable sons or making droll comments about anything that disgusts her, Cloris is obviously having fun—every scene that Dola's in is a delight and hysterically priceless.  Also noteworthy is how she handles Dola's transition from villain to comrade; it is totally natural, full of grudging warmth and respect.  Compared to her more paltry role in Ponyo (where she doesn't get anywhere nearly as much lines as she does here), this is a deliciously juicy role for Leachman.  As with Hamill, her performance warrants a listen to Disney's dub and ranks among the best choices for a Ghibli dub.

The same cannot be said, however, about Rachel Vanowen's take in the JAL dub.  Her voice — which sounds like a scratchy June Foray as Granny from Looney Tunes — came across to me as unconvincing and unnatural; she simply screams her lines without any real personality.  Her scream of "THE LEVITATION STONE!" at the beginning of the movie when Sheeta falls from the airship is especially obnoxious and grating.  (Leachman's delivery of "Oh no!  There goes my CRYSTAAAL!  Oh no!" is simply more natural and even funnier.)  Even when Dola is supposed to be not so abrasive, there's still something about Vanowen's performance that sounded very off; it just sounds so stilted, almost as if she's reading off the page instead of acting.  The overall effect of her performance was very hard on my ears and totally devoid of the charm that Cloris provides.

 

DOLA'S BOYS aka Louie, Charles and Henri (Mandy Patinkin, Mike McShane, Andy Dick, Disney dub; Dave Mallow, Barry Stigler, Eddie Frierson, JAL dub) -- McShane and Dick both have had previous acting experience (in fact Mike was heard as a minor role in Princess Mononoke), but this was a first-timer for Mandy.  All three are perfectly cast as the pirate triumvirate, and tear into their roles with the sort of comic campiness that these characters require.  Their best moments are when they celebrate over Pazu and Sheeta joining them, asking for food, and later on, when they each approach Sheeta, offering to help her in the kitchen. One cannot help but chuckle along with their one-liners; extraneous though they may be at times, the exuberance in which they deliver them make this trio a lot of fun.  The additional lines help distinguish their personalities, too, particularly in the aforementioned kitchen scene.  Mandy, the whiskered one of the trio, acts somewhat shy, while bearded, burly Mike (whose character is oddly named Shalulu in the dub even though Disney's cast credits him as Charles) is obviously forward "I'm in love with you!", and freckle-faced Andy is more casual in his approach ("Hi, is there anythin' I can do?").   Earlier, all three display their preferences for food just after Pazu and Sheeta agree to come along; Charles asks for pudding, Louie wants to lick the spatula, while Henri wants chocolate cate with a frosting he describes as "pink and swirly".  (Dola finally silences them and gets to have a juicy one-liner about how her boys "really like dessert.")  It's touches like this that really make their characters a delight in the new dub.

Dave, Barry, and Eddie (who, oddly enough, gets to have minor roles in Disney's redub, thankfully with better results), on the other hand, opt to give their characters goofy-sounding cartoon voices.  In doing so, however, all three forget to embue their characters with personality, and as such, they come across as rather generic and not even remotely funny.  (Eddie in particular sounds rather shrill compared to even Andy, and both Barry and Dave's dopey takes for their roles are hardly charming.)  And this is from someone who generally likes these three guys.  So for me, Mandy, Mike, and Andy excel as these characters for giving them more personality and not making them goofballs.

 

UNCLE POM (Richard Dysart, Disney dub; Ed Mannix, JAL dub) -- The kindly old miner who lives in the caverns with glowing stones has a small, but very memorable part.  It also happens to be one of the most underrated performances in Disney's dub.  Dysart has a gentle, warm voice and gives a performance of grandfatherly charm which is perfect for the character.  Plus, his first lines where he mistakes Pazu and Sheeta for goblins are both priceless and beautifully delivered, especially, "I can't see you clearly yet, goblin, but you sound like Pazu! And if these old eyes of mine don't deceive me, there's a she-goblin with you."  His relaxed tone also lends itself very well to the scene where he describes Sheeta's crystal and the glowing cavern.

Ed Mannix, on the other hand, is grossly miscast, sounding distractingly cartoony.  One could almost mistake him as one of Dola's boys from hearing this!  That his delivery lacks the charm Dysart provides is also a problem.  ("You sound like Pa-zuuuuu," he slurs, for instance.)

 

GENERAL (Jim Cummings, Disney dub; Mike Reynolds, JAL dub) -- The brutish yet not very smart general of the military who Muska manipulates to set up a voyage to Laputa is voiced in Disney's dub by uber veteran Jim Cummings.  His performance is as gruff and scratchy as you'd expect (which really isn't that much different from Razoul the Palace Guard from Disney's Aladdin--very fitting, in fact, since this character is similar), but it's in his scenes with Muska where he really shines.  He also gets a memorable one-liner, "Blast! I really hate that man." If anything, Disney's dub is more about the supporting characters than the leads.

