Ponyo (2008)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Albert K

  
  For American animated movies, the forefront of this genre is obviously Pixar. The studio manages to attract children and adults with its great storytelling, gorgeous and fluid animation, and memorable characters... Hayao Miyazaki is arguably on the same caliber as Pixar. If… More
  For American animated movies, the forefront of this genre is obviously Pixar. The studio manages to attract children and adults with its great storytelling, gorgeous and fluid animation, and memorable characters... Hayao Miyazaki is arguably on the same caliber as Pixar. If "Ponyo" were a well of imagination, it would be shooting up water all over the place. It's overflowing with very diverse, strange, and unique imaginative settings, effects, and characters. See, the thing about Pixar is how they take stories that have occurred to adults and place them upon cute animals, children, or children-friendly protagonists. The journey these characters take are tweaked to appeal to children but "Ponyo"... wow, everything is created from the imaginative vision and mind of a child. There's creepy imagery and strange concepts going on, but "Ponyo" is entertaining throughout. The transition from the Japanese voice actors to the American? Almost flawless. Great move to get professional A-list actors to substitute for the original voice actors -- I wouldn't even know if the Japanese version or American is better. The only problem I had with this movie is that though it is visually spectacular, it could've been MORE entertaining but other then that, "Ponyo" is one of those animated movies that any child and adult will willingly invest their attention to.

• Randy T

  
  Beautiful, imaginative and utterly adorable.

• Melvin W

  
  Sosuke: Mom! Ponyo came back, and she's a little girl now! "Welcome To A World Where Anything Is Possible." Ponyo, simply put, is one of the best animated films I have seen. It's a beautiful and overall delightful movie that is just a joy to watch. It kind… More
  Sosuke: Mom! Ponyo came back, and she's a little girl now! "Welcome To A World Where Anything Is Possible." Ponyo, simply put, is one of the best animated films I have seen. It's a beautiful and overall delightful movie that is just a joy to watch. It kind of makes you feel like your five years old again. It sucks you in and you can't take your eyes off it. It is like watching another, better world. The film does what a lot of animated movies don't, in that it is as engrossing plot wise as it is visually. And that's saying a lot because visually this is a masterpiece. The story starts with a five year old boy, Sosuke, finding a gold fish in the ocean. He names it Ponyo and spends the say with it only to lose it at sea and that's when the real magic starts. The American version has a superb voice cast including Cate Blanchett, Liam Neeson, Matt Damon and Tina Fey. The film has enormous heart which is shown through the love of Sosuke and Ponyo. It isn't as confusing as I had expected, but it does have some elements of, "So what is going on?" I would expect kids to be infatuated with this movie though, purely because of the spectacle. Little kids don't need to understand every little detail of the plot, they just need something beautiful to look at and this is it. For adults, it has a lot of substance and makes for an extremely enjoyable hundred minutes. Family films don't come much better than this.

• Unknown H

  
  I thought this movie was incredible and so did my two year old daughter. Original, heart felt and a little creepy at times as all good childrens films should be, Ponyo is a definite favourite in my house that is watched at least once a week. Even out goldfish bears her name.

• Directors C

  
  Ponyo is one of Hayao Miyazaki's more gentle and cute films. However it still somehow manages to find a way to engage a connection with adults also. Audiences who witness Ponyo will not leave feeling bored, it is brilliantly animated, it is absolutely adorable and is another… More
  Ponyo is one of Hayao Miyazaki's more gentle and cute films. However it still somehow manages to find a way to engage a connection with adults also. Audiences who witness Ponyo will not leave feeling bored, it is brilliantly animated, it is absolutely adorable and is another piece of Miyazaki poetry. However, a lot goes on in this film and it might confuse younger viewers. It all depeneds on who your taking to see Ponyo.

• Candy R

  
  Japanese anime based on the little mermaid. A goldfish is rescued by a boy. The goldfish wants to become human to be with him. Voiced by Liam Neeson, Matt Damon and Cate Blanchett.

• Cindy I

  
  I"m a big fan of Hayao Miyazaki's work, but this just didn't grab me like my favorite SPIRITED AWAY did. Not to say that it was bad -- not at all. The art was of course terrific, the characters were engaging, but the story was confusing, and Liam Neeson voice is way too… More
  I"m a big fan of Hayao Miyazaki's work, but this just didn't grab me like my favorite SPIRITED AWAY did. Not to say that it was bad -- not at all. The art was of course terrific, the characters were engaging, but the story was confusing, and Liam Neeson voice is way too familiar to me to believe his character. A good but not great try.

