Ponyo

Release Year: 2009

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Review:  Sometimes you just have to let go of reality and let your imagination take the steering wheel.  'Ponyo' is classic Miyazaki in all the best ways.  It is fantastically envisioned and beautifully animated.  It truly takes the spirit of being a child and materializes it on screen.  The story is of a young goldfish who has an over controlling human wizard father.  When she gets rescued by a little boy, she falls in love and wants to become a human.  It cribs heavily from 'The Little Mermaid', and yet is very much its own story.

There are definitely some weak points in the film.  The overly broad "the world is ending" scenario never works, and is completely unnecessary for what the film is about.  Fortunately it's so rich in imagination that this can be forgiven.  The concept of a love story between two five year olds is a hard sell, and yet it is absolutely believable in the hands of Miyazaki.  The chemistry between Ponyo and Sosuke is strong despite their age.  It is a credit to Miyazaki to fill the film with enough heart to overcome this and really let the magic of his imagination shine.

What is really heart warming is the sincerity of both Ponyo and Sosuke. There is a gullible tenacity which both of them have which makes the film so much fun.  The interesting part of the experience is being able to view serious events through a child's eyes.  Miyazaki does an incredible job channeling you into their point of view. It's their adventure and going along with them is a pleasure.  The movie drips with fantastic visuals, has a huge heart and is a joy to watch.
Rating: 4/5