It's a movie for anyone who, like Miyazaki himself, can still happily commune with his inner five-year-old.
Ponyo(崖の上のポニョ)
✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ Read critic reviews
Japan · 2008
Rated G · 1h 40m
Director Hayao Miyazaki
Starring Yuria Nara, Hiroki Doi, George Tokoro, Tomoko Yamaguchi
Genre Animation, Family
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A goldfish washes up on shore and is found by a 5-year-old boy named Sosuke, who names her Ponyo. When her wizard father summons her back, Ponyo uses magic to become human and return to the land. The magic causes an imbalance in nature, and Sosuke and Ponyo must set things right.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
St. Louis Post-Dispatch by Calvin Wilson
Traditional in the best sense.
New York Magazine (Vulture) by David Edelstein
Liam Neeson has gravely splendid pipes as Ponyo’s father, a once-human wizard who lives underwater and despises humankind for polluting the planet.
Entertainment Weekly by Lisa Schwarzbaum
Don't tell Walt Disney, but Hayao Miyazaki really holds the keys to the magic kingdom.
Baltimore Sun by Michael Sragow
Best of all, Ponyo never ceases to be a genuine odyssey in short pants.
Chicago Sun-Times by Roger Ebert
There is a word to describe Ponyo, and that word is magical. This poetic, visually breathtaking work by the greatest of all animators has such deep charm that adults and children will both be touched.
Though targeted at tots, Ponyo may appeal most to jaded adults thirsty for wondrous beauty and unpackaged innocence
The A.V. Club by Tasha Robinson
It’s essentially a stroll through a fantastically detailed pastel world, in which the plot is little more than an excuse for Miyazaki to dive into a world teeming with colorful (and sometimes prehistoric) life.
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