Spidersecu Don't Believe the Hype

Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

annayasha The Message Boards were one of the main reasons we all used IMDb.We can still look for data, but in time, it'll be pointless to keep coming here: without the message boards, we will go to Wikipedia and other websites to get the information that we're looking for.Hate and trolling comments should be treated as it always have been, by moderators. Besides that, IMDb Message Boards always was a place to go for good discussion and reasoned debate.Make a point to the admins. We want the Message Boards back. Write reviews looping the message.BRING THEM BACK!

allyball-63124 I've only seen 2 Studio Ghibli films so far but I think this is definitely one of the weirdest. I mean, the plot itself isn't that weird. It's kind of your typical Little Mermaid story except with 2 eight year old kids. However, the specifics are really odd. I won't say too much because I don't want to spoil anything but let's just say it can get a little awkward. I think Ponyo herself is the main reason this movie is so weird. She does and says a lot of things that seem really out of place for a fish/eight year old girl. Not to mention that her dad is even more ridiculous. The other characters for the most part are fine except for the boy's mom. She drives like a freaking maniac when she has kids in the car during a deadly storm! I won't say anything else but she does some other stupid stuff throughout the movie. I think out of all the characters the boy is my favorite because he plays off all the weirdness just like the audience. The animation itself is pretty good though not as good as Arrietty. The colors in Arrietty are more vibrant and blend better while Ponyo's animation is a bit more sketchy. However, it's still nice to see hand-drawn movies is the 2000's and the water looks downright breathtaking. Overall, despite this being really weird, it's a fun little movie to check out at least once.

Eric Stevenson It's been way too long since I've seen a Miyazaki film. It's a shame that his films don't do near the box office reception of something like that awful Yu-Gi-Oh movie. Of course, this is still the highest grossing of his films. I truly believe this is close to "Spirited Away" as one of his best works. I guess it's because the animation is just so wonderful. I mean, it really seems like every moment of this film there is movement involved. There's a slight change in the outlines of all the characters.I had no idea this was inspired by "The Little Mermaid". It certainly seems nothing like the Disney movie. I personally don't find that one of my favorite Disney films and I find this much better. The voice work is fantastic. I'm generally not into celebrity voice actors but they make it work so well here. This film might be his most adorable. I guess it's just great to see Ponyo's miniature sisters swimming around everywhere.The plot is that there's this fish that escapes from her underwater home and meets a boy named Sosuke (yep, that reminds me of Sasuke from Naruto), making her want to become human. Every character is just teeming with cuteness. I especially love how realistic all the underwater creatures are. I think my favorite part might just be the first six minutes without dialogue as we see how well detailed they are. This really is one of the best movies I've ever seen. Not only is the pacing wonderful, but it's great to see a lot of the more mundane scenes like Sosuke's mother getting through her day. It shows that as strange as any animated film may be, it does in fact work hard to be realistic.This is only my third Miyazaki film, but already you can call me a fan. It even seemed like he was trying to imitate western animation more here. Ponyo as a fish and her sisters look a lot less like his normal style. It's always great to experiment with something new, especially for someone as great as him. Even every bit of the credits is adorable.I wish this guy would work for Pokemon! Hey, it's my first IMDb review! This is easily a 10/10!

Gregory Porter If you aren't familiar with Hayao Miyazaki, he's like the Japanese Walt Disney. He and his studio, Studio Ghibli, are responsible for Spirited Away, Grave of Fireflies, Princess Mononoke and others. Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (henceforth referred to as Ponyo) is one of their most recent films. I love Miyazaki movies, particularly how they animate water; Ponyo's defining characteristic is that it's about the sea so, naturally, it was on my to-watch list.Plot wise, Ponyo feels pretty thin. There is a fish that wants to become a little girl. Only through true love can this happen…and also only through true love can she save the world from being flooded.There isn't too much else to say about this one, quite honestly. The animation is beautiful, Ponyo (Nara) and Sôsuke (the little boy, voice by Hiroki Doi, who finds Ponyo) are adorable, and the music is great, and it has a happy ending.If you were unfamiliar with Miyazaki, I wouldn't recommend this as your introduction to his movies because of the odd plot. I'd start off with something like Spirited Away or Kiki's Delivery Service, and then after a little while, add Ponyo to your queue.I checked on the cast of voice actors for both the original Japanese cast and the American dub. Looking at the cast, you can tell this was definitely a big budget movie; Matt Damon (Kôichi), Betty White (Sôsuke grandmother), Tina Fey (Sôsuke's mom), and last but not least, the voice of the villain is Liam Neeson! We watched the original Japanese audio and it was great but, if you prefer dubs, I think Ponyo would be a good experience. Although, now that I'm thinking about it, Liam Neeson's voice is so distinct I wonder if it would break my suspension of disbelief.