ninemsn

In a sweet homage to “The Little Mermaid”, Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film is about a little, red goldfish called Ponyo, who falls in love with a human boy.

Kept trapped in a bubble by her deranged wizard father, the spirited Ponyo escapes and washes up on the shores of a small Japanese fishing village. She is quickly discovered by a boy called Sosuke, who lives in a house perched on top of a hill with his mother Lisa.

Ponyo and Sosuke quickly become friends and, while stubbornly defying the wishes of her ocean-loving father, Ponyo uses her magical powers to become an adorable, red-haired girl. But the act inadvertently upsets the natural order and sets the world on a course for destruction.

“Ponyo” has many of the hallmarks of a Miyazaki film: the blending of reality with surreality; a playful imagination; sparky, resourceful female characters; a dedication to extolling the virtues of true friendship and environmentalism; and, best of all, an ambivalence towards good vs evil plotlines.

For those unfamiliar with the Japanese filmmaker’s work, the exquisite artwork of his animations has earned him the title of this generation’s foremost animation director by film buffs around the world. And this latest film looks just as gorgeous as his others – typified by expressive, brightly coloured and often hand-drawn or hand-painted figures and scenery.

Children and adults alike will delight at the ancient water creatures, the rolling ocean taking the shape of a school of giant heaving fish, and the two bouncy and lovable child leads.

Those who watch the English-language version may be delighted to hear some very familiar voices: heavy hitters such as Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Liam Neeson and Betty White feature in the English-language version. And in the two key roles a couple of famous siblings: Noah Cyrus (yes, Miley’s sis) and Frankie Jonas (yes, li’l bro to the Jonas Brothers).

“Ponyo” may lack some of the emotional depth of some of Miyazaki’s previous films. But the movie is decidedly less scary than his fantastical and darker hits like “Howl’s Moving Castle” or “Spirited Away”. And the fact that Ponyo and Sosuke are five-year-olds is a clear indication that this is a movie you can take even the littlest of littlies to – and enjoy just as much as they will.

ninemsn’s MovieFix, November 2008.