Ponyo

Starring (voices): Liam Neeson, Tina Fey, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Certificate: U

Rating: 5/5

Japanese animation has been ahead of the curve for quite some time. Without animation guru Hayao Miyazaki and his Studio Ghibli team, Pixar would not exist.

Just go ahead and imagine a world without Woody, Wall-E or the Incredibles. Dull isn’t it?
And if adult animations like Akira hadn’t come along, there’d be no Matrix.

The problem was, that getting hold of these little bundles of joy from the East wasn’t always the easiest thing, usually meaning a trawl on the internet rather than a trip down to the multiplex.

Now though, we can all thank John Lasseter, boss of Disney animation and the mastermind behind Pixar, how has decided use the might of Disney to get the film over here.

And thank him we all must do. Ponyo is a film of incredible sweetness and charm and completely unlike anything made either here or in the US.

Telling us the story of a five year old boy who finds a magical, talking goldfish called Ponyo (who incidentally is the daughter of an undersea wizard and the goddess of mercy) and the havoc she reeks when she tries to become human, just to be with him.

The striking imagery makes the beautiful, traditional hand-drawn animation come to life. The gorgeous colours and simple designs make Ponyo look completely unique, and give a breath of fresh air the countless computer animated films trying to shove a 3-D gimmick down your throat.

Simplicity is the name of the game here, and it works brilliantly. While a lack of constantly pounding music and some sections where only birds and the cinema’s audience members can be heard may sound off putting to some, it makes watching Ponyo even more of a magical experience.

This is all helped by an absolutely charming script, with loveable characters and heart-warming dialogue.

This a film that makes the world seem a little brighter when you walk out of the cinema, and while me describing it like this may seem a little extreme, it really is that lovely a film.

That is the only time the word ‘lovely’ has ever been used in a film review, especially one featuring a tsunami about half way through.

All those Studio Ghibli connoisseurs bothered about the dubbing, and the presence of both a Cyrus and a Jonas in the credit list, need not worry. The English voices take nothing away from the most Japanese of animation.

Liam Neeson does sound a little out of place as someone looking under the age of 50 though.

The trouble with Ponyo, like all of Miyazaki’s masterpieces, is that while they may look, sound and feel like a child’s film, they most defiantly are not.

Ponyo deals with issues and themes much bigger than its protagonists, and may simply go over the head of a lot of younger children.

Despite or maybe even because of this, Ponyo is one of the finest animations of the last few years, offering something completely different to what is usually found down at the cinema.

Don’t take this as advertising, but go and see Ponyo. You really won’t regret it.

FemaleFirst Cameron Smith