Christian Bale is right to call his under-appreciated animated epic a masterpiece

For Studio Ghibli fans, Howl’s Moving Castle stands as one of the studio’s most beloved works. Yet, outside that circle, it’s often overshadowed by Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke— especially in the U.S., where the latter helped introduce Ghibli to mainstream audiences. But actor Christian Bale knows quality when he sees it (or is a part of it), calling Howl’s Moving Castle nothing short of a masterpiece.