Half a decade after the release of Howl's Moving Castle, Japanese maestro Hayao Miyazaki once again makes his mark upon the Western world with Ponyo, his own unique retelling of Hans Christian Anderson's classic tale The Little Mermaid. The colourful animation follows the adventures of mischievous fish-girl Ponyo (who, unlike the conventional mermaid looks more like Nemo with a cherub's face) as she escapes from the underwater castle of her overbearing father, Fujimoto, and travels to the surface world. There, she is discovered by Sosuke, an inquisitive young boy, who is surprised and delighted when his new pet goldfish begins to speak. Before long, Ponyo gets the taste for human life and magically takes on the form of a little girl, furthering the blossoming friendship between her and Sosuke. However, in doing so she causes a magical imbalance in the world and, with her hysterical father scouring land and sea with his army of sea creatures, ominous storm clouds begin to gather. Thus Ponyo and Sosuke find themselves at the midst of a dangerous clash between mystical sorcery and natural disaster.
With celebrities such as Liam Neeson, Tina Fey and Matt Damon willing to lend their voices to the English-dubbed version, Ponyo stands as proof of the impact Miyazaki's work has had upon the Western film industry and of the high regard in which he is held by his filmmaking peers. However, despite the large fanbase that Studio Ghibli has found in its Western audiences, Ponyo is unlikely to please everybody. Those looking for a film with the dark undertones and sophisticated themes that are so predominant in the likes of Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, may be disappointed at the sheer innocence of Ponyo. Indeed, it cannot be denied that this is a film for children, with a simple, ambling narrative and adorable characters; an animation that truly upholds Studio Ghibli's reputation as the Japanese Disney.
However, unlike the majority of recent Disney releases, Ponyo possesses qualities that will no doubt enthral countless members of the older generations as well. With Miyazaki's signature attention to detail, the hand-drawn animation is truly astonishing and the soundtrack, unlike previous Ghibli films, is enchantingly orchestral. These two elements combined, at times make for cinematic triumphs. Extraordinary scenes such as Ponyo jetting up to the ocean surface amidst schools of sea creatures to the sound of a soaring instrumental conjures up images that hark back to Fantasia and the vibrant feelings of magic and innocence that such early animated masterpieces represented. Indeed, while it may be said that Ponyo DVDs will no doubt be a more common sight amongst Pixar boxsets in family homes than in the collections of passionate film buffs, Miyazaki's latest is nevertheless, a masterpiece - proof that the 69 year-old, despite his usual penchant for nightmarish apparitions and violent conflict, can still summon up his inner-child with ease and, like a more industrious version of Walt Disney, is able to deliver an animation that is simple and masterful in equal measure.
With celebrities such as Liam Neeson, Tina Fey and Matt Damon willing to lend their voices to the English-dubbed version, Ponyo stands as proof of the impact Miyazaki's work has had upon the Western film industry and of the high regard in which he is held by his filmmaking peers. However, despite the large fanbase that Studio Ghibli has found in its Western audiences, Ponyo is unlikely to please everybody. Those looking for a film with the dark undertones and sophisticated themes that are so predominant in the likes of Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, may be disappointed at the sheer innocence of Ponyo. Indeed, it cannot be denied that this is a film for children, with a simple, ambling narrative and adorable characters; an animation that truly upholds Studio Ghibli's reputation as the Japanese Disney.
However, unlike the majority of recent Disney releases, Ponyo possesses qualities that will no doubt enthral countless members of the older generations as well. With Miyazaki's signature attention to detail, the hand-drawn animation is truly astonishing and the soundtrack, unlike previous Ghibli films, is enchantingly orchestral. These two elements combined, at times make for cinematic triumphs. Extraordinary scenes such as Ponyo jetting up to the ocean surface amidst schools of sea creatures to the sound of a soaring instrumental conjures up images that hark back to Fantasia and the vibrant feelings of magic and innocence that such early animated masterpieces represented. Indeed, while it may be said that Ponyo DVDs will no doubt be a more common sight amongst Pixar boxsets in family homes than in the collections of passionate film buffs, Miyazaki's latest is nevertheless, a masterpiece - proof that the 69 year-old, despite his usual penchant for nightmarish apparitions and violent conflict, can still summon up his inner-child with ease and, like a more industrious version of Walt Disney, is able to deliver an animation that is simple and masterful in equal measure.
8.5/10
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