Film - Ponyo

Hayao Miyazaki can do no wrong. Just like his other films, Ponyo manages to completely immerse the audience in pure magic. Read on for more about the movie, but I went in knowing basically nothing about the movie, other than my general knowledge of Miyazaki, and I highly recommend seeing the film this way. It's just the kind of movie that you should really experience without any preconceived notions. However, if you've alread seen it or just can't keep yourself from reading my incredible insights, read on.



So, I didn't know going in that this is basically a retelling of the little mermaid. Of course, it is tweaked a lot, to fit Miyazaki's style, but that's the underlying tale. The main tweak is that the human boy and the "little mermaid" who is named either Brunhilde or Ponyo, depending on who you ask, are little kids.

In typical Miyazaki fashion, there are some extreme characters, like Ponyo's father, voiced by Liam Neeson, who is a long-haired, sea man who appears to be wearing make-up all the time, or her mother who is an enormous and beautiful sea goddess of some kind. But the absolute delight of this film lies in Ponyo herself.

I'll admit that I was slightly antsy for the first twenty or thirty minutes. It was fun, but it didn't have the spark I was looking for. But once Ponyo becomes a real girl, it's amazing. She is energetic and innocent. She causes a major sea storm without even realizing it. She loves ham. A lot.

This wasn't my favorite Miyazaki movie, but it was still absolutely fantastic. Fun, magical, beautiful. A wonderful way to spend a couple hours.