Noah Lindsey Cyrus, Frankie Jonas, Tina Fey

The story of a young and overeager goldfish named Ponyo and her quest to become human features an outstanding roster of voice talent.

Flixster Users

79% liked it

69,975 ratings

Critics

91% liked it

111 critics

G, 1 hr. 40 min.

Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki

Release Date: August 14, 2009

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Flixster Reviews (4,437)


  • September 12, 2009
    In this Japanese variation on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid," a goldfish with a human face escapes from the undersea lair built by her wizard father and decides she wants to become human when washes ashore and is adopted as a pet by a little boy. Some amazing han...( read more)d-drawn sequences, such as when newly-human Ponyo trips across waves that turn into fish and then melt back into surf; it's squarely aimed at little girls, who will be completely entranced, but it has much less crossover appeal to adults, who will spend their time just looking at the pretty pastel-colored pictures.
  • September 7, 2009
    sweet hallucinations and the stuff of dreams inundate this lanquid rumination on spiritual friendship and how the power of our love for one another affects the whole world in a positive way. and mesmerising visuals...!
  • September 2, 2009
    Best Movie of 2009 so far, You have never seen anything quite like Ponyo. Not as dark as Spirited Away but definately a comparable Miazaky Masterpeice! See it now.
  • September 2, 2009
    Another breathtaking marvel from the master Miyazaki. Wow, I hardly know what to say.
    While every other studio is scrambling to see who can outdo the other in terms of technological prowess here we have a pure concentration on the telling of the tale and the river takes us exac...( read more)tly where we are supposed to be.
    Mystical mythos fused with a child's wonder we are once again transformed in the eye of the maker who lets us know that we must accept people for who they are, love unconditionally and allow ourselves to be loved. Also, much like "Nausicaa," Miyazaki also comments on how poorly we care for the earth.
    In a rare foray into the "G" rated category, Miyazaki never fails to delight or teach. I will gladly add this fine piece of cinema and storytelling mastery to my collection upon its release to DVD.
    See it as soon as you can.
  • August 25, 2009
    Not one of my favorite Miyazaki films, but with just enough of his usual whimsical storylines and abstract visuals to make it enjoyable. It is essentially a slightly less homogonized version of "The Little Mermaid".

    Normally I'm sucked right into Miyazaki films and they are ...( read more)seemingly over in a flash. And normally to spite all of their bizarre characters and twisted plots, I'm left feeling content at having taken a magical journey.

    With Ponyo I wasn't immediately "sucked into" the story and it seemed to drag on a bit in parts and (worst of all?) it left me feeling a bit like it was tryig to do too much and accomplished very little.

    At the core of my problems with this film is the fact that we are meant to believe that two five year olds know what "love" means enough for one of them to want to give up her family and her species(?) to be with the other. And that the other child could commit the rest of his life to "taking care of" the first.

    Now this worked for the little mermaid because she was just as interested in becoming a human as she was in her prince. It is in a sense a "coming of age" tale. This is true for Ponyo as well, however it takes on a very bizarre (and slightly twisted) feeling when you are telling the story with five year olds as opposed to teenagers.

    There was also an underlying theme of environmentalism that was alluded to repeatedly, but never really developed into the story.

    I mention this only because they could have (in my humble opinion) made the five year olds repeated talk of "love" and "taking care of" each other a little less awkward by making their "commitment" to each other symbolic of a commitment to loving and taking care of "nature" (in this case Ponyo).

    Just a thought.
  • November 20, 2009
    me gusto...el problema es que miyazaki tiene que seguir haciendo peliculas con historias maduras "with deph" esta gasndo sus chavos...y no es que era mala..es que era como para bebes ye el problema es que se siente esta pelicula como un favor para disney
  • November 16, 2009
    So.
    Freaking.
    Cute.
  • November 14, 2009
    Openly aimed at young children, Ponyo is one of the most whimsical and wide-eyed tales in Hayao Miyazaki's catalogue.

    A re-telling of the Little Mermaid, Ponyo is a young goldfish girl living in the ocean with her cranky father who believes humans are nothing but a sea-polluti...( read more)ng annoyances (Miyazaki's environmental concerns are as apparent here as they are in the majority of his works).

    Rescued from a jar by Sosuke--a young boy living on a cliff by the seaside with his aged-care nurse mother--Ponyo becomes infatuated and decides she wants to become human. Born of a magician and an ocean goddness, Ponyo is small but powerful, and in the process of becoming human unleashes a tsunami that submerges an entire town and reverts the waters to the Devonian age (about 400 million years ago), replete with prehistoric aquatic life.

    The beauty of the film is in the detailed and stylised realisation of both the fantasy aspects and the real world. With wonderul hand-drawn and painted animation, Miyazaki weaves realism and magic with deft ease. Everything is infused with a sense of childlike wonder.
  • November 5, 2009
    Another great turn from a great maker of anime. Good kid film too.
  • November 3, 2009
    AMAZING!!!!! I <3 Frankie!!!

Critic Reviews


August 19, 2009
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

Ponyo hasn't changed my mind about Miyazaki. But I'm willing to accept and enjoy this little window into the dream life of fish. full review

August 14, 2009
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Miyazaki works marvels. Sit back and behold. full review

August 14, 2009
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

Hayao Miyazaki's magical Ponyo blends fantasy with just a drop of reality, and the result is irresistible. full review

August 13, 2009
Claudia Puig, USA Today

With its ever-shifting world and palpable sense of magic, Ponyo captures the wonder of being a child. full review

August 13, 2009
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

This poetic, visually breathtaking work by the greatest of all animators has such deep charm that adults and children will both be touched. It's wonderful and never even seems to try: It unfolds fanta... full review

August 10, 2009
Pete Hammond, Boxoffice Magazine

With a starry, first-rate voice cast and the shortened name, this Disney-fied version remains a magnificent animation wonder and a pure delight. full review

August 3, 2009
David Edelstein, New York Magazine

When Miyazaki makes films that decry the threat to the natural world, every molecule onscreen resonates with that belief -- a belief that dissolves the boundaries between form and content. full review

View more Gake no ue no Ponyo (Ponyo) (Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea) reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

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