Ponyo
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Cast: Noah Cyrus, Frankie Jonas, Tina Fey, Liam Neeson, Cate Blanchett
Loosely based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale “The Little Mermaid”, Hayao Miyazaki's story “Ponyo” is unique retelling of a classic story about a curious and charming princess who lives in the sea. One day, when she is rescued from a bottle by a little boy named Sosuke, an incredible connection is forged between the two, and Sosuke wins Ponyo’s heart, inspiring the young princess to become human. Alas, Ponyo’s transformation has dire results, and in the end, only the power of their love can restore balance to the world and allow Ponyo and Sosuke to be together.
The story “Ponyo” is unprecedented in the Disney animated canon for a couple of different reasons. The innocence of Ponyo’s love for Sosuke is overshadowed by the monumental consequences which follow in the wake of romantic indulgence. The story’s conflict reflects a more severe outcome than the Disney version of “The Little Mermaid” in the sense that should the love shared between the two children fail, Ponyo’s life would be extinguished and she would be transformed into sea foam. The result of Princess Ponyo’s desire to be human is also more severe than the Disney version. Instead of merely upsetting her father, Ponyo’s choice upsets the balance of everything in nature, and that balance cannot be restored until Ponyo chooses whether to remain with Sosuke as a human child, or return to the sea with her family.
The strength of the story can be realized primarily in the creative designs of the characters. The animation of Princess Ponyo, is particularly memorable. When Princess Ponyo is in the water, she is portrayed in the form of a fish-like creature. When Ponyo realizes her desire to be human, her appearance becomes a mixture of fish and human. Finally, when Ponyo is on land, she takes on the appearance of a human girl. This is, by far, the strongest of the three animation-wise, because in her human form, the viewer can truly make a connection with Ponyo’s character and understand the essence of who she is. Her child-like curiosity and her emotional connection to Sosuke are likewise conveyed more strongly when she is in her human form. The design of Gran Mamare, Ponyo’s mother, is also exceptional. While Gran Mamare appears overwhelming in size when she is first introduced, her gentle wisdom, soft colors, and maternal desire to see the conflict resolved allows the audience to connect almost instantaneously with her character.
The movie “Ponyo” creates an entirely new perspective to the classic fairy tale. The story plays a rather intriguing role that differentiates from the original telling. The characters are younger, the stakes are higher, and the healing power of love is stronger than in other versions of “The Little Mermaid”. Nevertheless, the story remains true to a formula that Disney has always mastered, and while the creative style may be overwhelming at times, I would highly recommend it.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Cast: Noah Cyrus, Frankie Jonas, Tina Fey, Liam Neeson, Cate Blanchett
Loosely based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale “The Little Mermaid”, Hayao Miyazaki's story “Ponyo” is unique retelling of a classic story about a curious and charming princess who lives in the sea. One day, when she is rescued from a bottle by a little boy named Sosuke, an incredible connection is forged between the two, and Sosuke wins Ponyo’s heart, inspiring the young princess to become human. Alas, Ponyo’s transformation has dire results, and in the end, only the power of their love can restore balance to the world and allow Ponyo and Sosuke to be together.
The story “Ponyo” is unprecedented in the Disney animated canon for a couple of different reasons. The innocence of Ponyo’s love for Sosuke is overshadowed by the monumental consequences which follow in the wake of romantic indulgence. The story’s conflict reflects a more severe outcome than the Disney version of “The Little Mermaid” in the sense that should the love shared between the two children fail, Ponyo’s life would be extinguished and she would be transformed into sea foam. The result of Princess Ponyo’s desire to be human is also more severe than the Disney version. Instead of merely upsetting her father, Ponyo’s choice upsets the balance of everything in nature, and that balance cannot be restored until Ponyo chooses whether to remain with Sosuke as a human child, or return to the sea with her family.
The strength of the story can be realized primarily in the creative designs of the characters. The animation of Princess Ponyo, is particularly memorable. When Princess Ponyo is in the water, she is portrayed in the form of a fish-like creature. When Ponyo realizes her desire to be human, her appearance becomes a mixture of fish and human. Finally, when Ponyo is on land, she takes on the appearance of a human girl. This is, by far, the strongest of the three animation-wise, because in her human form, the viewer can truly make a connection with Ponyo’s character and understand the essence of who she is. Her child-like curiosity and her emotional connection to Sosuke are likewise conveyed more strongly when she is in her human form. The design of Gran Mamare, Ponyo’s mother, is also exceptional. While Gran Mamare appears overwhelming in size when she is first introduced, her gentle wisdom, soft colors, and maternal desire to see the conflict resolved allows the audience to connect almost instantaneously with her character.
The movie “Ponyo” creates an entirely new perspective to the classic fairy tale. The story plays a rather intriguing role that differentiates from the original telling. The characters are younger, the stakes are higher, and the healing power of love is stronger than in other versions of “The Little Mermaid”. Nevertheless, the story remains true to a formula that Disney has always mastered, and while the creative style may be overwhelming at times, I would highly recommend it.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.