After the epic fairytale worlds of Howl's Moving Castle and (the underwhelming) Tales from Earthsea, Studio Ghibli's latest is a return to good old 80s Ghibli.
The brainchild of Master Miyazaki himself, it lacks the elaborate plot of the likes of Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away and makes do with far less characters. Instead we finally go back to seeing the world through the curious, wide-open eyes of a child.
The story is based on Andersen's The Little Mermaid, but as the film progresses it becomes its own dreamlike vision. Ponyo is a 5-year old fish princess living in her family's underwater kingdom, and when she meets Sousuke, a boy of the same age, decides she wants to become human herself, much to her father's dismay.
The underwater scenes are spectacular; as one would expect in a Miyazaki picture, they are full of strange, wonderful creatures that resemble something we may have seen in reality and yet are completely unique in their own right. During the initial sequence that's set in this colourful, mysteriously illuminated realm, the first point of comparison that came to my mind was the impressive ocean setting in Finding Nemo. However, where the Pixar film uses 3D graphics of all sorts to create stunningly realistic and impressive images, Ponyo uses a wide range of colours and shapes to create an equally, if not more, stunning fantasy kingdom. There is not a single CGI pixel anywhere in this film, yet the textures are lavishly rich, and the movements of light, the sea and its inhabitants incredibly fluent. The underwater scenes alone are a stunning artistic achievement.
The rest of the film's visuals, however, impress just as much with their lovely but never kitschy pastel palette and the ever-loving detail that can be found in every single frame. The casual drawing style of Sousuke's house against the lavish green field in the background, the gorgeously peaceful town, or a glowing, golden moon are only a few examples of the many memorable images.
Like in the now-20 year old classic, My Neighbour Totoro, the protagonists are young children, and a large part of the film's charm lies in their portrayal. Ever since I was a child and watched Heidi or Anne of Green Gables, (though I've only realised now), what's fascinated me about Miyazaki's animation is the accuracy in which it replicates children's movements, mimicry and mannerisms. Ponyo is a stubborn girl who, like any little princess, can get quite angry if not given what she wants ( though with more serious consequences than with most other children). And when she does, she behaves and moves in the exact same way that you see little kids do it every day in real life. 8-year old voice actress Nara Yuria also does a fantastic job in bringing Ponyo to life and making her the unbelievably lovable, cheeky little sh!t that she is. While she is delightfully hilarious in her half-fish, half-child shape that defies classification, Ponyo never becomes boring once she assumes her human shape. One of the most (literally) heartwarming moments of the film is when, as a human child, Ponyo tastes milk with honey for the first time, truly savouring the experience. The delighted expression on her little face reminded me of my own childhood firsts and gave me that warm fuzzy feeling in my chest. In many ways, Ponyo is very reminiscent of Mei in Totoro.
Like Totoro, Ponyo also has a good old-fashioned opening sequence, and a title song you won't forget too soon after hearing it. Performed by little Ohashi Nozomi, the terribly catchy tune is a perfect sing-along for any child, young or old.
And again, like its famous predecessor, some reviewers have noted (somewhat critically at times), that Ponyo is aimed at a much younger audience than the more recent Ghibli films. I'd like to phrase it differently and say that this is the first Ghibli in a while that doesn't exclude this target group completely. This film is of course for children, but (yes, as with Totoro) its merit lies in its many delights the lovingly precise portrayal of children's behaviour, the many moments of wonder and the sheer artistic vision.
By the end of the fastest one-hundred minutes ever, I had that silly smile on my face, and I knew I'd once again witnessed true Miyazaki magic.
Of course we'll have to see how well this one will hold up over repeated viewings and how it will be regarded in a decades time, but for now I'll say: Move over, Totoro.
10/10. Now go see it!
The brainchild of Master Miyazaki himself, it lacks the elaborate plot of the likes of Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away and makes do with far less characters. Instead we finally go back to seeing the world through the curious, wide-open eyes of a child.
The story is based on Andersen's The Little Mermaid, but as the film progresses it becomes its own dreamlike vision. Ponyo is a 5-year old fish princess living in her family's underwater kingdom, and when she meets Sousuke, a boy of the same age, decides she wants to become human herself, much to her father's dismay.
The underwater scenes are spectacular; as one would expect in a Miyazaki picture, they are full of strange, wonderful creatures that resemble something we may have seen in reality and yet are completely unique in their own right. During the initial sequence that's set in this colourful, mysteriously illuminated realm, the first point of comparison that came to my mind was the impressive ocean setting in Finding Nemo. However, where the Pixar film uses 3D graphics of all sorts to create stunningly realistic and impressive images, Ponyo uses a wide range of colours and shapes to create an equally, if not more, stunning fantasy kingdom. There is not a single CGI pixel anywhere in this film, yet the textures are lavishly rich, and the movements of light, the sea and its inhabitants incredibly fluent. The underwater scenes alone are a stunning artistic achievement.
The rest of the film's visuals, however, impress just as much with their lovely but never kitschy pastel palette and the ever-loving detail that can be found in every single frame. The casual drawing style of Sousuke's house against the lavish green field in the background, the gorgeously peaceful town, or a glowing, golden moon are only a few examples of the many memorable images.
Like in the now-20 year old classic, My Neighbour Totoro, the protagonists are young children, and a large part of the film's charm lies in their portrayal. Ever since I was a child and watched Heidi or Anne of Green Gables, (though I've only realised now), what's fascinated me about Miyazaki's animation is the accuracy in which it replicates children's movements, mimicry and mannerisms. Ponyo is a stubborn girl who, like any little princess, can get quite angry if not given what she wants ( though with more serious consequences than with most other children). And when she does, she behaves and moves in the exact same way that you see little kids do it every day in real life. 8-year old voice actress Nara Yuria also does a fantastic job in bringing Ponyo to life and making her the unbelievably lovable, cheeky little sh!t that she is. While she is delightfully hilarious in her half-fish, half-child shape that defies classification, Ponyo never becomes boring once she assumes her human shape. One of the most (literally) heartwarming moments of the film is when, as a human child, Ponyo tastes milk with honey for the first time, truly savouring the experience. The delighted expression on her little face reminded me of my own childhood firsts and gave me that warm fuzzy feeling in my chest. In many ways, Ponyo is very reminiscent of Mei in Totoro.
Like Totoro, Ponyo also has a good old-fashioned opening sequence, and a title song you won't forget too soon after hearing it. Performed by little Ohashi Nozomi, the terribly catchy tune is a perfect sing-along for any child, young or old.
And again, like its famous predecessor, some reviewers have noted (somewhat critically at times), that Ponyo is aimed at a much younger audience than the more recent Ghibli films. I'd like to phrase it differently and say that this is the first Ghibli in a while that doesn't exclude this target group completely. This film is of course for children, but (yes, as with Totoro) its merit lies in its many delights the lovingly precise portrayal of children's behaviour, the many moments of wonder and the sheer artistic vision.
By the end of the fastest one-hundred minutes ever, I had that silly smile on my face, and I knew I'd once again witnessed true Miyazaki magic.
Of course we'll have to see how well this one will hold up over repeated viewings and how it will be regarded in a decades time, but for now I'll say: Move over, Totoro.
10/10. Now go see it!