Porco Rosso

Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki is best known for his contemporary fairy tales, including the Oscar-winning Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. Porco Rosso is one of the director's oddities, an aviation adventure about a World War I ace who patrols the skies, battling high-flying pirates in an imaginary post-WWI Italy. Porco is human but has the face of a pig—the result of a magical spell—which marks this chivalrous romantic as a tortured hero who is cursed to be alone (even though two women are in love with him). Porco Rosso boasts gorgeous hand-drawn animation featuring beautifully-executed aerial dogfights set against the blue Mediterranean skies, and a lovingly-detailed romantic vision of Italy between the wars. The title of this hugely popular (in Japan) 1992 hit is Italian for "red pig," perhaps Miyazaki's fanciful answer to the Red Baron (Miyazaki's love of aviation and Italy can also be seen in his final film, 2014's The Wind Rises). Michael Keaton voices Porco for the English language version, while Cary Elwes is his nemesis, an American hired by the pirates to shoot Porco down. Making its Blu-ray debut in a dual-language Blu-ray/DVD Combo set, rated PG, extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette and an interview with producer Toshio Suzuki. A lighthearted comic swashbuckler with a wistful sense of loss for the chivalry and honor of the past, this is recommended. (S. Axmaker)[DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Review—Nov. 14, 2017—Shout! Factory, 93 min., PG, DVD: $19.98, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $29.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and Blu-ray, 1992's Porco Rosso features a great transfer and a DTS-HD 2.0 soundtrack. Extras include feature-length storyboards (94 min.), a “Behind the Microphone” voice cast segment (8 min.), an interview with producer Toshio Suzuki (4 min.), and a booklet. Bottom line: an excellent edition of a ‘90s anime classic.]