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

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.

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.  

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.

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.

Foolz said:

gamingeek said:

Totoro sucks. Discuss.

Spirited Away sucks. Discuss.

Foolz sucks. Discuss.

Yodariquo said:

Foolz said:

gamingeek said:

Totoro sucks. Discuss.

Spirited Away sucks. Discuss.

Foolz sucks. Discuss.

 Vacuum sucks. Discuss.