Ponyo

Ponyo isn't meant to be a great film, but it comes from a visionary director: Hayao Miyazaki, and ends up being one. Consider some of his past films: My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away. His animated style is one that produces well-drawn and amiable films. With Ponyo, he achieves just that. It's tale is a little silly, it's just a fable. It tells of a creature named Ponyo that was part of the sea creatures, but longed to be human. It's sort of like the japanese Little Mermaid. Ponyo befriends a boy up on the land, and their innocence and carefree sets them off on a mini-adventure. Everything is so grand in Ponyo, especially a great scene where the duo float over a buried city, that we can't help but feel privileged to see it. It's like a dream. The story, the images, they all seem to have been perfectly re-represented by Miyazaki. The film isn't really complicated or interesting, but it's one of the best children's films I've ever seen. Not only that, but the simplicity within the story is endearing. With all of these high-octane, high-bullshit children's movies that are out nowadays, its so great to see one that tells a simple story and captivates solely by imagery.
Ponyo: ★★★★