Forum > Gaming Discussion > Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea: The movie event of 2009 - US trailer on page 3
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea: The movie event of 2009 - US trailer on page 3
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Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:10:51
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Ponyo trailer

http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/07/19/hayao-miyazakis-ponyo-on-the-cliff-japanese-trailer/

The Story

Perky Ponyo, a fish with a little face and red dress, lives beneath the sea with her red-haired, ecologically anxious father and hundreds of much tinier, red-dressed sisters. Curious about the surface world, she hitches a ride atop one of many floating jellyfish (using a smaller, more diaphanous jellyfish as a windshield dome).

Swept up by a dredging net, along with the detritus of civilization (everything from bathtubs to oil sludge), Ponyo is rescued by 5-year-old Sosuke, who resides on a cliff above the ocean and promises to protect her always.

Eventually, Ponyo�s sorcerer father manages to recapture his wayward offspring. But Ponyo, both a willful child and an ungovernable force of nature, soon escapes again, in the process upsetting the Earth�s ecological balance.

Apparently there was criticism as this was totally handrawn unlike Miyazakis last two films which used computers for various things, 3-D depth shots, colour grading etc. The other backlash was that the animation was basic, the design of the character models being more basic than recent films. I didn't have a problem with it because the film is so exuberant, it reminds me of watching Fantasia at times. That trailer has the annoying, yet ultimately infectious theme tune, but thankfully it only plays at the end like the similarly Totoro theme.

The rest of the music is Joe Hisashi at his best, as ever. Clip here:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=FF-mK39uB0w

1oau51.jpg

ponyo1.jpg

ponyo_d20.jpg

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ponyo03.jpg

ponyo02.jpg

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More pics here:

http://www.nonsolocinema.com/Photogallery-Gake-no-ue-no-Ponyo_11702.html

This site has tons of character pics and more:

http://www.studioghibliessential.it/film-ponyoonthecliffbythesea.html

Review here:

http://thevgpress.com/blogs/i-saw-miyazakis-latest-masterpiece-last-night_98.html

Let me start with pre-conceptions. Miyazaki has been on a tremendoes streak, he made the brave and epic Princess Monoke, then the charming and beautiful Spirited Away and the similarly splendid Howl's Moving castle. When I saw the first art from Ponyo I was worried. It was an image of a head attached to a little body of this weird creature that lived in the sea. The trailer, whilst visually gorgeous featured an abominable theme tune, similar to Totoro.

All is well here though, like Totoro, the vocal theme tune isn't played until the credits at the end. Joe Hisashi is on duty here and the score is as marvelous as ever. I was also wrong to doubt Miyazaki. I think you have to understand firstly that the film aligns itself more with Totoro than the likes of Spirited Away. There isn't much at stake here, there is no kind of real peril like your parents being turned into pigs and the threat of being stuck in a strange world for the rest of your life for instance. If Howl's Moving Castle is a satisfying main course, than Ponyo is like a light, fluffy but perfectly excecuted desert.

Ponyo starts with the most fantastical, beautiful opening shot of any Studio Ghibli film to date. It has so much detail and beauty that a Japanese reviewer even questioned whether the detail of blu-ray would even do this film justice. It opens with a shot of some fishing vessels on the night sea with a yellow moon peaked between two clouds. As it pans underwater you see a cacophany of vibrant sea life swarming and twisting, in dazzling colours and movements. There is one shot where they even go the full mile of animating microscopic life, rendering the image of a melting pot of ecological life into your memory.

If there is one negative to Ponyo it's the story. There isn't much of one. It's basically, sea princess wants to become human and live with a young boy. That's pretty much it and all sorts of chaos arises out of the situation. It's not deep or satisfying or complex like other Ghibli films, this isn't a Nausicaa. But this doesn't matter much as the film is almost perfect excecuted. It's a film that will have you smiling throughout its one hour and forty minute running time. And not because of laughing, although there are moments. You will smile because of the absolutely delightful imagination that is constantly painted across the screen. Even an exciting car chase is animated with Studio Ghibli style. I'm sure some of you have fond memories of the car chase in the Castle of Caligstro, this is a similar scene, with peaks of insanity, danger and joyous fun.

Unfortunately, I saw a version of the film that was poorly translated so some aspects of the story may have eluded me. All in all though, this is another special film from a very special director. It's a shame that Disney wont bring the film till america till Spring 09 I read and the Japanese- english subtitled DVD may be months and months away.

Edited: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:12:07

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Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:31:15
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Other reviews:

LoveHKFilm.com

"A whimsical, fantastic and visually amazing film that is a pure delight for all ages."

