A little "Finding Nemo" and a sprinkle of "The Little Mermaid", Ponyo is a delightful tale of a fish-girl who lives in the ocean. Naturally she isn't any goldfish, but the daughter of the ruler of the ocean, and a princess. Ponyo is discovered by a little boy who takes her home in green bucket, feeds her ham, and soon finds out she is more than a fish when she begins to speak.
Ponyo wants nothing more than to become human and finds she can control enough of her father's magic to sprout arms and legs and leave the sea behind. However, the balance of nature is upset by this and Ponyo must be returned to the ocean before the destruction of the planet.
Fans of Miyazaki will not be disappointed by this film, and parents will enjoy it as much as their children. Unlike Princess Mononoke, this movie is more kid-friendly than a Disney film. Never lacking in originality, Miyazaki's world is as colorful, bizarre, and hyperactive as ever. Each scene looks as though it has been filled in with color-pencil, a refreshing change from CG children's films.
The smile never left my face during this film, all the way through the end credits, which features the movie's theme song, with some of the cutest lyrics I've ever heard, "Ponyo, Ponyo, Ponyo on the sea. She's a girl with a little round tummy!"
Delightfully cute and entertaining, Ponyo is a summer must-see.
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