Ponyo is the latest spectacular anime from Hayao Miyazaki (Princess Mononoke). Miyazaki has been making magical animes for years now and you can add Ponyo to his list of classics. Aimed towards younger kids (much like the near-perfect Kiki’s Delivery Service and My Neighbor Totoro), Ponyo is a colorful delight from start to finish. The detailed hand-drawn animation has a beautiful watercooler look to it that you just can’t achieve in CGI. A huge hit overseas, Ponyo was dubbed with loving detail by the Disney/Pixar crew and given a first-rate voice cast including Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, Liam Neeson, and several Disney Channel favorites for mass appeal.
Miyazaki’s movies are almost always odd and thrillingly original, and Ponyo is no exception. Loosely based on The Little Mermaid, Ponyo is about a goldfish who falls in love with a little boy and wishes to become human. The 5 year old boy named Sosuke lives in a house on a cliff with his mother. One day he rescues Ponyo (who is the daughter of a menacing wizard and a sea goddess). Neeson voices the wizard who despises humans (and who can blame him really) for polluting the oceans and causing an imbalance with nature because of their greed and waste. There’s a gentle environmental message swimming around the surface of Ponyo, but the movie is never preachy and merely wise.
Ponyo is an oddly wonderful and original mix of the fantastic and the ordinary. The message and storytelling are gentle, yet at times thrilling. The characters are quite adorable and there are no real villains in the movie. Miyazaki is a master storyteller and Ponyo is no exception, ranking with the best of his work. There’s something so pure and innocent in his work and Ponyo is an entertaining delight from start to finish.
Movie Grade: A-
If you’re interested in the movie, you can buy it below:
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Cricket
Aug 29, 2009 -
My favorite Miyazaki movie is Princess Mononoke. Sounds like the theme is the same. That one didn’t really have a bad guy as well. Now I’ll have to check this out!
KichiGuy
Aug 30, 2009 -
I’m planning on watching this. I don’t think it’s very available though. Mononoke is my favorite too, cricket.
John Spartan
Aug 30, 2009 -
I just checked this movie out last night. It’s really good movie to take your date out who enjoys a really cute love story. The ending theme is really catchy too.
AW85
Aug 30, 2009 -
I loved it! It’s a good movie for kids and adults.
EveningDream
Sep 3, 2009 -
I really enjoyed watching Ponyo. Miyazaki did a great job. I came out from the movie theater feeling all bubbly and happy. And I couldn’t stop listening to the theme song. hehe
I agree with John Spartan; a great date movie or a fun family movie.
Jeremiah Gasiorowski
Jan 8, 2010 -
Hehe, sehr gut. Komme nun auch
breisa
Jul 23, 2010 -
I love Hayao Miyazaki’s films! 😀
I’ll be watching this on DVD tomorrow.
I hope I don’t get disappointed.
~Breisa
Lucy
Aug 21, 2010 -
I have most of the Studio Ghibli films, and tommorow i’m going to watch the ponyo DVD I bought. I have seen the trailer and know that I won’t be dissappointed. Studio Ghibli are the best for family movies in my books! 😀