This movie is a real hit in my house. As far as I'm concerned, this is the culmination of many years of animation knowledge. There's action, humor, romance (in small doses) and no bad guys?? As always with Studio Ghibli, by the end of the film it's hard to put your finger on the antagonist. You find them being revealed as multi faceted, not quite what you would expect once you're given more than a glance at them. There are no "Cruella Deville's" in this film (thank God!). Billy Crystal makes a great fire demon (if you can call him a demon, as charming as he is). Sophie is the kind of girl next door we'd all like to get to know. This movie has heart, in more ways than one. Watch it and you'll see what I'm talking about.
To summarize, this movie is a little harder and perhaps a bit more expensive to acquire (I can't believe more people aren't raving about it!) ..but it's worth it. Just refer to the first three sentences above and gauge whether you can appreciate the things I mentioned.