As for Mike Reynolds, he sounds less scratchy, but appropriately gravelly.  For the most part, he acquits himself very well, but I still detected some stale dialogue and delivery, particularly "I... really hate secret agents!" which sounded strangely choppy and unnatural.  His calling of "Where are you Muska?!" toward the end is also surprisingly lifeless and detached.  If not for that, I would say that he's the best voice in the JAL dub; Cummings may be more recognizable, but he sounded smoother and less stilted from the start.

 

BOSS (John Hostetter, Disney dub; Cliff Wells, JAL dub) -- One of the things that I've always loved about the Ghibli dubs is how they use famous names with traditional voice actors and Anime voiceovers, giving them something of a multi-cultural feel.  This role is an example of the latter.  I've always liked John Hostetter's work (you can hear him in several other Jack Fletcher dubs, particularly as the airship captain and minor roles in Kiki's Delivery Service as well as Ji-San and other citizens of Iron Town in Princess Mononoke), and to hear him in this film was a treat.  The gruff tone he uses for the character is very appropriate, and the chemistry between him and James van der Beek is also very believable; one can imagine the two actually communicating with each other.  There's also a bit of a warm quality to his voice when he is bidding Pazu goodbye at the end of his first scene.  Hostetter should seriously consider doing more Ghibli dubs; he's always a pleasure to listen to.

Cliff Weils, unfortunately, doesn't fare anywhere nearly as well.  I can imagine the character having the tone of voice that he uses (even then he's less "effective", not that it's saying much, than Mike Reynolds' General), but there just isn't any character or life to his actual performance.  Then again, that isn't the actor's fault; like everyone else in the JAL dub, he was probably cast at the last moment and did his lines in one take, because that's what it came across as to me.  Chalk this as another point in favor of Disney's dub.

 

Aside from Tress MacNeille (who has become quite the Ghibli dubbing veteran), who turns in a cameo role as the wife of Pazu's boss, and Corey Burton (who is quite notable as one of Muska's agents) other roles in the Disney dub are played by names such as John DeMita, Andrew Philpot, Michael Sorich, Matt Miller, Scott Menville, Eddie Frierson, and Debi Derryberry (who has a notoriety for playing high-pitched little girl's voices) as the obnoxiously funny, pint-sized daughter of Pazu's boss and a little softer and nuanced as young Sheeta in a flashback sequence. Admittingly, some of the incidental voices verge on sounding somewhat "cartoony," but considering that the movie has some equally cartoonish action, I don't consider this a bad thing at all. (I should mention, too, that whoever voices Sheeta's grandmother in the small flashback sequence is perfectly cast and acted.)

As for JAL/Magnum/Tokuma's dub, I found the incidental background voices to be either generic, arguably even more brash or goofy-sounding than anybody in the Disney dub, or, in several other scenes, completely non-existent, particularly in the case of the crowd noises (also known as "walla").  For instance, in the sequences where the coal miners witness a punching match between Pazu's boss and one of Dola's boys, there are obviously mouths moving from the crowd characters, but they don't make any sound, resulting in a bare, empty scene.  (In all fairness, the Japanese version of this scene is similarly silent except for the very end, but it's still very distracting to me as a viewer.)  The same is true for the scenes where the soldiers are attacked by both the robot in the army fortress and the armada of robot soldiers at the film's climax.  Even with the argument that the Japanese version was less chattier than Disney's, these obviously bare scenes only succeeded in emphasizing that the creative staff involved didn't really spend as much time as they could have; as such, I felt as though I was watching a badly dubbed kung-fu movie.  (Granted, Disney's version does lay the walla on a little thick at times, but at least it doesn't sound anywhere nearly as "empty" as this old dub.  Even the Japanese version of the robot attacking the fortress as well as the soldiers escaping from the robots has shouts from the soldiers.)

That isn't to say that Disney's version is without its shortcomings; aside from the leads, a common criticism of the current version is in the inclusion of extra dialogue.  Sometimes this approach works, notably in expanding on the pirates' personalities and in Sheeta's relationship with Dola (there's one hilarious exchange where the former tries to practice "pirate talk" to the latter); other times, however, it tends to go overboard and comes across as padding, particularly in a flashback sequence where Sheeta explains about how she was kidnapped, and some additional commentary that feels better suited to a radio drama where there aren't any visuals onscreen.  It doesn't spoil the film by any means, but at times it does feel, well, extraneous.  (As will be mentioned later, a lot of these extra lines were dialed out for subsequent reissues -- such bits as Pazu and Sheeta commenting on the obvious during the exploration scene being the only ones I can approve of losing.)

