Ponyo [Blu-ray + DVD]

 

 

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Hayao Miyazaki is one of those rare directors who can take the magic of nature and childhood, then somehow capture it for the screen.

And his tenth Ghibli movie "Ponyo" is no exception -- it's a reimagined tale of a "little mermaid" who wants to become human so she can be with a little human boy she loves. It's a simple story told in a simple manner (occasionally TOO simple), but it has a lush oceanic beauty and an innocent sweetness that really capture your heart and imagination.

A little boy named Sosuke finds a tiny "goldfish" with a human face on a beach, trapped in a bottle. He names her Ponyo, and goes to great lengths to care for his little fishy friend. But then the sea wizard Fujimoto, Ponyo's overprotective dad, appears and snatches Ponyo back into the sea -- and she decides that she wants to become human so she can be with Sosuke. Having tasted a bit of Sosuke's blood, she sprouts chickenleggy limbs and starts to change, but inadvertently disrupts a magical well that causes the moon to drop, the seas to rise over the land, and prehistoric magic to rise once more.

Sosuke and Ponyo are delighted to be reunited, despite the raging storm that is engulfing the city and causing ships to go missing. While the children go searching for Sosuke's missing mother, Fujimoto struggles to fix the balance of nature before the entire world is destroyed, with the help of Ponyo's sea goddess mother. The only hope of restoring balance lies in Ponyo and Sosuke -- and if Sosuke's love is not true, then Ponyo will be reduced to sea foam.

Compared to Miyazaki's other movies, "Ponyo" is a very simple story -- it's basically a boy-meets-fishgirl story, with lots of children running around being adorable and exquisite looks at the sea. Even its theme is simple -- the story is dependent on on true selfless love and how it knows no boundaries of age, experience or even species. Not to mention parents letting go of their children.

If there's a downside to the story, it's the lack of internal conflict. Example: the "test" that Fujimoto and the sea goddess use for Sosuke... well, it's far less impressive than it seems.

And Miyazaki does not disappoint animationwise -- he conjures a waterworld of luminous sea life, sparkling ships, prehistoric creatures, finned submarines and a town that has been swallowed by the sea (complete with boats floating over the rooftops). It's an exquisite piece of work that turns the ocean into a magical, otherworldly realm where wizards work in coral-encrusted towers and shimmering jellyfish take little mermaids to the surface.

Ponyo herself provides a lot of the movie's charm -- she's effusive, hyperactive, has a babylike fascination with the human world ("HAM!"), and an array of handy magical powers. Sosuke is a likable lad who is fascinated by Ponyo and her world, and Fujimoto makes a enjoyable anti-hero -- spindly, gaunt and with a mane of messy red hair, he's like a rock'n'roll embodiment of parental stress.

The extras are pretty promising on this blu-ray, and they seem to be the same as the regular DVD edition's extras (rather than stiffing or one or the other group of buyers) -- a slew of documentaries and interviews (including with Miyazaki himself), storyboards, explorations of the story's background, et cetera. And most striking is the "World of Ghibli," an interactive creation which apparently allows people to "enter" the worlds of various Miyazaki movies -- "Ponyo's," "Kiki's," "Castle in the Sky's," and so on. And given how luminous and lush the colors are, the movie itself should be spellbinding visually.

"Ponyo" is simpler and more childlike fare than most of Miyazaki's past films, but it's still a sweet and lushly-animated piece of work. At the very least, it will transport you to a magical childhood.

The original Miyasaki work is marvelous, but this dvd doesn't include all the original scene. That's a fraud!!

They even cut the most beautifull scene that take so long for the studio to draw it.

I consel to you to bought only an uncut version.

Having only seen the dvd version in its native Japanese with English subtitles, I was skeptic as to how much of a difference blu-ray would make to the picture quality.

Short answer: A LOT.

Long answer: The picture is phenomenal. As much of a pleasure Ponyo is to view on dvd, as are all of Miyazaki's other works, Ponyo on blu-ray is an incredible experience. The picture is sharp and there are a great deal many details in the blu-ray version of Ponyo that were missing or not as sharp in the dvd version due to the compression. The art is impeccable and there is charm in every character and environment. Unlike Miyazaki's previous works, Ponyo has a very childish look and feel to it, probably because (as Miyazaki says himself) the movie is aimed at 5 and 6 year olds, unlike his previous works. The environments are all beautifully rendered and looks great with the colored pencil feel. It looks excellent. And it looks even better on blu-ray.

The sound is lossless audio in English and in French, but I regret to say not in Japanese. This release would have been perfect if all the audio tracks included were perfect. However, I purchased this for the English audio so I feel that in itself is not reason to take off one star. However, it would have been stellar if all three audio tracks were lossless.

I won't go into any details about the story of the movie itself because other reviews have covered this to enough of an extent, but as someone who actually owns the blu-ray/dvd combo, here are my two cents on the product itself. If you have a blu-ray player, definitely purchase this version.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Well ... Thank god I got it at a discounted price!
So, I've always been interested in the movie 'Ponyo', thinking it was similar to the little mermaid. To my surprise, it wasn't! Read more

Published 3 months ago by CurlyB

5.0 out of 5 stars Best children movie ever!
I had seen Ponyo in a movie theater where everyone in the room have applaused at the end. It was a wonderful film, so I also bought it on DVD. Read more

Published 23 months ago by I. Sawyer

5.0 out of 5 stars one more masterpiece
The opening scene, which *he drew himself completely by hand*, is way up there in cinematography's masterpieces. Miyazaki is *the* master. Read more

Published on April 10 2010 by P. Thibault

5.0 out of 5 stars Hayao Miyazaki's Newest Classic
I had heard news about this film from anime-legend Hayao Miyazaki, and I SO wanted to see it. But I was lucky enough to the film online at YouTube; after watching the film, I knew... Read more

Published on Mar 8 2010 by Frances L. Arsenault

3.0 out of 5 stars well great for kids who like fish
well i may be 14teen but you know that one really was not to my likeing at all i think i would rather watch princess and the frog again and the one did not do it for me too but it... Read more

Published on Mar 7 2010 by T. Burns

5.0 out of 5 stars Imaginative, endearing, fascinating, artistic, creative, and skillful.
This is a special Miyazaki movie to me. It has a unique setting (by the ocean), and involves therefore more blue and less green than many other of his films. Read more

Published on Feb 9 2010 by Spikenard Very Precious

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful and sweet family film
My husband and I really enjoy Hayao Miyazaki's films, although not all of them are suitable to watch with our young children. Read more

Published on Jan 31 2010 by JustMe

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