Ponyo

Ponyo is the latest film by Japanese animation auteur Hayao Miyazaki. Based loosely on Hans Christian Andersen's story ‘The Little Mermaid', it follows a goldfish called Ponyo, the offspring of a sorcerer and the Goddess of the Sea, who wants to become human after meeting a young boy called Sosuke. After stealing some of her father's magic she gains her wish, but creates an imbalance in nature causing catastrophic results unless she returns to the ocean, or gives up her powers.

The level of acclaim Miyazaki has received for his work is no surprise; Ponyo is stunningly beautiful, a hand-drawn visual oasis in the current desert of CGI overuse. The story is sweet without labouring the point, and every time Ponyo is on screen the cuteness levels go off the chart. At moments the plot seems to lose its steam but it quickly regains its pacing, although you'll be too busy taking in the art to mind.

Unfortunately, the DVD release doesn't match the movie in terms of quality. Thankfully, there is the option of switching to Japanese with English subtitles (a move considered necessary by fans of Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki's production company). The special features disappointingly consist of an alternate angle storyboard for the whole movie, the Japanese trailer for the film and a few trailers for other Ghibli films. No director commentary, no interviews with the cast, no making-of documentary – all of the standard special features fodder is missing. The movie is good enough in its own right, but hopefully a deluxe edition is in the works for the hardcore fans.

Extras Alternate storyboard, trailers

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