Ponyo

From Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki (Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away) comes a most delightful family film. Loosely inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid, this enchanting fable tells the story of a mischievous young goldfish named Ponyo (voiced by Noah Cyrus, Miley's younger sister), who yearns to be a real girl. Ponyo is watched over by her protective sorcerer father, Fujimoto (Liam Neeson), who was once a man and now lives underwater in a bubble, despising humans for destroying the ocean. One day Ponyo sneaks off and rides to the surface on a jellyfish, laughing fearlessly atop turbulent waves during a typhoon. When she's inadvertently trapped in a jar and nearly dies, she is saved by five-year-old Sosuke (Frankie Jonas, younger sibling of the Jonas Brothers), who is adored by the residents of the nursing home where his mother, Lisa (Tina Fey), works. Even before Ponyo magically becomes human, she establishes a strong bond with the boy; but their friendship is tested by a tsunami that threatens Sosuke's village, and his father, Koichi (Matt Damon), a cargo ship pilot. The deluge is triggered by ecological changes that occur as a result of Ponyo's crossing the divide between sea and land, and only her sea goddess mother (Cate Blanchett) can restore nature's balance. Ever mindful of the environment, Miyazaki gently but resolutely conveys the message that to survive, humans must respect and take responsibility for protecting the natural world. Adroitly adapted for American audiences by screenwriter Melissa Mathison (E.T.), the film is a fantastical, sweet-natured charmer. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a behind-the-scenes look at Studio Ghibli with interviews and featurettes (48 min.), a “Meet Ponyo” intro by the producers (3 min.), an “Enter the Lands” section with characters and clips from a variety of Studio Ghibli films, and trailers. The Blu-ray release also includes the DVD version of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a winning family anime film.] (S. Granger)[DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Review—Oct. 17, 2017—Shout! Factory, 103 min., G, DVD: $19.98, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $29.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and Blu-ray, 2008's Ponyo features an excellent transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack. Extras include storyboards (101 min.), “The Five Geniuses Who Created Ponyo” (49 min.), a press conference with director Hayao Miyazaki at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (40 min.), interviews with producer Toshio Suzuki (30 min.) and Miyazaki (15 min.), a “Theme Song Announcement” (12 min.), an opening event at Hibiya Scala-Za Theater (10 min.), a location segment (10 min.), and the production segments “Scoring Miyazaki” (8 min.), “Behind the Microphone” (6 min.), “Theme Song Music Video” (4 min.), “Creating Ponyo” (4 min.), “Ponyo & Fujimoto” (3 min.), “Producer's Perspective: Telling the Story” (3 min.), and “The Nursery” (2 min.), as well as a booklet. Bottom line: this new edition of the hit anime film shines.]