Ponyo (2009)

Edit this Page
4 star rating THE Screened Review by Matt Rorie

Ponyo is a very sweet movie, if a bit too slight for mature audiences.

Hayao Miyazaki Director previously directed Howl's Moving Castle

Hayao Miyazaki spins another environmentally focused fable in Ponyo, a story of a young boy who meets an underwater princess.

Reference: My Neighbor Totoro

Lisa sings the second line of the song "Stroll" from the film after Sousuke tries to cheer her up.

Quote: Lisa

I say we start with dessert and go backwards. It's been a backwards kind of day.

Writers
Cast
Yuria Nara Ponyo
Hiroki Doi Sosuke
Joji Tokoro Fujimoto
Tomoko Yamaguchi Risa
Yûki Amami Guranmamare
Kazushige Nagashima Koichi
Akiko Yano Ponyo no kyôdai
Shinichi Hatori Anchorman
Tokie Hidari Kayo
Eimi Hiraoka Kumiko
See Full Credits

Synopsis

 Ponyo as a goldfish
 Ponyo as a goldfish
Also known as "Ponyo On the Cliff By The Sea," the film is a retelling of "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen. In the film, Ponyo is a goldfish who lives in an undersea tank with her siblings. Her father, Fujimoto, is a human who travels the sea in a submarine. At the beginning of the film Ponyo sneaks away from her father's submarine to see more of the world. She comes across a five-year-old boy named Sosuke and quickly falls in love with him. Sosuke gives her the name "Ponyo."
 
 Human Ponyo
 Human Ponyo
Sosuke and Ponyo are soon separated, with Ponyo being returned to the sea and to her father. Fujimoto warns Ponyo of humans, but Ponyo declares her love for Sosuke and her desire to be human. Magically, Ponyo starts to grow humans limbs and Fujimoto has to use magic to turn her back into a fish. Fujimoto leaves to find Ponyo's mother, and while he is gone Ponyo unleashes a huge amount of magic, causing a great storm. Ponyo continues to become human and she runs on great waves to find Sosuke.
 
Sosuke and Ponyo are reunited. However Ponyo's mother, the Goddess of Mercy, finds Ponyo and Sosuke. She makes a deal with them that if Sosuke can pass a test she will allow Ponyo to remain human.
 Sosuke & Ponyo
 Sosuke & Ponyo
Sosuke and Ponyo have an adventure throughout Sosuke's town, which is flooded by sea water. By the end of the film Sosuke tells Ponyo's mother of his love for Ponyo, whether she is a fish or a human. Sosuke passes the test and Ponyo is allow to stay as a human.
 

About The Film

Ponyo is a simpler film than Miyazaki's previous, most recent efforts. It was obviously made with a very young audience in mind. It lacks the complex morality of Princess Mononoke, and does not have the elaborate animation of films like Howl's Moving Castle or the underlying mythology of Spirited Away. It uses mostly simple designs and broad lines, giving it the feel of a children's picture book. 
 
 Ham!
 Ham!
However this simplicity did nothing to hurt the films marketability. On the contrary, Ponyo is perhaps Miyazaki's most commercially successful film. In Japan, the film earned US$91 million in its first month, a record for a Japanese film. In North America, Ponyo had the widest release of any Miyazaki film, earning over US$3.5 million in its opening weekend.
102 votes, 4.1 avg.

  • 86

  • B+

  • 4.0

  • 7.9
General Information Edit
Name Ponyo
US Release Aug. 14, 2009
UK Release Feb. 12, 2010
AUS Release Aug. 27, 2009
Runtime 103
Language(s)
Add a new language
Genre(s)
Add a new genre
Theme(s)
Add a new theme
Rating G
Alias(es)
Top Rated Lists
One Movie every day for an entire year a list of 61 items by DarkShaper
NOTE TO SELF: a list of 105 items by ashogo
My favorite animated films. a list of 9 items by ImHungry
Related Pages Edit
We don't have any info about Ponyo's related cliches. Help us fill it in!
  • In today's dollars
    Domestic $15,090,399
    Foreign +185,728,310
  • = total worldwide gross $200,818,709
  • - a reported budget of $39,063,400
  • = a 414.1% net profit of $161,755,309
Top Editors
Mandatory Network

Submissions can take several hours to be approved.

Save ChangesCancel