Post by Alice on Aug 20, 2009 1:19:35 GMT -8
Is Miyazaki still soaking with charm, or has he run dry this time around?
Note: This is a review of the Disney-produced English dub of the film.
At this point, it's very predictable and redundant to speak very highly of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki. It's not uncommon.
But what do you expect? Hayao Miyazaki is a freakin' genius. And so is every other creative mind attached to Studio Ghibli's recent film, Ponyo (On a Cliff). Miyazaki's praises are completely founded.
Ponyo is a fairly simple, straightforward story that actually reflects Disney's The Little Mermaid to a small extent. It concerns the titular fish-girl (voiced by Noah Cyrus) who, after meeting a young boy named Sōsuke (voiced by Frankie Jonas), strongly desires to become a human and live with him. Yes, this might sound an awful lot like The Little Mermaid, but I assure you this film does not rip off the classic Disney film. Ponyo, like many a Miyazaki film, is very much its own.
Ponyo is a feel-good movie, and a gorgeous one at that.
I have not watched this film with the original Japanese vocal cast and the accompanying English translation, so I cannot make any comparisons yet. With that said, I thoroughly enjoyed Disney's dub, as I often do with other translated Ghibli films (Pom Poko notwithstanding). You probably cringed something fierce when you read the names "Cyrus" and "Jonas" just now, but to be fair these very young actors are commendable here. They voice the film's children protagonists with enthusiasm and warmth with believability, which is great because the movie focuses on them most of the time. Ponyo in particular is often funny, mostly because she has a "born yesterday" mentality and treats even the most mundane of human activities as a blessing.
Of course, some of the supporting characters are great in their own right. Sōsuke's mother, Lisa (voiced by comedienne Tina Fey), is a shockingly badass mother; seh drives by intense waves and doesn't afraid of anything. Betty White, Lily Tomlin and Cloris Leachman voice wonderfully entertaining old ladies. Cate Blanchett played a decidedly attractive goddess and mother of Ponyo, Granmammare, but it is Ponyo's father, Fujimoto (Liam Neeson), who is my favorite character in the film. He looks like he just stepped out of a glamor rock music video from the 80's, and he is the closest this film has an antagonist. Matt Damon voiced Sōsuke's father, but he honestly doesn't say much in the film.
Fujimoto is a fun character.
This is among Miyazaki's more cheery films, if it is not the sunniest. There are moments of antagonism and perilous action, but for the most part this is a simple yet effective story about bonding and love.
But if the lovey-dovey story doesn't astound you, the visuals surely will. This movie is, in a word, gorgeous. The backgrounds look like pages from a highly intricate coloring book, and characters that range from basic to complex are all animated with a flair. It is reported that there is zero computer-generated imagery in this film, and I would believe it. Everything in this movie is beautifully traditional, and watching such elegant 2D animation nearly brought a tear to my eye.
The music score is also lush, but just like Miyazaki, praising Joe Hisaishi for memorable, sweeping melodies is not uncommon.
I wouldn't say this is Miyazaki's best film (I don't even know if I could decide!), but it is nevertheless easily recommended. If you have even a slight interest in Studio Ghibli, or would just love to watch 2D animation predominate the screen, then Ponyo will sail you away to 100 minutes of enchantment.
... If I had to think of a large piece of criticism, it would be Cyrus and Jonas' remix during the end credits, but, hey. Also, I've noticed that a lot of parents in this film, such as Sōsuke's mother, don't seem to worry too deeply about their offspring's safety. Odd.
***½ out of ****
