For anybody who is concerned that Pixar is the only studio producing animated films that touch on anything other than cheap gags, Japanese master Hayao Miyazaki has brought another gem to the screen. Ponyo will pop your eyes with visual wonders, while cutting through the noise to touch you on a human level.
Miyazaki, the genius responsible for such treasures as Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, has always been a fan of pictures that feature a strong female protagonist (not unlike underrated TV man, Joss Whedon). So, in remaking what is already considered a classic, The Little Mermaid, Miyazaki adds more humour and a more defiant female lead. I’ll be crucified for this by some, but I’ll take his version over the Disney’s original any day.
In the movie, Ponyo (Noah Cyrus) is the daughter of an undersea wizard who is attempting to keep the ocean in balance with an acceleratingly destructive human world (another common Miyazaki theme). Before any images get conjured up, let me stop you right here: Ponyo isn’t any kind of luscious mermaid – instead, she’s a goldfish with a human-like face. When she is rescued on the seashore by a little boy named Sosuke (Frankie Jonas), they fall head over heels for each other. It’s the kind of sweet, child love that doesn’t really get portrayed much in movies anymore.
Just like in The Little Mermaid, Ponyo defies her father and uses magic to turn into a real girl, but is their love real? That’s the question that gets answered as the story unfolds.
As any Miyazaki fan knows, his plots are never that simple. There are subtexts galore here: ageism, environmentalism and strained family relations. Ponyo isn’t quite as geared for the older audiences as Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle were, but it truly is a film that both old and young will be dazzled by.
Give Disney credit for doing a fantastic job dubbing the film, so it doesn’t distract from the images, and still gives depth to the characters. Actors Tina Fey, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett and Liam Neeson all give strong performances without showboating.
Naturally, the real joy of Ponyo is the visuals. Miyazaki stands out in a crowd that is coming to rely so heavily on computer-animated work, and leans far more towards more “traditional” animation. But don’t let that fool you – there’s nothing old-school about the undersea world he creates, or the time-capsule worthy image of Ponyo running across living waves during a storm.
When the Oscars roll around, its up in the air between Up and Ponyo for Best Animated Picture, and I don’t know where I stand as of yet. All I know is that Ponyo is the perfect, shining way to close out the summer season.
As Ponyo becomes a real girl, she revels in the wonders all around here, never missing a thing that delights her. Go see Ponyo and you’ll know how she feels.
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