Review of Ponyo (2008) by Bikerjames — 14 Feb 2012

I'm a big fan of Hayao Miyazaki and have seen all his movies. This is one of his more gentle fantasies like "Kiki's Delivery Service" or "My Neighbor Tortoro". I enjoyed the political incorrectness throughout the film (the mother is a horrible driver, plus she leaves her 5 year old alone at home during a monster storm so she can drive to the senior center to check on their safety).

The real star of the film, however, is the fantastic drawings and color palettes. This might be his most colorful movie he's made, and when you consider this is drawn and not computer generated some of the scenes are jaw dropping.

When you have a lot of fish in a single scene and each one is doing its own thing it must be a nightmare to animate. Some of his movies can be a little preachy about the environment and balance of nature, but this one isn't too bad.

I do wish that animators would not use voices that are so distinctive. Liam Neeson and Betty White have such distinctive voices that as soon as the character starts speaking, you immediately think of the actor.

I'm sure that was a Disney decision, plus actors want to voice in a Miyazaki film much like actors want to be in a Woody Allen Film because they recognize greatness. This isn't a classic like "Spirited Away", but if you're a Miyazaki fan you will probably enjoy it.