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by **LOLtron** » Mon Nov 14, 2011 11:00 am

Ponyo (2008)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Ponyo, called Ponyo On The Cliff in Japan, is Miyazaki’s take on The Little Mermaid. In it Brunhilde, a little goldfish princess, sneaks away from her wizard father and encounters a five year old boy, Sosuke, who names her Ponyo. Her father recovers her, but she escapes again, stealing from his magic elixir to become a five year old girl named Ponyo, determined to live with Sosuke.

Since 1984 Miyazaki has made ten films and established himself as an animator on par with Walt Disney, his only rival being Jon Lasseter. And there are many film fans who would happily to put him ahead of either of them, so it’s not surprising that any new release would be met with both anticipation and a lot of expectations, and that these expectations can become a barrier between enjoying the film for what it is and viewing in terms of Miyazaki’s whole filmography. And taking that into consideration it’s not surprising that many viewers, myself included watched this movie and thought, ‘it’s great, I mean, it’s Miyazaki, but I really didn’t think as much of it as his other films.’

The truth is, Ponyo has some significant weaknesses. It isn’t a complex enough film to balance off the conflicts it raises. Most notably, man and the balance of nature. From the beginning we see an ocean full of pollution and garbage. Fujimoto, Ponyo’s father, rails against it and the need to restore the balance of nature, but in the end its Ponyo’s desire to be human and the use of magic that upset things, not people at all. What is that supposed to mean? The love between Ponyo and Sosuke is also a strong motivator, and an important part of restoring the balance of nature, but the love of two small children is not the same thing as the hormonally, emotionally, and socially driven package that comes with age. Sosuke loves Ponyo in all her forms. Why wouldn’t he? Was there really any reason to think he wouldn’t?

On the plus side, this is a Hayao Miyazaki film and as such it brings with it a wealth of talent and artistic vision that stands above most of his contemporaries, in either animated or live action film. The quieter scenes, such as when Ponyo and Sosuke go looking for Sosuke’s mother, are beautiful and magical; recalling the childlike dream quality of My Neighbor Totoro. There is a lot to praise in these moments. They aren’t ancillary to the story’s success, but they don’t drive it either. They make for a beautiful trip, but not always an interesting one.

Originally Pubished at: David Bird

http://www.theouthousers.com/index.php/blogs/david-birds-blog/17228-ponyo.html/

by **GHERU** » Mon Nov 14, 2011 11:16 am

this movie is filled with the most irresponsible adults I have ever seenon screen

by **sdsichero** » Mon Nov 14, 2011 11:33 am

I enjoyed Ponyo for what it was, but I do feel that it was half a movie. It just sort of... ended. The dramatic payoff was much better in Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle. That being said, the journey and wonder in the film is very much in the Miyazaki tradition.

I'm curious David, which version did you see (subtitled, dubbed, or raw)?

by **Rockman** » Mon Nov 14, 2011 11:35 am

I love this film. It is definitely his most kid friendly film to date.

by **TROY** » Mon Nov 14, 2011 11:42 am

Not one of my favorites but I did enjoy it.

by **David Bird** » Mon Nov 14, 2011 12:07 pm

sdsichero wrote:I enjoyed Ponyo for what it was, but I do feel that it was half a movie. It just sort of... ended. The dramatic payoff was much better in Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle. That being said, the journey and wonder in the film is very much in the Miyazaki tradition.

I'm curious David, which version did you see (subtitled, dubbed, or raw)?

Dubbed. I was watching with my 4 year old, so subtitled was out of the question.

by **sdsichero** » Mon Nov 14, 2011 1:10 pm

David Bird wrote:
Dubbed. I was watching with my 4 year old, so subtitled was out of the question.

What? Your 4 year old can't read yet? This is what's wrong with education today!

Nah just kidding. I was just wondering if the acting performance in the film might have affected the perception of the story. For this film though, I didn't think it was that dialog heavy so maybe not. Often in anime though, I find the English voice cast can harm my viewing experience (not always).

I did HATE that the US English edition featured the popped up version of the Ponyo end theme (the original isn't great, though it is an earworm, but the English version was horrific).

by **misac** » Mon Nov 14, 2011 2:24 pm

sdsichero wrote:I enjoyed Ponyo for what it was, but I do feel that it was half a movie. It just sort of... ended. The dramatic payoff was much better in Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle. That being said, the journey and wonder in the film is very much in the Miyazaki tradition.

I'm curious David, which version did you see (subtitled, dubbed, or raw)?

Yeah, the ending wasn't good at all. Very anti-climactic. Otherwise it was really good. I also saw the dubbed version and the cast was very good.

by **Rockman** » Mon Nov 14, 2011 4:20 pm

I've found that the english cast for most of Miyazaki's films have been pretty stellar. He is very restrictive with with how his work is exported, and I think for the most part it has worked out. I don't mind subtitles, but I've never seen a really strong need for them with any of these films.

by **David Bird** » Mon Nov 14, 2011 5:07 pm

The dubs for his films have been good, and I didn't have any complaints here. Ideally, you're supposed to watch a movie, not read it, so an excellent dub should be preferred.

by **sdsichero** » Mon Nov 14, 2011 5:39 pm

Rockman wrote:I've found that the english cast for most of Miyazaki's films have been pretty stellar. He is very restrictive with with how his work is exported, and I think for the most part it has worked out. I don't mind subtitles, but I've never seen a really strong need for them with any of these films.

I wonder if he and Lasseter have an agreement or something. From what I hear (even though the Mizaki films are not via PIXAR, but Disney), the PIXAR films have excellent dub casts in Japan as well.

by **sdsichero** » Mon Nov 14, 2011 5:42 pm

David Bird wrote:The dubs for his films have been good, and I didn't have any complaints here. Ideally, you're supposed to watch a movie, not read it, so an excellent dub should be preferred.

I'm deaf you insensitive clod!

No I'm not (well depending on who you ask...). While it is much more convenient to have a dub, I do like to hear the original audio track at least once. More often than not, the original voice cast in anime is better than the dub. However, the Disney films have had some good dubbing. It's also interesting to hear how some of it is translated if you know a little Japanese.

I actually like subs.

by **Rockman** » Mon Nov 14, 2011 6:12 pm

sdsichero wrote:
I wonder if he and Lasseter have an agreement or something. From what I hear (even though the Mizaki films are not via PIXAR, but Disney), the PIXAR films have excellent dub casts in Japan as well.

I know that after the hack job they did on naussica Miyazaki wouldn't let the films be released here unless they followed his directions to a t.

by **sdsichero** » Mon Nov 14, 2011 6:19 pm

Rockman wrote:
I know that after the hack job they did on naussica Miyazaki wouldn't let the films be released here unless they followed his directions to a t.

Are you referring to Warriros of the Wind?

by **misac** » Mon Nov 14, 2011 6:25 pm

Rockman wrote:I've found that the english cast for most of Miyazaki's films have been pretty stellar. He is very restrictive with with how his work is exported, and I think for the most part it has worked out. I don't mind subtitles, but I've never seen a really strong need for them with any of these films.

That's true.