Ponyo Review

[Turtlejosh]

Well looks like I missed this gem at the cinema. Single 18 year old guy going in alone? Didn't seem like an attractive offer to me. But since buying this on Blu Ray, I can now give you a review. Woop.

So this is Another Studio Ghibli film, so of course I had very high expectations. I am glad to say that I was not disappointed.
The story is about the son of a sailor, 5-year old Sosuke lives a quiet life on an oceanside cliff with his mother Lisa. One fateful day, he finds a beautiful goldfish trapped in a bottle on the beach and upon rescuing her, names her Ponyo. But she is no ordinary goldfish. The daughter of a masterful wizard and a sea goddess, Ponyo uses her father's magic to transform herself into a young girl and quickly falls in love with Sosuke, but the use of such powerful sorcery causes a dangerous imbalance in the world. As the moon steadily draws nearer to the earth and Ponyo's father sends the ocean's mighty waves to find his daughter, the two children embark on an adventure of a lifetime to save the world and fulfill Ponyo's dreams of becoming human.
The film is beautiful, clearly aimed more at children, it is bright and colourful and a pleasure for the eyes. Honestly, it was worth buying on Blu Ray just for the prettyness. The story was basic, as you would expect, but was oozing with charm. The characters were brilliant, the old women were very good. I particularly liked Ponyo's Father, voiced by Liam Neeson, who was perhaps the most familiar voice in the movie for me. I didn't hear much from Blanchett or Damon, but they were there. Obviously, this film is not intended for the action lovers among you, but for any fans of a nice, cosy film or Anime, you will love it. I promise you that. I really do wish I saw it at the Cinema, it's a solid 5 star movie for me. For others though, it is more of a 4 star film, especially if you are not aware of Ghibli films. But try this movie, I love it.