Ponyo

Ponyo is a children’s movie, but it is also fit for adults. For while the story itself is fairly simplistic and does not attempt to reach beyond that of a simple love story, the simplicity itself allows us to trust its in innocence and be absorbed in the beautiful artwork. Thus it is also a fairytale, but it is a fairytale that none of us have heard before. If I imagine that I have never watched The Little Mermaid (which Ponyo adapts from) , and did so just now for the first time, then it probably would be the same experience I got when I watched Ponyo- a film that is too young for my age but something that I can still appreciate. Ponyo sheds many themes contained in Miyazaki’s previous works- environment, technology, coming-of-age, culture clash etc.- and focus solely on the magical childhood. This is what makes it a perfect children’s movie; the whole premise is focused on the stretching of the imagination and avoids the need for any heavy interpretation. The use of adorable characters who are untroubled by problems at large also add to the atmosphere of fun and charm. For adults, there is not a lot to draw from in terms of the plot. Especially for anyone who has seen other Miyazaki films, there probably will not be any surprises in terms of the narrative. But again, the visual elements of Ponyo are, for me, simply stunning. The sights of the water raging to swallow the small island where Sosuke lives and the appearance of the golden fishes are exemplary of the kind of eye-opening animation that Miyazaki is known for. And, I think in a slight reference to Totoro, Sosuke resembles Kanta whens he dons the seaman hat.

Howl's Moving Castle

Out of all his films, Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle fails to impress me. And it is not because of the themes that he uses have gotten old or boring, or clichéd over the past eight or so films, because I think the lessons of coming-of-age, self-discovery etc. can always be relevant, but rather because the story that he tells in Howl which these lessons are embedded in falls short of the excellence expected of Miyazaki. While roughly the first twenty minutes of the film begins the narrative solidly enough, the rest of the film fails to capture any kind of believable continuity- and moment after moment seems to be yet another dues-ex-machina or another incredulous continuation to the story. For example, when Sophie’s mother recognizes Sophie and welcomes her back, and then turns out to be a spy for Suliman, turns the Howl into somewhat of a political thriller, which is definitely not the direction the film intends. In another case, as when the Turnip-head is turned back into a prince who is missing from the neighboring kingdom, the tale experiences a dramatic change of pace in heavy distinction from the earlier parts of the film, which moves in a snail’s pace. Despite all of its faults, Howl still manages to impress with its outstanding animation art, and memorable characters, especially Howl’s young apprentice. But unfortunately, for me the storytelling in the film is too jumbled and distracting for the wonderful animation to take over and lift the film up by itself.