Before enlightening you (hopefully) with my review of Ponyo, I feel it is only necessary to first spare a couple of sentences to detail the films writer, director, and overall creative interpreter, Hayao Miyazaki.  Essentially, what Disney was and is to American children’s movies, Miyazaki was and is to Asia’s.  However, despite claiming ownership to, among other accolades, Japan’s highest grossing film of all time, an Oscar for Best Animated Feature (a first for an anime film), and a spot on Times Most 100 Influential People, Miyazaki is relatively unknown to the Western part of the world.

Hayao Miyazaki

Now the reasons for this are many (Disney and now Pixar’s film dominance,  American’s hesistance to watch anime, etc.), but Miyazaki’s creativity, design, and storytelling are unmatched and hopefully the attention being received by Ponyo will help make him and his films a little more well-known.

Okay, so now that you know who Hayao Miyazaki is and what he means to animated films not just in Asia but around the world, let us dive into the review of Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (simply known as Ponyo).  As I said before, Miyazaki consistently draws comparisons to his unofficial American counterpart, Walt Disney, and in Ponyo,  Miyazaki seems to rip a page from Disney’s storybook and turn it into a film that is visually and creatively all his own.    The film focuses on a goldfish who befriends a young boy and, after being cared for and loved by the boy, wants to become human, much to the chagrin of her underwater Sorcerer father.  Now re-read that plot again.  Remind you of a past Disney film?  One with a certain crab with a certain Jamaican accent?  Yes, Ponyo is in essence a sort of Miyazaki version of The Little Mermaid.  However, in Miyazaki’s version, there are no singing crabs and fish, no evil sea-witch, and definitely no priest’s who might or might not have a boner (look it up on Google).  Rather, in his anime version, Miyazaki creates his own uniquely stunning version of the ocean, filled with sea life that seem to have come out of a dream.  The storyline, while loosely based of The Little Mermiad, is also uniquely its own.  It follows the journey of a inquisitive little goldfish named Ponyo who escapes from her Sorcerer fathers submarine-like vessel (which moves not by motor but by the movement of four ancient, dinosaur-like fins) and ventures outside her enchanted world to explore what’s beyond her fathers underwater boat.  After a sludge and trash filled encounter with the net of a fishing boat, Ponyo finds herself in the hands of Sosuke, an equally curious five-year old boy.  It is Sosuke that actually gives Ponyo her name, we find out later her father calls her Brunhilde, and immediately the two becomes good friends, with Sosuke carrying Ponyo in a little green bucket to school and to the local nursing home where his mother works.  Soon, Sosuke finds Ponyo is much more than a normal goldfish.  She can talk and even heal wounds.  However, there adventurous friendship is short lived as Ponyo’s creepy, wild-haired father finds his disobedient daughter and quickly drags her back to her home where she promptly sprouts chicken-like arms and legs in an attempt to become human.  He upbraids her for leaving her magical abode and warns of the evils of humans, who are wicked and careless and only cause destruction and death.  Despite her father’s warning and pleas, Ponyo has seen the world outside her underwater home and she becomes determined to return to Sosuke, the boy she loves, no matter what the consequences.

Ponyo and her sisters

That’s the rough plot without giving too much away.  However, it’s impossible to do the film justice just by retelling the storyline.  While the film’s plot is as endearing as any Disney film, its the visual aspect of the film that is the most memorable.  Miyazaki is famous for his creative and beautiful interpretations and his version of the sea and the sea life that live in it are nothing short of breath-taking.  More impressive than his underwater landscapes are perhaps his animated version of waves which in one case he gives eyes and voices as if each waves is a separate, individual entity.  In another scene in which Ponyo is causing a typhoon as she attempts to return to Sosuske, the immense tidal waves of the typhoon are transformed into giant koi, rising and falling as the waves of the giant storm flow towards Sosuke’s homeland.  Overall, the film is visually stunning, as all of Miyazaki’s films are, and is made even more impressive considering the animation in the movie is all hand-drawn.  No detail is spared in drawing the elaborate schools of jellyfish or the frightening real prehistoric fish, all of which add to the films overall feel.  For some, the anime style in which the film is done may seem foreign and even a bit strange, and to be honest it is.  In my opinion, though, I think taking people out of their, nice Disney encased comfort zones and into a style not commonly seen only adds to the wonder and beauty of the film.

Now most of the themes in Ponyo, for those who are familiar with Miyazaki’s works, are not new.  Once again, the film features a strong female figure in Sosuke’s mother and is also absent of a true villian (the closest thing is Ponyo’s father Fujimoto, who is nothing more than an overly protective dad).  The film also focuses heavily on the relationship between humans, technology, and nature and the environmental destruction being caused.  Many scenes of the film show the water near the harbor where Sosuke lives polluted and cluttered with sludge and trash.  Much as Ponyo’s father warns her of the destructive power of man, Miyazaki too warns children and adults alike of the dangerous path our world is leading.  On a more elementary level though, the film is a classic tale of friendship and love, of determination and kindness, that children of any age will be able to understand and appreciate.  Of course, like any children’s movies there are aspects of the plot that push the boundaries of believability but as long as you go in understanding its a fairytale you will not be disappointed.

Ponyo and her father, Fujimoto

Overall, the film is great.  It is not Miyazaki’s best but considering his best, this film is without a doubt a triumph.  I saw the Japanese version with English subtitles but I am eagerly looking forward to watching the movie again dubbed as Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, and Liam Neeson are among the voices cast for the English version of the film.  The accolades for Ponyo have been many and after watching the movie it was clear why.  Ponyo is a visually stunning fairytale that while please audiences of all ages.  Hopefully now, Ponyo and Hayao Miyazaki will get the true respect they deserve.

3 out of 4

Ben