antonio.hamill - 2017-06-04 18:03:33

adorable so far

pgrant - 2017-02-07 02:43:30

73/100

A charming, sweet, film which is definitely one of Miyazaki’s lighter works. Wonderful to watch with the whole family.

ibrahim.larkin - 2016-05-16 09:17:46

I first saw Ponyo when I was 7 and could never remember the name but always remembered the movie about the fish girl who wanted to be a real girl and little things like a red bucket or a huge flood and a big beautiful mommy! I have always loved this movie and always will, it was my first anime and I couldn't be happier for it to be that, i recommend you show this movie to your kids but maybe not if you a teenager just getting into anime, it requires a creative mind. (I showed this movie to me friends and they never heard of it and now refuse to watch any anime because it all must be "weird japanese cartoons")

blaise48 - 2015-03-19 04:12:35

Studio: Studio Ghibli                                                                                                                       Director and writer : Hayao Miyazaki                                                                                      Music: Joe Hisaishi                                                                                                                   Release date : 2008

Art 

Ghibli is well known for its great art styles,superb use of colour and fluid animation. Ponyo hits all three of these marks.The artstyle which is  maybe a little familiar if you have watched any other Ghibli film in the last 10 years but the clashing colours that they chose to use really make the visuals pop. The character designs on the other hand were very forgettable outside of  Fujimoto who is just a treat to look at. The visual creativity that most other Ghibli films is sorely lacking only a few scenes wowed me on a purely visual level. Ponyo is technically all there but is still missing a few things to make it genius.

Story

Ponyo on the cliffs is a tale about a young boy named Sousuke who discovers a strange looking goldfish one day in the ocean. This goldfish is really a child of a strange sea wizard named fujimoto. Sousuke names the fish Ponyo buts loses her soon afterward.What follows is a series of events that lead to Ponyo and Sousuke reuniting and going on an adventure together. The story is clearly meant for the younger crowd , but i can't help but feel that this movie lacked focus. The adventure was introduced too late along with the major problem. The scenes with Sousuke's father added almost nothing to the main plot,while slowing the pacing down.The climax because of the slow pacing and the late introduction of main plot points feels rather weak. Overall Ponyo will surely keep  kids and kids at heart entertained but a more critical eye will show a few glaring problems.

 Sound

In animated movies I look for three major things in the sound department; voice work , music and sound design or more commonly referred to sound effects. Ponyo does two of these thing great and an other lackluster. The voice performances in the english dub at least are all very well done. The cast includes the likes of LIam Neeson, Matt Damon, Tina Fey as supporting characters. The two mains are played by Noah Cyrus and Frankie Jonas. These two who were just 8 at the making of the film offer top notch outing. Capturing the liveliness and energy the characters were trying to show. The sound design is similar in quality to every wave crashing to each lurch forward made by the car then sound  as crisp as they would in real life. The music in Ghibli films is always something that i think is lacking. Joe Hisaishi is a great composer and  his music can certainly fit  a scene but rarely something that is crucial to the film. Their wasn't a track that I remembered or wanted to go back to. 

Characters

Ponyo and Sousuke are the two leads of the movie.Neither  of them are really that great.Sousuke is rather bland and really doesn't have any personality outside what is seen on the surface. Ponyo is in a similar state  and on top of that her motivations are really bizarre ; she strives to be human too just eat ham mostly.The side characters on the other hand are unique and pleasant to watch. Sousuke's mother offers zany action and a funny depiction of a mother who is pissed off that her husband's job. Fujimoto also is a nice addition to the cast  showing a oddly colourful character having a deadpan reaction to most things but also having a deeper and darker plan in store. The characters in Ponyo don't break any boundaries but they do have a few nice points. 

Closing remarks

Ponyo is in a odd situation. For kids its great because of its colourful imagery and simple plot ,but others will see the lack of focus in the story and characters.The animation and sound do a fine job so i give the movie as a whole 3/5.

If you like this try:

Nagi no asukara : Similar to Ponyo in terms of that it is a love story involving people of the land and of the sea.

Princess Mononoke : A much heavier film done by Ghibli deals with the themes of environment destruction. 

king09 - 2014-06-30 03:26:11

Ponyo is a masterpiece! It has lovable characters, great background art and animation, and a great story. This movie can be recommended to anyone who doesn't know much about anime!

gregg59 - 2013-08-05 15:41:36

Another Studio Ghibli Film, with other great films like My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. I went to this film with high hopes and it didn't disappoint. Like other Ghibli films, this film has a deeper meaning and morals to teach children to be kind to others and grow as a person.

Story

It is based on a five-year-old boy (Sousuke) who was playing with his toy boat at the sea side when all of a sudden, finds a trapped bizarre looking fish in a jar that he thinks is a goldfish. After vowing to protect his new friend, he decides to call her Ponyo. What he doesn't know is that Ponyo's father is a sea wizard and mother the sea goddess. Without knowing what and who Ponyo is, the situation with her father, she runs away from home wanting to be with Sousuke. As time passes, she becomes more like a human and the bond between them grows.

Animation

As of today animation standards, it isn't that bad with only minor problems and that some scenes move more fluidly than others. Although, at the time (2008), it was considered a great animation sequence which has multiple nominations and awards in 2009 for best animation.

Art

You shouldn't be expecting anything different from the unique art style of Studio Ghibli. Although, it has beautiful water colour effects within the scenery and water, as well as amazing colourful textures. The sea life and ocean scenes in this film is stunning, making it look like you're in the sea with them or in an aquarium.

Sound

The score was composed by Joe Hisaishi who has done a great job taking the viewer into the world of the sea. Using opera and orchestral music to emphasis the life at sea and the shore. However nothing came to mind that really stands out from the film, everything fits beautifully such as the joy of Ponyo and Sousuke when together. The foley/sound effects were perfect from drips of water drops to the huge wave and water boats. It really makes you feel immersed in the story and the world of Ponyo.

Acting

From the point of this review, I've only seen the english dub of the film. Although, the dub was done by Disney. It has some well-known Hollywood actors like Matt Damon, Liam Neeson and Tina Fey. All the actor/actresses did a great job in portraying the characters to the viewer. However, with no knowledge of the translation, the script was put across ok and the point of view of a child watching, it is done well. However, there were some points were I cringed from such a high pitch Ponyo has in her voice sometimes.

Characters

As a viewer, I got attached to the characters as the story progressed. Ponyo is an adorable character with no knowledge above the water, is very lively and curious with anything and everything. As for Sousuke's family, they're an ordinary family with the mother looking after the elderly (like a health care work, however this isn't mentioned in the film), and the father a caption on a ship. This means that the father is away from home a lot and this is put across in the film very well with the hardship it has on the family. There's one particular scene that puts this across perfectly when the father and Sousuke talk to each other in morse code across the ship and the house. As for the supporting characters, they fit the story well as the elderly and town's people live in their daily lives and get involved with Sousuke and Ponyo.

Enjoyment

I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely film from the characters, to the story and art style. I would say this films target audience is for children and the family with the way the story and acting was portrayed. However, if you want to chill out with some nostalgia of your childhood, then you'll love this film.

I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys the sea life, children, magic and a blast to the past.

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who thinks logically in films and judges it in such a way. There are times in the film that you could easily question why that person did this etc. but at the end of the day, it's a kids film and for what it is, it's a great film.