"Ponyo" Film Review
Unlike a fish out of water. (Now on DVD)
3 1/2 Stars
As featured in: The Ithacan
Note: This is my very first professional film review ever (it's roughly 2 years old.) I've come a long way since then and hope to improve even more.
“Ponyo,” the latest film from Academy-Award- winning director Hayao Miyazaki (“Spirited Away”), is a charming, family-friendly film. Packaged as an old-style animated movie, “Ponyo” uses the dying technique of traditional hand-drawn animation to tell its story. This process makes the film feel older than it is and adds a level of realism and humanity to the movie. The eccentric characters and larger-than-life story contribute to the magic of “Ponyo.”
“Ponyo” isn’t meant to be a massive box- office hit like “Wall-E,” “Cars” or “Toy Story.” This is apparent, thanks to its less-than-stellar box-office take of about $3.5 million. Unlike most recent animated films, which are CGI-laden and full of beautiful high-definition imagery, “Ponyo’s” visual style is much more subdued and inherently simpler. Even the colors in “Ponyo” feel muted.
The film’s plot centers around three characters: Ponyo, a talking goldfish who wants to become a human girl, Sosuke, an adventurous little boy who loves the ocean, and Lisa, his hard-working mother who longs for her seafaring husband. One day before school, Sosuke ventures down the cliffs surrounding his house and finds a goldfish stuck in a glass bottle — a peculiar sight. He heads into the water to rescue the fish and gets more than he bargained for. The fish he finds, which he names Ponyo, becomes his great friend right away.
Most would think that discovering a magical, talking fish would be startling, but Sosuke offers to take care of it. He shows the fish to his mother, who finds it odd that a fish can talk, but nonetheless appears unfazed by the discovery. Everyone takes a liking to Ponyo, and Sosuke’s love of the fish makes Ponyo wish to be human. Ponyo’s wish, however, throws off the balance of the world, and a giant storm begins to brew, threatening to destroy everything in sight.
“Ponyo” is one of the few recent hand-drawn films in theaters. Also, the animation isn’t super-detailed. Instead of blurring out objects in the background of the frame, the characters and scenery in “Ponyo” become less detailed and minimalist. Technically speaking, this film is not groundbreaking. The biggest surprise is that it was made in 2-D format. It is a laborious process, and the movie was in development for more than three years. However, the movie’s story fits the visual style, so it’s hard to miss the lack of CGI.
All of the characters have redeeming qualities about them. There are no villains in “Ponyo.” Even Ponyo’s misunderstood father has a soft spot in his heart and eventually lets Ponyo become a human girl. The characters are relatable and audiences feel for them through the film. The story is odd, but the movie’s main audience is children, so everything doesn’t necessarily have to add up.
The voice-overs are excellent. Familiar actors such as Matt Damon and Tina Fey voice the American version of the film, and the Japanese-themed musical score that serves as a backdrop to their voices works. The music is instrumental and helps move the film along.
Compared to big-name Pixar movies that decidedly deal with American themes, “Ponyo” is a Japanese movie re-branded for an American audience. This is surely because of its low profile and might make it unpopular with some moviegoers. Despite the fantastical plot, “Ponyo” is all that it needs to be: an entertaining and charming film that breathes new life into the animated movie genre.
“Ponyo” was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
Feel free to checkout the delightful, old school animated charm of "Ponyo" in the trailer below:
As always thanks for reading!
© 2011 Matthew R. Reis, All rights reserved.
3 1/2 Stars
As featured in: The Ithacan
Note: This is my very first professional film review ever (it's roughly 2 years old.) I've come a long way since then and hope to improve even more.
“Ponyo,” the latest film from Academy-Award- winning director Hayao Miyazaki (“Spirited Away”), is a charming, family-friendly film. Packaged as an old-style animated movie, “Ponyo” uses the dying technique of traditional hand-drawn animation to tell its story. This process makes the film feel older than it is and adds a level of realism and humanity to the movie. The eccentric characters and larger-than-life story contribute to the magic of “Ponyo.”
“Ponyo” isn’t meant to be a massive box- office hit like “Wall-E,” “Cars” or “Toy Story.” This is apparent, thanks to its less-than-stellar box-office take of about $3.5 million. Unlike most recent animated films, which are CGI-laden and full of beautiful high-definition imagery, “Ponyo’s” visual style is much more subdued and inherently simpler. Even the colors in “Ponyo” feel muted.
The film’s plot centers around three characters: Ponyo, a talking goldfish who wants to become a human girl, Sosuke, an adventurous little boy who loves the ocean, and Lisa, his hard-working mother who longs for her seafaring husband. One day before school, Sosuke ventures down the cliffs surrounding his house and finds a goldfish stuck in a glass bottle — a peculiar sight. He heads into the water to rescue the fish and gets more than he bargained for. The fish he finds, which he names Ponyo, becomes his great friend right away.
Most would think that discovering a magical, talking fish would be startling, but Sosuke offers to take care of it. He shows the fish to his mother, who finds it odd that a fish can talk, but nonetheless appears unfazed by the discovery. Everyone takes a liking to Ponyo, and Sosuke’s love of the fish makes Ponyo wish to be human. Ponyo’s wish, however, throws off the balance of the world, and a giant storm begins to brew, threatening to destroy everything in sight.
“Ponyo” is one of the few recent hand-drawn films in theaters. Also, the animation isn’t super-detailed. Instead of blurring out objects in the background of the frame, the characters and scenery in “Ponyo” become less detailed and minimalist. Technically speaking, this film is not groundbreaking. The biggest surprise is that it was made in 2-D format. It is a laborious process, and the movie was in development for more than three years. However, the movie’s story fits the visual style, so it’s hard to miss the lack of CGI.
All of the characters have redeeming qualities about them. There are no villains in “Ponyo.” Even Ponyo’s misunderstood father has a soft spot in his heart and eventually lets Ponyo become a human girl. The characters are relatable and audiences feel for them through the film. The story is odd, but the movie’s main audience is children, so everything doesn’t necessarily have to add up.
The voice-overs are excellent. Familiar actors such as Matt Damon and Tina Fey voice the American version of the film, and the Japanese-themed musical score that serves as a backdrop to their voices works. The music is instrumental and helps move the film along.
Compared to big-name Pixar movies that decidedly deal with American themes, “Ponyo” is a Japanese movie re-branded for an American audience. This is surely because of its low profile and might make it unpopular with some moviegoers. Despite the fantastical plot, “Ponyo” is all that it needs to be: an entertaining and charming film that breathes new life into the animated movie genre.
“Ponyo” was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
Feel free to checkout the delightful, old school animated charm of "Ponyo" in the trailer below:
As always thanks for reading!
© 2011 Matthew R. Reis, All rights reserved.
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