♥ Sunday, January 04, 2009♥
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea Movie Review
Warning: Spoiler ahead-Below is my review of the movie. For those who plan to watch it, please do not read it.
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea is a movie about a goldfish born with a girl’s head, Ponyo, who runs away from her home at the bottom of the sea and falls in love with a 5 year old boy Sosuke. She then aspires to be a human being.
This movie is produced by Japanese Director Hayao Miyazaki who has churned out other critically-acclaimed animations like My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle. The story unfolds from Ponyo and Sosuke’s point of view and is the all-time box office winner in Japan for Year 2008.
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea is loosely adapted from Hans Anderson’s The Little Mermaid. It didn’t follow the original story, which is more sombre, strictly but instead injected more whimsicality and life into it. It is simple but not to the extent that will strike people as being childish. The natural simplicity of the movie makes it a great hit not only with the kids but also the adults and people of all ages. The catchy tune of the main song and the innocent lines “Ponyo likes Sosuke” “Ponyo wants to become a human” spoken by Ponyo, shown in the trailer, leave much of an impression on one as well.
This movie also differs from previous hits of Hayao Miyazaki because it is done completely in traditional hand-drawn pictures-2D. Although I initially harboured the thought that this 2D -movie might not look realistic, that thought soon went right out of my mind after I became caught up in the plot. The opening part at Ponyo’s home is extremely delightful. The vivid, lucid display of the sea creatures, plants as well as the environment is an eye opener. Furthermore, the realistic sounds of the sea and those made by the sea creatures serve as a great booster to my overall enjoyment of the movie. The ambiance created by this 2D-film is surprisingly soothing and, in my opinion, on par to that of a typical 3D-movie.
The special relationship between young children and their parents stood out in this movie. Sosuke enjoys a close relationship with his parents, especially with his mother Lisa. When he realises that Lisa is upset at her husband’s continuation to work late, Sosuke comforts her. It tugs at one’s heartstrings as earlier on, Lisa is comforting Sosuke when he gets upset over the loss of Ponyo.
On the other hand for Ponyo, things are not going smoothly. She is suffocating under her overprotective father’s wing. Her father actually loves her very much and his main agenda is to protect her from humans whom he views as dangerous. However, his display of love is underappreciated by Ponyo. This strikes a chord with many people as one may find oneself in similar situations. In some cases, a parent’s method of displaying love might not be too suitable and it results in much distress for both parties. At the end of the day though, parents love their children – near the end of the movie, Ponyo’s father finally accepts Ponyo’s decision as he loves her.
Several themes are prevalent throughout the movie. An example is the need to protect the ocean. Humans have been causing great harm to the environment for centuries. The ocean is one of man’s victims. Not being one to swallow his grumbles, Fujimoto, father of Ponyo, plans to take vengeance by garnering magic in a well. Unfortunately for him but fortunately for mankind, his powers are stolen by Ponyo.
Ponyo, on her voyage to look for Sosuke, rides on the friendly-looking waves that are akin to whales. However, to the humans, the whales spell disaster since the storm created by the waves will result in much havoc for those at sea-fisherman, boats and those on land-such as difficulty in commutating. This upset at sea may be a form of a punishment to humans who have been abusing it. It is also a parallel itself- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
The simplicity of the movie is done with plenty of elegance and grace. The innocent actions of the children like Ponyo dancing and skipping happily when she is finally a human and Ponyo imitating Sosuke’s actions during dinner touch me.
Perhaps the only fault found in the movie is the simplicity itself. To a cynic, it may seem too straightforward and is a minimalism of the real world which we all know is grave, graver and gravest. Nevertheless, most will find this movie heart-warming and interesting.
LittleTwinStar wished again.
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