This brings us to the script adaptation, supplied, as with Kiki, by John Semper and Jack Fletcher. For the most part, it is fairly faithful to the original, but it's also a bit of a liberal script, where a few terminologies are tweaked. The crystal Sheeta possesses is called "aetherium crystal" as opposed to "levitation stone/volucite", for instance (this alteration works well in the same way that Neil Gaiman's "forest spirit" substitute for "Deer God" in Princess Mononoke, conveying a sense of importance to the audience that the literal translation does not). There are also references to two literary classics in the Japanese script, "Gulliver's Travels" and "Treasure Island", which are inexplicably omitted (replaced by lines which work in favor of the characters, but noticeably different from the original intent). These are fairly minor changes. Probably the only alteration I'd call into question is at the final confrontation in the throne room, where the last part of Sheeta's speech is changed from "You can't survive from Mother Earth" to "the world cannot live without love". On one hand, this changes the ecological message of Miyazaki's original screenplay; on the flip side, it could be left open to ambiguous interpretation. (I suppose, though, that this change is no more debatable than Kiki regaining her ability to speak to Jiji at the end of the Kiki's Delivery Service dub; either way it's a bit of an odd change.)  Even so, where Semper and Fletcher's script ultimately succeeds is in the overall flow of the dialogue. This provides for a fresh, lively appeal for American audiences that still retains the adventurous tone of the original, with witty lines and smooth, natural writing. (It should also be noted too, that, with the exception of the aforementioned speech, every new line, adlibbed or altered, is not out of context with Miyazaki's signature and the actual plot is unchanged.)

On that note, Joe Hisaishi's rerecorded score, like most of Disney's version, is underrated.  Originally performed on electronic instruments dating back to 80's standards, Hisaishi expertly reorchestrates his sparse tunes into a 90-minute symphony for a performance by the Seattle Music Orchestra.  Interestingly, Miyazaki is reported to have applauded this revamp, with Hisaishi expressing similar enthusiasm.  And no wonder:  the original score was a classic of its time, but this new incarnation takes it to a whole new level.  Musically, the compositions and melodies are true to the original, with the exception of some embellishments and additional instrumental (or vocal) accompaniment.  The robust performances from the orchestra also give the score a bigger punch, providing for a full, rich-sounding quality that makes even the original synthesized score seem dated by comparison.  As beautiful as Hisaishi's melodies were back in 1986, it was very hard for me to listen to their original counterparts after experiencing this revamped version.  There are those who say that it is too intrusive for a film which initially had periods of silence, but Disney's dub does manage to leave some intact (the sequence where the robot is attacking before blasting through the fire door, the lookout in the clouds scene, and at the pivotal moment where Pazu slowly walks to embrace Sheeta after Muska gives him a minute to speak with her).  Only one or two cues came across as somewhat superfluous to me:  the previously silent scene where Pazu and Sheeta pass through the storm cloud, for instance, is actually less effective with the (still appropriately composed) underscore, and although the accompaniment of a lyre to Pazu's trumpet solo is a nice touch, it feels strangely out of place in the film.  That said, there are many other pieces which actually improve over their original counterparts, particularly "Stones Glowing in the Darkness", the fortress attack scene, "The Dragon's Nest", and "The Collapse of Laputa."  Hisaishi is no stranger to Hollywood style scoring, and his reworking showcases how much he has progressed over the years as a musician.  Whether this new score was made out of a corporate decision or artistic motivations is irrelevant; what matters is that it is a beautiful score which not only works well with the movie, but sounds even lovelier to listen to on its own.  (To those who would like to hear the extensive new score on album, it's available on a soundtrack CD from Tokuma. Its catalog number is TKCA-72436.)

One thing I forgot to mention that in the dub, the ending song, "Kimi wa nosette" is the only vocal track in the Fletcher-Ghibli dubs that remains un-translated. Kiki handled its opening and ending songs by replacing them with sprightly pop/rock ditties by Sydney Forest (due to rights issues), while Mononoke seamlessly translated its two vocal tracks into English. Castle in the Sky does not attempt to translate the song into English, but, like Hisaishi's music, it received a major musical upgrade. The vocal is untouched, but the accompaniment has additional instruments, like a piano, and some xylophones, providing a richer and fuller sounding aura.  In fact, after listening to this revised version of the song, the original feels somewhat empty (although still beautiful overall). Too bad they didn't include this upgrade on the soundtrack album of the USA music; it would have made for a lovely way to close off the album just as it does the film.  I can only wonder why they didn't bother to translate the song.

Interestingly, the sound effects for the film also get a bit of a major workout; that is to say, although most of the SE from the Japanese track are still included, there are places where some crisper, high-quality new effects are thrown in.  As much as I love this dub, I'm a bit fifty-fifty over the new sound design.  Sometimes it works well; the flapters' wings sound less goofy and more thrilling in the new dub, but some other moments, like the scene where the army shoots at Pazu and Sheeta as they try to race across a chasm and a brief portion of the final destruction scene feel somewhat muted and less couch-shaking than the original.  That said, this (in addition to the last part of Sheeta's speech) is really is a small price to pay for everything else Disney's dub offers.

