'Ponyo' review

"Ponyo" (Credit: Disney)

Photos:

Top 10 animated fantasy worlds

From ‘Ponyo’ to ‘WALL-E,’ they dazzle our...

Ponyo (Noah Cyrus) is a curious little goldfish who wants to explore the world beyond the undersea protection of her wizard father Fujimoto (Liam Neeson). She finds an unexpected playmate in the form of 5-year-old Sosuke (Frankie Jonas), who lives happily with his mom (Tina Fey) while his father (Matt Damon) works as a captain at sea. Ponyo’s decision to become human and leave the ocean to spend time with Sosuke has unintended consequences that literally throw the world out of balance. It's gonna take the intervention of her water goddess mother (Cate Blanchett) to set things right.

The buzz: The latest film from Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki marks a return to his littlest kid-friendly works like “My Neighbor Totoro” and “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” after a series of more mature acclaimed fantasies “Spirited Away,” “Howl’s Moving Castle” and “Princess Mononoke.” Although his films rank as some of the most popular of all time in his native country, Miyazaki has scored only limited success in the U.S. Fortunately, he has some powerful fans, including Pixar honcho John Lasseter, who personally spearheads the ongoing quest to expose Miyazaki’s work to broader audiences, and oversaw this film’s translation from Japanese to English.

The verdict: Fans have come to expect nothing less than pure magic every time out from Miyazaki and “Ponyo” doesn’t disappoint. Some may find it too childish—everything in this simple, whimsical story inspired by “The Little Mermaid” stays strictly within the boundaries of its G-rating—but the movie’s innocence is infectious, and Miyazaki’s artistry utterly transporting. He adheres to a traditional hand drawn style ripe with fantasy, even in an age of pseudo-realistic computer animation. There are images here sure to rank among the most beautiful of the year: Ponyo and Sosuke seen from below the water’s surface, sea creatures swimming through a flooded village, Ponyo running along a wave, ships stacked up like toys against the moon. Although it may seem preferable to experience the film in the language in which it was originally produced, meticulous care has been taken with the English translation and exceptional casting choices. Fey, Neeson, Blanchett and Betty White (as a maternal senior cared for by Sosuke’s mother) are particularly well matched to the key adult roles, and even if Cyrus and Jonas were selected for the marketing value of their last names, you wouldn't know it from listening to their spot-on characterizations. “Ponyo” won’t delight all ages—cynics stay far, far away—just anyone who appreciates a sweet story, adorably told.

Did you know? “E.T.” screenwriter Melissa Mathison accepted the challenge to compose the English language script for “Ponyo” in four days, but also worked with the actors during voiceover sessions to further refine the translations.

Add a comment