The Ultra Fem

Lisa's Review of PONYO —

Short version:
If you like Miyazaki, you'll LOVE Ponyo! (Think TOTORO!)

Long version:
Ponyo is a relief-and-a-half! I've been a fan of Miyazaki's films since the mid-80s, when I saw Nausicaa at a convention. It was in Japanese with no subtitles, so I didn't really know what was going on, but I absolutely LOVED IT!

Being an early Miyazaki convert, I was very happy to see his films become popular here in the states back in the late 90s, but at the same time, I was frustrated to see his LEAST INTERESTING films getting all the attention. I mean, come on... Mononoke?? Ick! It's a pale, PALE shadow of Nausicaa. Just weirdness and violence, with NONE of the charm Miyazaki is known for. Spirited Away was the same. Just a series of awful misfortunes for no reason, with NO charm.

But when you look at the so-called "art cinema scene" here in the west, all you see is "MONONKE! SPIRITED AWAY! MONONKE! SPIRITED AWAY!" As if they've discovered something important. If only they would LOOK at Miyazaki's library instead of paying lip service.

Howl's Moving Castle moved somewhat toward capturing that Miyazaki charm, but it fell short. And it's a shame! "Charm," as I keep harping, is what Miyazaki is all about, yet the only Miyazaki any westerners have gotten to see on the big screen has been lacking it.

Ponyo has changed that. It's not Miyazaki's best, for sure. In fact, I think MOST of his work is better. Nausicaa, Laputa, Porco Rosso and Kiki, in particluar. But Ponyo has the "Miyazaki charm!" I keep saying "charm" because I can't think of a better word to describe Miyazaki when he's hitting. If you've seen Totoro, you KNOW what I mean.

And Totoro is the best comparison here. Ponyo is quite thin on plot. In fact, I can't really tell you what the point of it was. Much like Totoro. And Ponyo is obviously intended for children, again like Totoro. But like all truly excellent children's entertainment, no adult will feel bored or left out. You'll be laughing and smiling right along with the pre-schoolers.

So many of today's "family-oriented" animated films try to make up for their lack of content and/or talent by packing every minute with bad slapstick, lots of screaming and poop jokes. Oh, GOD, I am so sick of poop humor! You won't find any of that in Ponyo. Miyazaki does something I've rarely (if ever) seen any filmmaker do: he understands children's minds so well, he can make them sit still in rapt attention even when the characters aren't doing much of anything.

SPOILER ALERT:
In one scene, Ponyo opens a pack of Ramen noodles and drops the dry brick into a bowl. From all over the theater, I heard little voices whispering, "Noodles! It's noodles!" Then Ponyo watched wide-eyed as Sasuke's mom poured boiling water into the bowl. Sasuke said, "It'll take 3 minutes," and Ponyo stared at the bowl in silence, eyes as big as dinner plates, as if it were the most important thing in the world. And the children in the theater stared, too. Then, as mom put more ingredients into the hot soup, she told Ponyo not to look. Ponyo covered her eyes, but she tried to peek. "Don't look Ponyo!" said mom, and the children laughed.

This movie is bursting with a kind of wonder that only a Miyazaki film can possess. Weirdness is everywhere, but it's a happy weirdness that taps into the way children think and dream. Remember when you were a child, and you used to dream about the whole world being underwater? A crystal-clear water that didn't stop you from breathing? How you could just poke your face into a lake and see bright colors and magic of all kinds going on down there?

That's Ponyo.

(Oh, and all you pervert adults will FLIP over Ponyo's mom!)

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