• Keiko A

  
  Well it really does nothing but puts Disney's the Little Mermaid to shame, I liked it but oh my god is this just better and more creatively trippy. Miyazaki is a living legend in all sense all well as Studio Ghibli and their films (Minus Tales from Earthsea), There just talented… More
  Well it really does nothing but puts Disney's the Little Mermaid to shame, I liked it but oh my god is this just better and more creatively trippy. Miyazaki is a living legend in all sense all well as Studio Ghibli and their films (Minus Tales from Earthsea), There just talented people who know how to make amazing movies, and I saw Ponyo twice first me and my best friend and second with my youngest sister. And I was likely the best thing I saw that year. Again many would say it's not Miyazaki's best but personally I thought it was Spirited Away that was his worst by far. This hits my top 5. The son of a sailor, 5-year old Sosuke lives a quiet life on an oceanside cliff with his mother Lisa. One fateful day, he finds a beautiful goldfish trapped in a bottle on the beach and upon rescuing her, names her Ponyo. But she is no ordinary goldfish. The daughter of a masterful wizard and a sea goddess, Ponyo uses her father's magic to transform herself into a young girl and quickly falls in love with Sosuke, but the use of such powerful sorcery causes a dangerous imbalance in the world. As the moon steadily draws nearer to the earth and Ponyo's father sends the ocean's mighty waves to find his daughter, the two children embark on an adventure of a lifetime to save the world and fulfill Ponyo's dreams of becoming human. Again I think it's better than Disney's version this just put's it to shame but this is Miyazaki he makes everything amazing, Nomatter how simply a project could be to him...So far my favourite is Howls Moving Castle, Laputa: Castle in the Sky and My neighbour Totoro (Lol I still have my Totoro doll since I was young). I think that's it. [IMG]http://i51.tinypic.com/zvejo7.jpg[/IMG] 95% for story: it's all but near perfect, It's wired as hell, Funny, Sad, really strange like but awesome to look at and listen too. It's all but the simplest of things. And it's likely one of his best because of how simple and amazing it is. 90% for voice acting: I haven't heard the American dub yet...It's on my DVD next time I will give it a go, But till then the voice dubbing is pretty good I liked the actors a lot and them so yeah okay. 90% for characters: Wow Ponyo is there best in a while that's just me though, I an would have given it an 80% for this but after watching it again 90% easy. A little more development on them and it would have been perfect. The deigns are just amazing and nothing short of it. 100% for Animation: Holy shit that is just stunning, I haven't seen anything better in a while, But then again this is what traditional is all about; The opening was just stunning with all the fish, Wow I have never seen better I tell you that. 95% for everything else: Nice music, Epic scenery, Great pace, It's really nothing short of near perfect, Despite some peoples acclaims. Epic use of Colors too so bright and beautifully. By the end Ponyo is different and Magical and it is indeed Miyazaki's finest work in a while. Keiko's score 92-100.

• Michael E

  
  another of miyazakis best films in the visual department, acting, character personalities, and actor choices

• Thomas B

  
  Brain scramblingly confusing? You bet. But don't even try taking your eyes away from the screen for one second. Full review later.

• Stella D

  
  it's darling of course but the disney dub steals some of the magic :(

• Jennifer D

  
  This is the CUTEST MOVIE EVAAAR!!!! OMG!!! This might be one of my very favorite Miyazaki films. Adorable. Clever, beautiful, sweet and beautifully-other-worldly. Gorgeous. And with some amazing voice talents, how can you go wrong? Liam Neeson (and character) being my favorite part.… More
  This is the CUTEST MOVIE EVAAAR!!!! OMG!!! This might be one of my very favorite Miyazaki films. Adorable. Clever, beautiful, sweet and beautifully-other-worldly. Gorgeous. And with some amazing voice talents, how can you go wrong? Liam Neeson (and character) being my favorite part. Loved it!!

• Anthony L

  
  More cute than beautiful but still really good. Another Hayao Miyazaki/Ghibli masterpiece! Pisses on Finding Nemo and was probably only a fraction of the price!

• Carlos M

  
  Ponyo is an enjoyable and visually beautiful hand-drawn animation by master Hayao Miyazaki. This time he goes for a more innocent and simpler approach to tell his story instead of delivering an epic, grandiose production like some of his best previous works.

• Mark W

  
  In a world of CGI animation it's refreshing to know that Hayao Mayazaki (Spirited Away, Howls Moving Castle) will take us back to basics with his hand drawn art work, every so often. Mayazaki's latest tells the story of Sosuke, a young boy who finds a little goldfish on the… More
  In a world of CGI animation it's refreshing to know that Hayao Mayazaki (Spirited Away, Howls Moving Castle) will take us back to basics with his hand drawn art work, every so often. Mayazaki's latest tells the story of Sosuke, a young boy who finds a little goldfish on the seashore one day. Sosuke and the goldfish become very attached and he decides to call her "Ponyo". Ponyo has human features being the child of a magician and a sea godess and she longs to be fully human one day but her being out of the ocean causes an imbalance in nature and the balance can only be restored if she can be truly loved by Sosuke. "Ponyo" is a treat for all ages and once again Mayazaki achieves in creating the look and feel of otherworldly places with his basic yet very effective art work. His characters are always endearing and well thought out but the only problem with "Ponyo" is that it lacks the darker side that "Spirited Away" benefited from. This leaves it a little whimsical and straying more to the childish side of animation. However, this is a small criticism and it's still difficult not to get swept away by the whole delightful adventure.

