I enjoyed most of this movie but was a little dissapointed by the lack of laputa's history. I was not expecting a full history lesson,but they did not explain anything. All we know is that there is a floating city that was abandoned by its inhabiants but I was left wondering why and how did they built it and why didn't they destroy it when they left. Besides that, it was a good movie but definetley not one of Miyasaki's best.
shareAgree.
I recall watching this decades after first seeing it in the mid to late 80's, and my memory as a kid was there was a lot more time spent on Laputa (fells like they are only actually on it for 10 minutes of the movie) and more things explained.... yet where not how I recall it when I watched it years later/
Perhaps you can reference to Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, where Laputa originated. His depictions actually might make sense.
shareLaputa was part of the Gulliver Travel series. It was an island floating in the sky with wicked people who had awesome technology. The background of Laputa is in a very well known novel by Jonathan Swift. This is why not much time was spent explaining it.
Watch the opening titles closely.
It does give sort of a narrative to Laputa`s origin`s.
A technological civilisation rises develops aviation and eventually builds flying cities, culminating in Laputa.
The civilisation falls and Laputa fades into legend.
Then a new industrial civilisation begins to arise and develop powered flight...
"Any plan that involves losing your hat is a BAD plan.""