I went to the Ponyo premiere yesterday, and I was absolutely blown away. It's a marvel in animation (as expected in a Miyazaki film) and the story is really moving. They also got some great voicework done for the English version, with actors like Tina Fey and Liam Neeson voicing important rolls. I recommend this movie to everyone. I haven't seen the subbed version, but I'm confident that both versions are equally amazing.

(except for the english main theme. [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sil9nclPe2I[/url] ugh.)

I was pleased to find out this was actually playing in my area. I thought it was super cute - although one or two things were rather bizarre. I don't entirely like how they got well-known actors to do the dubbing though, for me it detracts from the experience when a character is performed by an actor with a distinctive voice (Liam Neeson in particular).

If you're referring to the Disney-fied kiddy techno that was playing in the credits, yes, that made me cringe.

I'll probably check this movie out in a couple weeks or so. Does this one make more coherent sense than Spirited Away?

Spirited Away makes sense if you look into Japanese mythology.

[quote="AlucardX24"]It's a marvel in animation (as expected in a Miyazaki film)[/quote]

What? Admittedly, I only watched the trailer (which, since I was not nine, did not inspire any desire to see the film), but I didn't see anything that would have been marvelous in 1999 (or 1989), let alone 2009. That said, I don't know how many advancements there could possibly be in traditional animation, but I didn't see any improvements in that trailer.

[quote="sheerheartattack"][quote="AlucardX24"]It's a marvel in animation (as expected in a Miyazaki film)[/quote]

What? Admittedly, I only watched the trailer (which, since I was not nine, did not inspire any desire to see the film), but I didn't see anything that would have been marvelous in 1999 (or 1989), let alone 2009. That said, I don't know how many advancements there could possibly be in traditional animation, but I didn't see any improvements in that trailer.[/quote]

Constant frame animation all hand-done, considering that everything is hugely reliant on computer technology nowadays. My one friend (who is an art major) aspires to make cartoons of the same kind of quality as in Miyazaki films. Other than that, not having seen the film myself, I can't say what else would be "marvelous."

I saw Ponyo today. I was really underwhelmed. And I feel soulless when I say that...but...it's true.

spoilers:

- There was no major conflict, no threat, no bad guy. Ponyo's father (an interesting character with NO backstory) seemed responsible enough - he didn't seem like a true antagonist.
- With the environmental aspect introduced early in the movie, I thought it was going to be Princess Mononoke underwater. Then they suddenly forgot about that whole point about a third of the way into the story. No more bad humans, no more pollution. Just ignored.
- Let me get this straight: the entire UNIVERSE is thrown out of balance because Ponyo, a magic fish, willed herself into turning into a human? That's what made the moon move close to the earth? That's what's fucking nature up?
- Ponyo had more open questions than the entire Neon Genesis Evangelion series. What's the deal with Ponyo's father? Why is he collecting that fluid? How? What IS the fluid? What's the deal with Ponyo's mother? Why didn't the old folks question anything that was going on? They're in a fricking huge bubble with the Queen of the Sea and her gay husband - they seem like they're totally sedated or something. Is Sosuke's mom REALLY okay with like, raising a second child?
- The trial Sosuke had to complete was...no, not choosing between his father and Ponyo. No, not saving Ponyo from a scary giant sea-creature...no. He just had to kiss a fucking bubble. Are you shitting me? And he didn't even really kiss the bubble when it came down to it, it just landed on his face.

Let me just back all of this bitching up: I'm aware Miyazaki's target audience is young Japanese kids. They don't need answers to everything, this is first and foremost entertainment. Sure. But all of his movies have had so much more coherence and plot in them. I mean, I guess Totoro didn't have much of a plot. But still.

Miyazaki didn't push the environmental message. He didn't develop the whole family dynamic (with the father out at sea all the time). He didn't explain SHIT about the underwater world of Ponyo's family. All of the humans were totally complacent with all of this batshit craziness that was going on around them (seriously, the guys on the rescue boats were like "Ahoy! Just another normal day on our island!") I almost feel trolled by this movie. Like he had a few neat ideas and character designs, and just wanted to mash em up in a new location.

That reminds me! Character designs!
Ponyo = Mei (Totoro)
Sosuke = Kanta (Totoro) (http://www.onlineghibli.com/totoro/newimages/Kanta.jpg)
Kumiko (Sosuke's nursey/school classmate) = Kiki (Kiki's Delivery Service)
One of the old ladies = nice Witch of the Wastes (the end of Howl's Moving Castle, yeah?)
One of the guys on the rescue boat = Jiro (Princess Mononoke)

It seemed like this was just one big nonsensical Ghibli mashup of themes and character designs.

As far as the big Ghibli movies go, for me, I think it's looking like this:
Mononoke > Spirited Away > Totoro > Howl >>>> Ponyo
Sorry.

I didn't want to read all of that because I haven't seen it, and I don't want spoilers, but could you make a spoiler-free gripe about it?

I loved Ponyo because it didn't make any sense.

The ending theme sounded the same as the Japanese version to me. I recognized it and immediately left the theater because I hate it.

[quote="Blank"][quote="sheerheartattack"][quote="AlucardX24"]It's a marvel in animation (as expected in a Miyazaki film)[/quote]

What? Admittedly, I only watched the trailer (which, since I was not nine, did not inspire any desire to see the film), but I didn't see anything that would have been marvelous in 1999 (or 1989), let alone 2009. That said, I don't know how many advancements there could possibly be in traditional animation, but I didn't see any improvements in that trailer.[/quote]

Constant frame animation all hand-done, considering that everything is hugely reliant on computer technology nowadays. My one friend (who is an art major) aspires to make cartoons of the same kind of quality as in Miyazaki films. Other than that, not having seen the film myself, I can't say what else would be "marvelous."[/quote]

That's exactly my point. As far as traditional animation goes, there really isn't much room left for advancement. There's "as good as it gets," but there's nothing overwhelmingly innovative left.

And how the fuck often do you see anything that's traditionally animated anymore?

[quote="Blank"]And how the fuck often do you see anything that's traditionally animated anymore?[/quote]

I don't know. Is this somehow relevant to what I said?

Apparently you don't know the dictionary definition of marvel. Something doesn't need to be extremely innovative for it to be marvelous, however, marvelous can mean something that's surprising. Something hand-made nowadays is pretty surprising, etc.

[quote="Blank"]Apparently you don't know the dictionary definition of marvel. Something doesn't need to be extremely innovative for it to be marvelous, however, marvelous can mean something that's surprising. Something hand-made nowadays is pretty surprising, etc.[/quote]

If someone made a modern black and white film, it would be very surprising. However, that wouldn't make it marvelous at all.

Clerks was marvelous. Sin City (from what I've heard and to a certain extent) was marvelous...