PONYO ON THE CLIFF BY THE SEA

Version: Theatrical; English Dub

I had to drive two hours to see this one, so I hope you appreciate it. :) The theater was relatively empty, I would say there were four other families in attendance. Most people probably didn't know what the movie was supposed to be about, let alone that it was a family movie. I didn't see any commercials on the television networks I watch, though I know there were some on the children's networks.

Ponyo was very interesting. The film starts out without dialogue, so at first you don't know what you are getting into. Once it does start up, the dub isn't that bad. I was a little concerned when I found out that Disney was shoving the siblings of their "big stars" in our faces. After all, a Jonas and a Cyrus are hardly ever good. The dub wasn't that bad as you listened to it, but some characters were really plain. Sosuke's mother hardly had any stand out lines, and even the old ladies were better written. Ponyo's father was really well cast. Liam Neeson has the kind of voice an obsessive wizard would have. The only thing is that Neeson's voice suggests an older, more experienced wizard, but the character's looks imply the opposite.

Speaking of that evil wizard, he quickly becomes the character to hate. I couldn't help but notice how much he resembles Howl in looks. The weird makeup on his face is somewhat of a distraction. The other characters are your standard lot. Sosuke resembles the little boy from My Neighbor Totoro, especially when he has the sailing hat on. Ponyo herself kept reminding me of Mei from Totoro, both in looks and voice. I really liked the design of Ponyo's mother. If she was supposed to represent beauty, then they hit the mark.

The soundtrack was marvelous. Joe Hisaishi really did a good job. I don't know if this is intentional, but the soundtrack reminded me of The Little Mermaid. I am really glad it did not resemble Howl's Moving Castle or Spirited Away. I felt that those two were very similarly scored. This one definitely had its own presence. The only part about the music that I hated was the ending song. They BUTCHERED it. It was fine until they added the techno junk. I enjoy a good techno every once in a while, but this was just awful.

The visuals were great. The swirling colors had the potential to overwhelm, but they balanced well. The opening gives you a taste, but it's the introduction of Ponyo's mother that blows you away. The sea blobs counter this. I'm just thankful they were a blue hue instead of the mud muck color the ones in Howl were.

This one was definitely worth the drive. It's a shame that it did not get a wide release. All of the other family movies out right now are action and gimmicks. This one has story and heart, and I hope it takes off when the DVD comes out around Christmas.