If the plot of Ponyo is small as a minnow, its themes -- the relationship between parent and child, between the young and the elderly, between friends, between man and nature -- are large and fully realized.
Comment
08/14/09
Ponyo (2009)
91
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:111
Fresh:101
Rotten:10
Average Rating:7.7/10
Consensus: While not Miyazaki's best film, Ponyo is a visually stunning fairy tale that's a sweetly poetic treat for children of all ages.
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Genre: Childrens
Synopsis: From the Academy Award®-winning director and world-renowned Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki comes PONYO, a story inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale “The Little Mermaid.” ... [More]
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Noah Cyrus, Matt Damon, Tina Fey
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Reviews for Ponyo
Ponyo isn't Hayao Miyazaki's greatest film, but his beautiful, quirky fable has magic other children's movies can't touch.
08/14/09
The type of glorious filmmaking and storytelling that should appeal to everyone ... a wonderful and magical film that should be seen and enjoyed as a family.
08/14/09
Hayao Miyazaki proves that he is not only a master animator but also a master storyteller. Ponyo is easily one of the best films -- animated or live action -- of the year.
08/14/09
Sometimes it's enough to just sit back and let a beautiful work of animation wash over you, letting the troubles of the world slide past as the pictures take you out of this world. Ponyo is just that sort of film.
08/14/09
When the ocean rises in this wonderful movie, each leaping wave stares out at us with a baleful eye as if in watchful and worried wait.
08/14/09
Top CriticWondrous, weird, and sweetly innocent, Ponyo is a tale bursting with love, which is recommendation enough for the young and the young at heart.
08/14/09
you get a psychedelic, visually stunning film with a Japanese flavor, instead of one with pop culture flavor (and no talking dogs or balloons).
08/14/09
A magical, uplifting and visually stunning film that's exhilarating for kids and adults simultaneously.
08/14/09
More than enough joy and laughter to outweigh its less-than-inspired moments.
08/14/09
"Ponyo" is the kind of dazzling cinematic experience that will resonate in the hearts and minds of anyone who sees it for a long time afterwards.
08/13/09
A good number of Miyazaki's fans will be disappointed by what looks like a step back, but the relaxed simplicity of the new film eventually works its effortless magic.
08/13/09
We are truly dealing with a master.
08/13/09
With its ever-shifting world and palpable sense of magic, Ponyo captures the wonder of being a child.
08/13/09
Miyazaki fans who are expecting the deeper themes in this may be disappointed. And as good as it looks, it's not career defining work, it's only merely good.
08/13/09
A charming and enchanting mystical fairy tale about a goldfish who becomes a girl and a little boy who loves her and introduces her with pride to his world of wonders.
08/13/09
...at its most magical when it observes the every day.
08/13/09
Sticks together disparate bits and pieces of fairy tale, mythopoeia, sci-fi and family film with the artless simplicity of a child mashing up Tinkertoys, Playdoh and Daddy's cuff links into a single sculpture.
08/13/09
Stunning bursts of imagination and sensational, almost psychedelic images make the film a garden of unearthly delights.
08/13/09
A loose adaptation of The Little Mermaid that's full of fantastic visuals and genuine whimsy, but a little lax when it comes to plot logic or meaningful themes.
08/13/09
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August 13, 2009:
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