SHARP OBJEX

Sunday

Aug162009

FILM REVIEW: PONYO

Sunday, August 16, 2009 at 11:25AM |

Mitchell Tully

Ponyo

Released: 2009

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Starring: Noah Cyrus, Frankie Jonas, Tina Fey, Liam Neeson, Matt Damon and Cate Blanchett.

Genre: Animation/Adventure

Quick Review:

Ponyo is the latest film by legendary director and writer, Hayao Miyazaki, and it does not stray from his established level of excellence. While I do feel Ponyo’s story line is among Miyazaki’s simplest, it is still a wonder to behold and its characters will have its audience captivated. While Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Spirited Away are still among my favorites of Miyazaki’s work, I will continue preaching nothing but high praise for him and tell people to see his latest masterpiece, Ponyo.

Full Review:

Ponyo is the latest film by the extraordinary directory Hayao Miyazaki; creator of Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and now the story of Ponyo. Here, Miyazaki continues his incredible legacy of mixing the real world with the mystery of magic. While Ponyo is among Miyazaki’s more family oriented film, it possesses a real charm that's hard ignore. Present among most of his works are his environmental conscious themes. In Ponyo, this works perfectly with the story and not as a shameless cause added in.

The film follows Sosuke, a 5-year-old boy living in a house on a seaside cliff with his mother and father. One day, he finds a goldfish trapped inside a jar on the beach and tries to free it. When the goldfish is finally freed, the fish rewards him with a lick on a finger that heals his cut from the now broken jar. It is through this lick that the goldfish, that we learn to be Ponyo, gains the ability to transform from a fish into a human being.

The film possesses the fantastical elements that Miyazaki is so well known for. During the opening sequence we see Ponyo’s father, Fujimoto (Liam Neeson), standing outside of his submerged submarine in what appears to be a giant air bubble, surrounded by countless jellyfish, bottom-dwellers and a number of amazing creatures. The visuals are simply stunning and being treated to Miyazaki’s continued use of hand drawn animation is simply a delight and a rare experience among the over flooding of CGI films.

The animation for the film is a true sight to behold; Miyazaki’s imagination is as beautiful as always. There are moments where the ocean literally comes to life as a giant fish, which also allows Ponyo to reach Sosuke before they crash onto land as waves again.

This film should be an immediate watch for any Miyazaki fan, with such amazing visuals, delightful storyline, and an all-star cast of Liam Neeson, Tina Fey, Matt Damon and Cate Blanchett (even Noah Cyrus and Frankie Jonas worked well for the film). Ponyo is an immediate watch.

FILM REVIEW: PONYO

Reader Comments (2)

Post a New Comment

Link an External Response