|
|
||||||||||
| Overall | Art | Animation | Character Design | Music | Series Story | Episode Story | Reviewer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watch | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 5 |
 Ggultra2764
|
[series:1842#1552] | |
|
Another Ghibli movie geared entirely for kids. Ponyo made me feel much more alienated than when I watched My Neighbor Totoro and I feel its quite flawed compared to Totoro. Totoro kept things simple enough to follow without trying to toss in any "life lessons" that would be brushed aside for the movie's fantasy element going topsy-turvy that would raise questions on the so-called themes the movie expressed yet failed to expand upon. Ponyo, however, tries juggling potential themes that it dabbles into at the start of the movie such as man's pollution of the ocean, an overprotective father and the old thinking of better days. Much like Neko no Ongaeshi, Ponyo doesn't really take the time to look further into these themes as they are brushed aside for the movie's fantasy elements. I also found it hard to believe that the movie could retain its light-hearted mood when Ponyo's power caused enough flooding in Sousuke's town and causing problems. The Disney-esque ending also left a sour taste in my mouth as everything was resolved way too easily regarding Sousuke and Ponyo, the problems caused by her desires and the old ladies at the retirement home. The background and animation to the movie are worthwhile, though nowhere on the expansive quality found with Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle. With backgrounds, there's a good amount of detail and bright colors for the scenery. The animation is quite fluid and shown especially well with Ponyo and her family making use of their magic in the water. If you want a good children's movie to show to your kids, Ponyo will make for good entertainment for your kids. But you may or may not enjoy the movie if you're older as its light-hearted, childish and simplistic in content. But in my case, Ponyo being unsure of what "life lesson" it wants to present, its questionable choice of mood at some points and the ending made me prefer Totoro over Ponyo as the Ghibli children's film of choice. Last updated Saturday, May 29 2010. Created Saturday, May 29 2010. | ||||||||
| Watch | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
 Violet D
|
[series:1842#1393] |
|
Wonderful and fun to watch. I went with my daughters when it came to the movie theatres. There were alot of Myazaki fans there. Me included. I enjoyed the storyline and the humor. There were a few scenes that were sad someimes but the funny moments made up for it. I liked the way the lifestyle was explained in the story. I would say this one is a must see if you get a chance.
Last updated Monday, September 07 2009. Created Monday, September 07 2009. | ||||||||
| Rent |
 Stretch
|
[series:1842#628] | ||||||
|
"That was definitely a morality tale" my father commented after seeing this movie with me. "But", he continued, "just what the moral was is anybody's guess". I likewise found Ponyo to be confusing; something about a Wizard of the Sea (was the message that all fish originate as acts of magic?) loses one of his "children", who makes friends with a Japanese boy, Sosuke. It was sort of like The Little Mermaid. People seemed to accept very weird stuff without a second thought, and remained cheerful when their homes had wound up at the bottom of the sea. It made me wonder if we had diverged fom reality altogether and what was taking place was some sort of fantasy or dream (there was a mention of "a hole in the fabric of reality"). There was a touch of preachiness, as the way humans have messed up the oceans was mentioned and it was implied that the Wizard(s) were liable to take matters into their own hands. But the message didn't make much sense when the operation of the aquatic biosphere was explained as being via magic. Altogether, the plot seemed garbled and frustrating to me, though my nine year-old niece was delighted. If I understood the credits correctly, Hiyao Miyazaki not only directed this story but wrote it as well, which might explain something since he tends to adapt books written by others. The artwork seemed modest to me compared to some of his other works, although it was never intended to exceed or even match their style. And again, at the end I couldn't help wondering what exactly had happened, or, more accurately, why it was important. Perhaps, my father guessed, "love conquers all" was the message.
Last updated Friday, August 28 2009. Created Friday, August 28 2009. | ||||||||
Other Sites
| Name | URL |
|---|---|
| Official (Japanese) Series Web Site | http://www.ghibli.jp/ponyo/ |
