The story of Ponyo is truly Disney-esque on the surface - but only on the surface. A boy, Sosuke, finds a "goldfish" trapped in a jar and frees her. He also gives her the name Ponyo. It doesn't take very long for Ponyo to develop a pet-like affinity for Sosuke, leading her to the decision that she wants to be a human. It's really that simple. The rest is Miyazaki's masterful aptitude for making the plot less important than his signature slice-of life sequences of how people relate to each other and their environment. Watching Ponyo at times feels like people-watching. And, like people watching, it all amounts to a perplexing joy. It's strangely relaxing to watch his visually vibrant and animated characters bring color to such banalities as eating soup and ham. If you've watched Howl's Moving Castle and the delicious scene of Howl cooking bacon and eggs, then you've seen Miyazaki do this before. The man has an eye for the small details of life. This is not to say that the movie is not forward moving. There are some semblances of Western story telling. For instance, Ponyo's father who is not particularly fond of humans is constantly seeking out Ponyo to bring her back home. However, as dramatic as this may be, it's marginal to the rest of the story. Miyazaki is less interested in the need for conflict and more interested in those unexplainable things that draw two people to each other.Read full review
Stunning old school 'hand drawn' animation with an engaging fantasy story about a goldfish named Ponyo who befriends a five-year-old human boy named Sosuke. It contains many parallels to the story of the Little Mermaid yet it's a very different story too. There while are no singing crabs and fish in this movie there is plenty of other magic. Ponyo is an absolute must for toddler to pre-teenage kids. This was the first feature length movie our 3 y.o. hyperactive grand daughter Cierra ever sat through completely without moving from her seat. And it was the original Japanese language version too! (There was no way she could have read the subtitles.) If your family enjoys this one, we would also strongly suggest 'My Neighbor Totoro', and truthfully, almost everything from the Studio Ghibly collection is pretty cool. They have an incredible talent for capturing creative story's with engaging characters and beautiful animation. *WARNING* Stop the movie before the end credits * The song will get into your brain and make you crazy all day!Read full review
Ponyo tells a story about love, friendship and devotion. Ponyo is a fish fathered by a magical guardian of the seas. She falls in love with a human boy and the story from there is how she wants to get close to him. However things aren't that easy for them as Ponyo's father is searching for her. What I like about this movie is that there are no cursing, violence or any of the sort to entertain you. Just watching Ponyo's action are fun enough. It also shows you that there are many good people out there in the world where they will go out of their way to help others in need. With many colorful characters, you grow attached to them. However that isn't a very good thing because one thing I did not like about this movie was the ending. When I grew attached to Ponyo, the movie seems to end quick and abruptly, give you nothing but thoughts of what happened. The plot is also very very simple. It's sort of like Little Mermaid but even more simplistic. In closing, I love Ghibli's movies. Spirited away and Howl's moving castle are my two personal favorites and Ponyo is not far behind as third. If you are also a fan, I recommend you to pick this up and on Blu-Ray the colors look sharp and amazing.Read full review
Wonderful, Colorful, Absolutely Delicious Adventure That No One Should Miss Out On!! Brilliant Family Film!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Hayao Miyazaki Animated films are by far my favorites and Ponyo is one of the best in my book, i have all his films and love every single one, the Animation art work in the films are amazing it's like watching paintings come to life, i watch them every year some times twice a year and i would recommend them to anyone that enjoys a good Animated movie, in my mind I think Hayao Miyazaki is the Godfather of Animated Films.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
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