• Justin Y

  
  Hayao Miyazaki's adventure into the animated, <i>Ponyo</i>, is a delightful experience for all ages.<p>While actually a little light on plot, especially in the first half, this 1 hour 40 minute whimsical picture never gets bland. A little strange at times, but… More
  Hayao Miyazaki's adventure into the animated, <i>Ponyo</i>, is a delightful experience for all ages.<p>While actually a little light on plot, especially in the first half, this 1 hour 40 minute whimsical picture never gets bland. A little strange at times, but never boring. In fact, it is the outlandishness of the film that makes it so entertaining, despite very little in the way of explanations. The Ponyo character is just so adorable that everything single thing she does requires attention. Fortunately, there is a ton of Ponyo to go around as she is the focal point of the story.</p>Visually, this film appeases the eyes. The Japanese style of animation works well with human characters. Combine the animation with a fantastic setting plus an orchestrated soundtrack and <i>Ponyo</i> shines all around.</p><p>The original Japanese voice acting passes the test. Yuria Nara's voice is just as charming as Ponyo herself, while the Japanese dialogue sits well with the rest of the characters.</p><p>There are elements of <i>Ponyo</i> that are quite bizarre; however it never relinquishes its style and is a movie for the whole family to enjoy. "Ponyo wants ham!"</p>

• Dead A

  
  Awww it was a cute movie.

• Lewis C

  
  I'm a 24 year old male, and I'm proud to say that Ponyo is one of the cutest and most delightful movies that I've ever seen in my life. I watched the entire movie with a big, silly grin on my face. I needed a good animated experience to remove the mediocrity of… More
  I'm a 24 year old male, and I'm proud to say that Ponyo is one of the cutest and most delightful movies that I've ever seen in my life. I watched the entire movie with a big, silly grin on my face. I needed a good animated experience to remove the mediocrity of Howl's Moving Castle from my brain, and Ponyo more than delivered. It's a simply beautiful movie (which is to be expected), but so was Howl. What makes Ponyo so much better, is that it sticks to a simple story, and tells it very well. This was obviously made so a younger child could easily follow it, but it's equally as captivating for adult viewers. There's no big world-ending disaster to prevent, no dastardly villian to escape, and no heavy-handed moral. There is a very slight message about taking care of the oceans, but that never interferes with the charming little story that's being told. Things never become bigger than the relationship between a 5 year-old boy, and his unusual new friend. And the plot greatly benefits from that narrow focus. If I absolutely must nitpick, the middle of the movie wasn't quiet as marvelous as the excellent beginning and strong ending. Still, I'd recommend this movie to absolutely anyone. If you don't like it, you just don't have a heart.

• Nicki M

  
  I admit this review is a little biased because I really, really, really don't enjoy these movies. I find them ugly to look at, and the stories are always stupid (although I guess at least they show imagination, unlike a standard kids animated movie. Whatever, still… More
  I admit this review is a little biased because I really, really, really don't enjoy these movies. I find them ugly to look at, and the stories are always stupid (although I guess at least they show imagination, unlike a standard kids animated movie. Whatever, still doesn't make me enjoy them anymore). This one is no worse than the others. Maybe even better as it has a reasonably short run time compared to some I've seen (although when this is positive feature in a review, that's not saying a whole heap). The story, from what I could gather, (as my attention would keep drifting) is slightly disturbing - something like little fish girl sucks blood from little boys cut and becomes a little human girl. It is then up to the little boy, (who looks all of four), to prove his true love to this diapered baby girl so she can stay a human.

• Jake .

  
  I didn't even realize how much I was enjoying Ponyo until it was over. So, I turned around and watched it again. It is just so absolutely perfect. Sweet and innocent, optimistic and charming. The actual animation is vibriant and gorgeous. Everthing about it is just .. beautiful:… More
  I didn't even realize how much I was enjoying Ponyo until it was over. So, I turned around and watched it again. It is just so absolutely perfect. Sweet and innocent, optimistic and charming. The actual animation is vibriant and gorgeous. Everthing about it is just .. beautiful: the animation, the story, the style, the sheer emotion. A first it seemed like the film was maybe overly childlike, but Ponyo and Sosuke are five year olds, after all. Instead of being irritating, it just adds to the charm. I would really like to see Liam Neeson and Cate Blanchett play a couple again. Those two smooth voices just come together so well. This is a movie that is underrated no matter how much hype it recieves. Film's like Ponyo do not come along very often, and you really should gobble them up when they do.

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