By contrast, JAL/Magnum's dub doesn't have either the rescore or sometimes overdone extra dialogue.  On the other hand, though, the ADR script is not very smooth and comes across as very stilted, with some of the most inept-sounding lines I've ever heard in any dub.  Just to give you an idea, let me provide you examples of the dialogue from this older dub and compare them to Disney's version:

JAL Pazu:  "I'm as hard as a brick moppet if moppets were made out of bricks!"

Disney Pazu:  "If my head were any harder, you could use it as a cannonball!"

JAL Muska:  "The light is pointing to the center of the whirlwind.  Laputa is in that wind.  Did you hear me, we go straight forward.  We're sure to find an entrance."
Disney Muska:  "The light is pointing to the center of the whirlwind.  Laputa is in that storm.  I won't retreat.  Now go straight ahead!  And that is an order, Captain."

JAL Muska:  "This room is where the throne was, isn't that appropriate?  Now say bye-bye!"

Disney Muska:  "How appropriate that we've ended up in the throne room.  Now get over here!"

At one point, too, one of the pirates utters "Just like in the movies!" -- a rather bizarre, baffling addition nowhere to be found in the Japanese version that couldn't be more out of context with the rest of the movie.

In all fairness, the JAL dub script gets points for preserving the last part of Sheeta's speech, but the overall choppy flow of the dialogue and lack of thought for clarity ultimately kills that asset.  Straightforward faithfulness alone does not a good script make.

The recording quality is also a major problem with the JAL dub.  Of course that may seem like an unfair criticism considering that most dubs back then were done on the cheap, but compared to the obviously more crisper sounding Disney dub, the voices in the older dub all come across as trebly and lacking in aural clarity.  It's mono, as well; the original Japanese version of Laputa was clearly recorded for stereo sound.  (To be fair, the older dub of Totoro was recorded in mono as well, but that version is far more appealing than this Magnum version of Laputa.)  Disney's version controversially amps the mix up to 5.1, but given the bigger budget, it's just as well.

Some older dubs do stand the test of time, but JAL/Magnum's Laputa, sadly, isn't one of them.  Despite being more faithfully adapted and with younger-sounding leads, it still falls short compared to Macek's own My Neighbor Totoro and dubs of today, period.  It even pales to both the current dub and the Japanese version.  There are a number of fans who stand behind the JAL dub, but I was very disappointed with it.  Needless to say, it's not worth the trouble of importing the Japanese DVD to own it unless you're a diehard fan.

So in short, aside from at least one controversial script alteration and occasionally unnecessary additional lines, Disney's version of Castle in the Sky is the better English dub, not only in production values, but in overall flow.  It's not a purist's dub, and it'll probably play better to people who are unfamiliar with this movie, but despite its faults, it's still a very listenable and competently-produced effort that offers charms of its own.

As an amusing little easter egg, on the "Storyboards" disc of the 2003 DVD, there is a portion of recorded extra dialogue that for some odd reason isn't even included on the feature disc.  This happens right at the beginning of the film where Sheeta is a prisoner in the airship.  Muska's agent (Corey Burton) approaches her and says, "Something to eat, miss?"  "No," Sheeta replies.  "Are you sure?" he asks.  Then Muska intones, "She doesn't want it."  "As you wish," the agent replies.  Interestingly, when the dub screened at the festivals, this exchange could be heard (and is nowhere to be heard on any other release of the 2003 cut of the Disney dub).

Disney re-released the film on DVD in 2010 with modifications to their dub.  The extra dialogue, and more disappointingly, the rescore, were both cut.  While this makes it closer in tone to the Japanese version, I feel Disney's version just doesn't sound as fresh or vibrant without the new music.  That there are also some missed audio cues that work against scenes such as when Pazu is being tickled by his pigeons (he says nothing in the new edition, whereas he previously said "Wait guys, I'm trying to talk to the lady").  That it also results for some moments where character's mouths are moving with no sound is also an issue.  It also gets in the way of one of the more exciting scenes toward the end where Hamill's Muska seethes, "Goodbye!  Enjoy the ride!" as he sends the general and his soldiers falling to their deaths.  Taking out that latter line only lessens the awesomeness of that particular scene.  Since then, GKids has taken over the Ghibli library and reissued the movie again on Blu-Ray and DVD, but this time with a significantly better option.  There are two mixes available for the Disney dub track:  one with the original synthesizer score and one with the rescue, providing users the option to choose.  This is the best of both worlds, and the way it should be.  On both mixes the extra lines are still cut and the JAL dub, for better or worse, is not on that version, but as it is, GKids' BD will have to do for now.