Hayao Miyazaki’s latest is given the A+ voice over treatment for American audiences with the help of John Lasseter and the results are a beautiful looking animated tale full of wonder and imagination that is a bit all over the place and can’t sustain it’s full run time.
Sosuke is a young boy that lives on the top of a hill of a port town. His mother works at retirement community and his father is a boat captain that docks in and out of their local port. Sosuke loves the water and one day when playing by his house he discovers a small red fish like creature with a rather human face. This fish he names Ponyo turns out to be on the run from an underwater sorcerer of sorts who begins to pursue Sosuke and his mother as the boy takes Ponyo down to school with him. Ponyo seems to be an unusual fish, as she can speak and apparently heal people, and Sosuke bonds with her immediately. When the sorcerer gets his hands on Ponyo again, Ponyo begins on the path back to Sosuke with the help of a little magic that will allow them to bond even further. [Read more...]