TIME

"Miyazaki has done that here. He's learned the secret language of children, and speaks to them as one gifted five-year-old to his enthralled peers. That's how an anime veteran turns animation into ani-magic. "

Twitchfilm.net

"If Hayao Miyazaki’s whole line-up of movies is a rainbow, he just added a new colour to it with “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea”. It is so distinctly different from all his other works, yet similar at the same time"

Variety

"“Ponyo” possesses an almost demonic childish energy and a delight in form stronger than reason or narrative. Even Armageddon, as loosed by Ponyo and imagined by Miyazaki, is a wondrous place where half-armored prehistoric fish glide alongside their more evolved cousins, submerged trees form mysterious swamplands and a “ship graveyard” of foundering vessels appears in the distance, like a fairyland of lights stretched out upon the water. "

TimesOnline

"Ultimately, the defining feature of this film is its weapons-grade cuteness. It’s utterly disarming, a film that unspools like a big sigh of pleasure. Ponyo in her human form, joyfully careering around on her newly sprouted legs, is a delight. "

Other Stuff

Ponyo Music performed at a special concert by the Japan Philharmonic - must see

Amazing Opening music of Ponyo performed in Concert

ThemeTune with english subtitles

Fujimoto'sTheme the music that accompanies Ponyo's father

Concert Theme tune

Footage with awful singing in the background

Commercial1

Commercial2

Edited: Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:57:52

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Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:17:01
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Ponyo trailer with english subtitles, click the captions on icon (bottom right of the player)

English Dub actors

Another slew of American actors are lending their voices to Hayao Miyazaki's latest film. According to Ghibli World, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Cate Blanchett, Liam Neeson, Lily Tomlin, Betty White, Fankie Jonas, Noah Cyrys and Cloris Leachman have all signed on for the English-language dubbing of Ponyo on the Cliff By the Sea, the latest film from Japanese anime director Hayao Miyazaki.

Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy will produce the English-language film and it is said the film should be expected in theaters in 2009.pix87924  
Edited: Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:32:39

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Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:00:56
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But...when is it coming to North America?!

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Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:29:05
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Yodariquo said:
But...when is it coming to North America?!

Definetely this year. But I would get it on dvd anyhoo. I saw the English dub of Howl over Christmas. Yuck.

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Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:50:38
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This movie is the WTF of a lifetime.

How is it even possible to create a story that crazy?

I'm going to go write a book about a piece of PVC pipe who longs to become a famous musician now.
Edited: Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:52:24

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Thu, 08 Jan 2009 20:28:06
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Yarcofin said:
This movie is the WTF of a lifetime.

How is it even possible to create a story that crazy?

I'm going to go write a book about a piece of PVC pipe who longs to become a famous musician now.

It's the classic Little Mermaid story. Ponyo is essentially a sea spirit who wants to live on land and her father, king of the seas tries to stop her.

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Fri, 09 Jan 2009 04:08:45
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Yarcofin said:
This movie is the WTF of a lifetime.

How is it even possible to create a story that crazy?

I'm going to go write a book about a piece of PVC pipe who longs to become a famous musician now.

I'd read it. A Jazz musuician right/

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Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:32:34
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Totoro sucks. Discuss.

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Tue, 13 Jan 2009 05:04:03

gamingeek said:
Totoro sucks. Discuss.

Spirited Away sucks. Discuss.

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Tue, 13 Jan 2009 06:10:50
Foolz said:

gamingeek said:
Totoro sucks. Discuss.

Spirited Away sucks. Discuss.

Foolz sucks. Discuss.

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Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:25:10
Yodariquo said:
Foolz said:
gamingeek said:
Totoro sucks. Discuss.

Spirited Away sucks. Discuss.

Foolz sucks. Discuss.

Well I think that Foolz has always sucked. Being Austrailian and living in the sun has always made me hate him, along with his absurd Totoro love.

He doesn't seem to understand on how many levels it sucks. Or the irony of the Catbus or how the Catbus scares small children.

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Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:57:12

Yodariquo said:
Foolz said:

gamingeek said:
Totoro sucks. Discuss.

Spirited Away sucks. Discuss.

Foolz sucks. Discuss.

 Vacuum sucks. Discuss.


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Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:51:40

Yarcofin said:

Yodariquo said:
Foolz said:

gamingeek said:
Totoro sucks. Discuss.

Spirited Away sucks. Discuss.

Foolz sucks. Discuss.

Vacuum sucks. Discuss.

Suck my balls. Discuss. And suck.

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Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:32:35
Seriously though, it wasn't exactly easy putting this thread together. I need validation!

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Fri, 16 Jan 2009 04:56:11

gamingeek said:
Seriously though, it wasn't exactly easy putting this thread together. I need validation!

This thread sucks. Discuss.

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Sun, 18 Jan 2009 22:27:51
A Blu-Ray release possible?

One of the site's forefathers.

Play fighting games!

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Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:30:00

Punk Rebel Ecks said:
A Blu-Ray release possible?

Dont all movies get a blu-ray release eventually?

I think you will be waiting till the end of this year for a release. The subtitled HK or Jap DVD should be out in the next few months I hope. I was just watching Porco Rosso last night. I hated it when I saw it the first time, but immediately took to it on the english dub with remastered picture. Although Michael Keaton as Porco? What? Just mumbles.

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Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:14:06
I love the style, but I'm afraid it's going to be ages before I see this movie around here.
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Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:15:32
And a BluRay would be awesome, but it would be easier to spot Hayao Miyazaki prancing around in the nude while clenching his buttcheeks than this movie BluRay edition.
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