Ponyo

Chances are if you're not already a fan of Hayao Miyazaki this film probably wont make you one, because its more of the same, but the same sure is pretty fun. His films bear the mark of a true auteur; consistent in tone and subject matter dating back to the eighties, they often feature very young protagonists who encounter various unique creatures who either assist or challenge them in completing what would be a gargantuan task for someone their age that will ultimately deliver them to maturity. Ponyo is certainly no exception, but it's still good. Damn is it good.

The story is a re-telling of the tried-and-true Little Mermaid, centering around a young boy Sasuke who finds a fish with a human face who just happens to be the daughter of some powerful ocean wizards or something (again, explained just enough so it barely makes sense, just accept it). Inevitably boy and fish fall in 5 year-old love making Ponyo determined to use her magic to escape her human-hating father (superbly voiced by Liam Neeson who I usually can't stand) and join Sasuke as a real human child. Think they'll succeed?

It's weird, the movie isn't particularly unique in its narrative arc, you know what's coming up next pretty much throughout the movie, but it's just such a fun and satisfying time that you spend in Miyazaki's world that you don't really mind. Here Miyazaki has abandoned the insane detail of his more mature films such as Spirited Away or Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, the style is more of a throwback to works like My Neighbor Totoro, in favor of rich, inoffensive pastels and broad brushstrokes that possess a certain universality, appealing to both young and old around the globe. I could see this movie being really empowering and special for really little kids, as it doesn't talk down to them, it meets them on their level and ultimately they save the day. This is the essential charm of a Miyazaki film, they seem to portray reality as viewed from the eyes of a child, taken purely at face value. "Hmm, there's a fish with a face. ok." The man can keep charming the little kid in me until he fuckin dies. A-

Other semi-related thoughts:

-Miyazaki is a lot like Lynch, you know its one of theirs just by looking at it, and both their films exist not in reality but in the mind of their creators, and are governed by their logic, you're just along for the ride.

-Wait, this movie actually made me have a dream that I saw a Lynch children's movie. That shit is certainly not coincidental.

-The movie is worth seeing alone for its silent opening sequence depicting the world from which Ponyo comes; da ocean.

-Ponyo also has an infectious theme song, on par with Totoro. Here it is.