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Ponyo

Released 2008
Runtime 108
Category Family
Language Japanese
Director Hayao Miyazaki

What it’s about

Rescued from a dredging net by 5-year-old Sosuke (Jonas), who lives on a seaside cliff with his family, charming red-scaled goldfish Ponyo (Cyrus) develops a curiosity for human life and a deep fondness for her new friend. Despite the efforts of her wizard father (Neeson) and sea-goddess mother (Blanchett) to keep her beneath the ocean, Ponyo transforms herself into a little girl and returns to Sosuke. But her magical metamorphosis begins to wreak havoc on the tides, upsetting Earth's fragile balance … 

Why we love it

A fabulous, fantastical twist on Hans Christian Anderson's “The Little Mermaid”, Miyazaki's “Ponyo” tells the story of an enchanting goldfish whose desire to become human unleashes a tsunami of ecological disturbances on a small Japanese port town. One of the world's foremost hand-drawn animation filmmakers, Miyazaki has an unfailing ear for the language of innocence and childlike yearning, often wrapped around a beautifully subtle message about nature's fragility. The surreal, delightfully eccentric poetry of his masterful set pieces in “Ponyo” will delight toddler-age tadpoles and big fish alike.  

Cate Blanchett, Noah Lindsey Cyrus, Liam Neeson, Frankie Jonas Hayao Miyazaki

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