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New Level of Animation

Customer Rating:
This 2008 movie by Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle) was directed and written by Hayao Miyazaki and is loosely based on The Little Mermaid. The story follows a little fish-girl, Ponyo, that runs away from her father and wants to turn into a human and be with a little 5-year old boy, Ssuke, that she meets. The story ensues as Ponyo attempts to become human and threatens the environmental balance of the world.

I had high expectations for this movie as I fell in love with Spirited Away and Miyazaki did not disappoint me. I have never seen 2d animation that can compare to the quality in Miyazaki's movies. Ponyo takes it to a completely new level with the style and scope of animation. The detail of the water, colors, and fish is artistic and majestic to say the least. Animation aside, the story and plot of this movie keep you enthralled and excited to see what happens next. I think it's a good recommendation for an animated movie that draws you into the plot and characters so much that you forget it's animated. Ponyo and he friend seem so alive that it was easy to become immersed in the story.

The only portion to disappoint me in this movie was the last song during the ending credits. I thought the music throughout the story was lilting and pretty like what I was watching and then this last "theme" song comes on at the end of the credits like a childish and obnoxious TV show.

That being said, I loved this movie and highly suggest you see it.

"Ponyo" is enchanting and kid-friendly

Customer Rating:
I am glad that I'm finally able to share Miyazaki's animated features (well, some of them at least) with my five-and-a-half year old daughter. She fell head-over-heels in love with Totoro, the adorable, giant forest spirit in My Neighbor Totoro (Two-Disc Special Edition), and has requested repeated viewings since we first watched the movie together last week! I then introduced her to Kiki's Delivery Service: Special Edition - 2-Disc DVD which proved to be another hit, and yesterday, we watched "Ponyo" for the first time.

My daughter liked "Ponyo" though she was not as enraptured with it as she was with Totoro (she did not request a repeat viewing like she did with Totoro). The storyline is interesting enough, though it is reminiscent of The Little Mermaid. A little fish named Ponyo (looking a lot like a little girl) lives in her father's underwater kingdom with thousands of other fish siblings. A misadventure puts her in the path of a little boy named Sosuke, and the pair bond almost instantly. This close connection proves to be a key element in the plot as when Ponyo gets separated from her mortal boy, she does all she can to get back to him, causing imbalance in the two worlds in the process. The rest of the story focuses on what happens to the pair and how everything is resolved.

I loved the colors and the fantastic imagery and animation. There is an abundance of vivid imagery and my young daughter was captivated by what was happening on screen. Ponyo as a character has a lot going for her - she is adorable and young children can easily relate to her precocious nature. The plot does get a tad confusing in parts if only because there is so much going on in the story, but in general, the story flows well. I still prefer "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Kiki's Delivery Service" (note: this does center on a young "witch") over "Ponyo", but if you're looking for engaging children's animated features (ages 5 and up), you can't go wrong with these three. They are also the best bet for younger children in Miyazaki's range of animated features as some of the others can be rather dark for younger viewers.

get this movie

Customer Rating:
no long review... GET THIS MOVIE. Beautiful and wonderful story telling. Any movie that is not train or truck centric - that my 6 year old boy asks to watch on a regular basis - gets my big thumbs up!!!

PONYO

Customer Rating:
I loved the movie. My son loved it. It is such a cute movie. It is so expensive in Target and other places. Thank Godness, I was able to still get it through Amazon.

What a Lovely Film

Customer Rating:
Having seen this film about 10 times in the last week, I just had to review it. Both my 9 year old granddaughter and her 2 year old sister are loving this film. But the 2 year old is the one who is insisting on seeing it over and over.

Friendship, caring, sharing and so many other good qualities are emphasized in the movie. There is even a large focus on a senior center and the relationship between a small boy and the elders, all done with such emphasis on good manners and love. Granted a fish does not turn into a little girl but that bit of magic is overpowered by the fabulous mothering skills of Souski's mother who just tucks that little girl into her love and caring of her son and grows her family.

If you want a good film which teaches great values with so much ease, then this is a film you need to show your preschoolers. The older kids will enjoy it and you can watch too and enjoy it (at least the first 5 or so times) but the real value comes with the little ones who can learn so much about how to deal with other people from this film.