Ponyo (Hayao Miyazaki, 2008): Japan
Reviewed by Byron Potau. Viewed on DVD.
For writer/director Hayao Miyazaki’s latest magical trip into animation with Ponyo, Disney has pulled out all the stops, casting the likes of Tina Fey, Liam Neeson, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, and Lily Tomlin among others to overdub the original Japanese voices, but I am not one who thinks an English language track is necessary to replace the original Japanese track, nor is it essential to have every character voiced by well known celebrities. I prefer the inflections of the original actors who probably have a better understanding of their characters. Wouldn’t you think a version of Disney’s Pinocchio would lose a little something if dubbed by Japanese actors for a Japanese audience? Here, with the main characters voiced by one of the Jonas brothers and Miley Cyrus’ little sister, it reeks of Disney at their worst. Therefore, I was lucky enough to borrow a copy of the Japanese DVD and hear the version Miyazaki had intended, and not the one he had to settle for to get an America release for his film.
Ponyo (Yuria Nara) is a curious goldfish who wanders a little far from her home in the sea, getting swept up into a bottle by a ship’s net scraping the bottom of the ocean, scooping up fish and trash alike. Five year old Sosuke (Hiroki Doi) finds the bottle and frees Ponyo, saving her life. He names her Ponyo and takes her to school with him. She takes to him very quickly and begins to mimic his speech. Ponyo then gets retaken into the ocean by her father, Fujimoto (Joji Tokoro), who has a distrust of human beings because of all the havoc they wreak on the ocean. However, Ponyo has now seen human life and wants to be part of it, transforming herself into human form and escaping to reunite with Sosuke.
Somewhat similar to The Little Mermaid, but lacking a real evil presence opposing the main characters, the film has a much gentler tone. Ponyo’s father, Fujimoto, first appears to be that evil hindrance to Ponyo becoming human, but we soon see he is not evil, not even bad, but concerned for Ponyo’s safety and only wants what is best for his daughter.
Because of this lack of conflict the film seems to lack a little punch. In order for Ponyo to become human she must be loved by Sosuke and there is little that stands in the way of that. To make things even simpler, Ponyo is completely unaware of the conditions of her becoming human as she is driven blindly by the desire to be with Sosuke.
Despite this lack of conflict the film has an undeniable charm. Miyazaki knows how to make his characters funny without being overly cute. The interactions between Sosuke, Ponyo, and Sosuke and his classmates are memorably funny and adorable.
The voice characterizations by all are well done and seem appropriate for their characters, careful not to overplay them. Yuria Nara and Hiroki Doi are particularly good, capturing the childlike innocence of their characters.
Miyazaki’s pastel colored animation is wondrous and completely unlike the CGI animation we are becoming used to. There is a real artistry in his animation that encapsulates and awes you so effortlessly and you become engrossed in the world he has created.
Though this is not Miyazaki’s finest work he does not disappoint either, turning out a charming film that is not only appropriate, but enjoyable for all ages. Yet, however lighthearted it may be, Miyazaki’s film does carry a message for its viewers. The human’s trespassing in the ocean, with life threatening results due to the buildup of trash and the imbalance it causes is mirrored by the near disastrous results of Ponyo’s trespass on the world of humans where tsunami like conditions threaten to put Sosuke’s town underwater. Certainly Ponyo’s eventual assimilation into the human world suggests the two worlds can coexist without destroying each other.
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