Ponyo Has the Critics

Because it’s been around a while, it doesn’t feel like it’s being seen for the first time.¬† Nonetheless, the revered Miyazaki is being lauded for his use of tradition drawn animation over the more common animation done by computer. Up has just two metacritic points higher than Ponyo, but it does seem to me that the more admiring one is of Miyazaki, the more they are inclined to love his latest. Those who are looking for something familiar in a kid’s movie are not going to find it here. I’ll admit that the movie, compared to Miyazaki’s other works, doesn’t sit high on the list; just as Up doesn’t sit high on the list for Pixar films (if you can even group Pixar together, rather than by director – now I want to remove Up from the tracker but I live in fear of the readers). Nonetheless, one must bow down to Miyazaki, in my opinion, for two reasons. The first is his artistic genius; no one else in animation requires that you surrender yourself completely to him for an hour and a half – and no other director takes you places you never dreamed you would go. The second reason is Miyazaki’s desire to preserve the art of animation.

But enough of my yacking, here is Manohla Dargis:

Its sting is so gentle you might miss it. But when the ocean rises in this wonderful movie, each leaping wave stares out at us with a baleful eye as if in watchful and worried wait.

And Kenneth Turan:

You’ll be planning to see Ponyo twice before you’ve finished seeing it once. Five minutes into this magical film you’ll be making lists of the individuals of every age you can expose to the very special mixture of fantasy and folklore, adventure and affection.

And Ebert:

here 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. It’s wonderful and never even seems to try: It unfolds fantastically.