A few years ago, it seemed like only professional animators and “in the know” movie-goers had even heard of Hayao Miyazaki, the Japanese writer, director, and animator of such films as Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke.  Judging from the preview screening audience’s rousing reaction to the sight of the Studio Ghibli logo prior to the start of his new film Ponyo, it seems clear that word has finally gotten out to the masses.

Perhaps the primary reason for the filmmaker’s new found popularity in the States is that for the past decade his films have been released on this side of the ocean by the kings of animation, Disney.  It also helps that big name movie stars are fighting to contribute their voices to a dubbed English version.  Ponyo is no exception, featuring the recognizable voices of Liam Neeson, Cate Blanchett, Tina Fey and Matt Damon among others.

Although comparisons have been drawn before between Miyazaki films and Disney classics (most notably, Spirited Away and Alice in Wonderland), Ponyo seems the closest of his films to what is often referred to as the classic Disney style.  In true form, the film is the director’s first to earn a “G” rating from the MPAA in ten years.   The film’s closest Disney relative is certainly The Little Mermaid, and it could be argued that Ariel even makes a cameo appearance at one point.

The focus of the story is a little princess goldfish who escapes to the surface where she is saved by a 5-year-old boy named Sosuke, who names her Ponyo after she seems to magically heal a cut on his finger.   Sosuke and Ponyo develop a unique friendship, but then Ponyo is taken back under the sea by her father, charged with keeping the balance between the sea and the surface.  Only, now that Ponyo has had a taste of human life—literally, she licked Sosuke’s blood—she only wants to be human.  Through sheer will and a little magic, she is transformed into a little girl, escapes, and is welcomed into Sosuke’s home.

Unfortunately, her actions have caused the planet’s oceans to go haywire.  The moon has closed in on the Earth causing changes in the gravitational pull and the oceans have consumed much of the world’s land mass.  The secret to returning balance to the world lies with Sosuke and Ponyo who are currently venturing across the sea in a toy boat in hopes of finding Sosuke’s mother who has gone missing.

Although the world of Ponyo seems a little less obscure than those of previous Miyazaki films, that doesn’t mean the film is any less creative.  As an animator, the director sees the world differently than any other and his characters stand out.  In contrast to, say, Finding Nemo, he makes little effort to make his sea creatures appear authentic.  The goldfish have the heads of human beings, for instance.

The animation is again remarkable.  The opening sequence which features vast varieties of fish and other underwater creatures sucks you in right away and the storm sequence is remarkable.  Still, as fascinating as the animation is in the film, it is the adorable characters that carry the story.  Sosuke is the sweet, adventuresome little boy that we all know and Ponyo is all wide-eyed wonder at this new world she has discovered.  Their relationship is adorable and filled with wonderful bits of humor.

The only thing that really seemed to be missing from this film was the exciting build-up to a great finish.  There is some build up towards a “love test” that doesn’t really seem to materialize.  That is a small complaint, however, about an otherwise delightful piece of animation that is sure to be satisfy viewers both young and old.

Ponyo is rated G.  There is nothing for parents to worry about here; this is simply a cute, kid-friendly animated feature.

Courtesy of a local publicist, Jeff attended a promotional screening of Ponyo.