Animé and Toons
Ponyo Blu-Ray DVD Edition
By Hervé St-Louis
April 3, 2010 - 11:58

Studios: Studio Ghibli, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Writer(s): Hayao Miyazaki
$24.99 US
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Yuria Nara, Hiroki Doi, Noah Cyrus, Matt Damon
Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki
Running Time: 1 hr. 41 min
Release Date: March 2, 2010
Distributors: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment



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Based on the Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen, Ponyo by Hayao Miyazaki is the story of a little fish with a human face who befriends a five-year old boy called Sosuke. When Ponyo drink human blood from a wound on Sosuke’s hand, she gets the urge to become human and falls in love with the boy. But Ponyo cannot live with Sosuke or the fragile balance of the world governed by magic will bring a new age of destruction and life that could unravel everything. Is the love between Ponyo and Sosuke doomed?

When this film was released in August 2009, it did not draw crowds like a typical Disney animated movie release and it is a shame. But Ponyo is a good and entertaining story for younger kids and older ones who don’t mind looking at the eye of innocence and being mesmerized by the display. The story is simple and the conflicts in this story is not personified in the body of a person. It’s personified in a simple challenge, two kids walking to a destination and their trek will decide the fate of the world. What I like about Ponyo is are the subtle hints about her world, her powers and our world. Nothing is explained explicitly. For example, when Ponyo uses her powers in human form, he limbs degenerate into primitive sticks. She can only regain her composure after having used her magic. This type of story where it’s up to the viewer to discover much of the meaning and the setting of the magical world where Ponyo hails from is difficult for most people. Nothing is spelled out but at the same time it doesn’t take much imagination to fill the gaps. And that’s where Miyazaki , one could argue, takes a gamble that children will understand the narrative completely without having to be told anything. I like that he tries as it’s different in this day and age to let children think for themselves.

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The collected edition is a smart move by Disney. They included both the DVD and the Blue-Ray edition in this package. It’s a great investment for parents that want to get this movie but don’t know which version to get. It’s a bit annoying that the extra features of this film are only available on the Blue-Ray disc. The DVD stick to the story. I guess that’ll be a treasure to explore in years to come. The price is actually decent for once.
Rating: 9.5/10

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